It is the ONLY thing that makes goodness POSSiBLE.
A race of choiceless automatons could do what their Creator wanted them to do, programmed by Him to do it. But is that “good”?
If it is, it’s just a coincidence.
To get credit for doing good, one must have the freedom to choose otherwise, and then make the CHOiCE to do the good. If choice is not in the equation, good and evil do not enter into it, and there is no moral credit to be had.
If God created everything, then He must have created evil, right?
No. He gave His creatures free will, and when He did, He already knew some of them would use it to choose evil. And we did.
But without freedom to choose, there is no good and no love. And God made us to CHOOSE to love Him. Not all of us would, but without free will, there would be no love at all.
This free will you have? Eternity depends on it.
Use it well.