willing---> desiring ---> loving

We choose/will what we desire and we desire what we love.

So how does this play out with "free will?" The will is not free in the sense that it is it's own independent agent. We will what we desire i.e. our wills are tied to our desires. And we desire what we love and we love what gives us the greatest sense of meaning, value, purpose etc.

However what if there is something out there that gives a greater sense of meaning than what we now know and are aware of. In fact this "something" gives the greatest sense of meaning/value/purpose possible. It exists objectively, but subjectively to us, it does not. How can we choose such an "object?" We can not and will not. How can we if we don't know it exists. So free will is not our problem. Blindness is. We can not will/choose and pursue that which we can't see and therefore have no knowledge of.  

So we go after that which our senses tell us does the best job of satisfying our need.

But here's a more fundamental question. Why do we need at all? What do we need?

The simple fact of our finiteness requires us to depend on certain things in order to do, know and live etc.

We are not self-sufficient in the absolute sense. Physically alone we must have water, air, food, shelter at a minimum. Beyond these we desire far more.

How about emotionally? Do we need anything? Well, studies show we need love. If infants are not touched and handled in a way that communicates they are cared for, they do not mature properly and can literally die. Curious, isn't it. Why is this? The common theme of everyone who unsuccessfully attempts suicide is life no longer had meaning, purpose or any hope of these and it was simply too unbearably painful to function this way. If I die, hopefully, the pain will stop. This is why simply showing genuine care for someone in this condition can turn them around. It tells them they actually are important after all - to at least you. 

So what is it we need exactly. We need to be valued, important, of worth in the eyes of another. Some try to satisfy this need through self-treatment so to speak... self-love, self-medication if you will...but nothing works completely and sufficiently except a relationship with the Source of life love and all things...God himself.