--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I can only become perfectly free by…" description: "\"I can only become perfectly free by serving the will of God.\" — Thomas Merton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/thomas-merton-231_catholic_i-can-only-become-perfectly-free-by-serv_1396337.jpg" --- # I can only become perfectly free by serving the will of God. ![“I can only become perfectly free by serving the will of God.” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/thomas-merton-231_catholic_i-can-only-become-perfectly-free-by-serv_1396337.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/thomas-merton-231_catholic_i-can-only-become-perfectly-free-by-serv_1396337.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c76/thomas-merton-231_catholic_i-can-only-become-perfectly-free-by-serv_1396337.jpg) > “I can only become perfectly free by serving the will of God.” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True freedom is achieved through self‑less service to a higher purpose, aligning personal will with divine will. **In simple terms:** Freedom comes from serving a higher purpose. Key Takeaway Serve beyond to find freedom. Themes spirituality service freedom purpose Mood contemplative inspirational Type spiritual philosophical When to use this quote - volunteering - prayer - community work - personal sacrifice Key Concepts self‑transcendence theology detachment Questions to Reflect On - How does serving others affect your sense of self? - What balance exists between self‑care and self‑less service? A Different Perspective Self‑service can be misinterpreted as neglecting personal needs. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Catholic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catholic/) [Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free/) [Free Serving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-serving-4177384/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Gods will](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gods-will/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Lord](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lord/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Perfectly Free](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perfectly-free-1209296/) [Serving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serving/) [Serving god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serving-god/) ## Related quotes > [“Then there was a pop-surprise bonus side order brought over by the waitress for free—a serving of fried zucchini blossoms with a soft dab…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gilbert/then-there-was-a-pop-surprise-bonus-side-order-brought-over-by-the/) [Elizabeth Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gilbert/) > [No one can be perfectly free till all are free; no one can be perfectly moral till all are moral; no one can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-spencer/no-one-can-be-perfectly-free-till-all-are-free-no-one-can-be/) [Herbert Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-spencer/) > [“Every man, as long as he does not violate the laws of justice, is left perfectly free to pursue his own interest his own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/every-man-as-long-as-he-does-not-violate-the-laws-of-justice-is-left/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [It is only when you have become that true Self consciously, when all these illusions have fallen away, that you will be perfectly free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/it-is-only-when-you-have-become-that-true-self-consciously-when-all/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I know nothing more enjoyable than that happy-go-lucky wandering life, in which you are perfectly free; without shackles of any kind, without care, without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-maupassant/i-know-nothing-more-enjoyable-than-that-happy-go-lucky-wandering-life/) [Guy de Maupassant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-maupassant/) > [“He had learned that, as there is no situation in the world in which a man can be happy and perfectly free, so there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/he-had-learned-that-as-there-is-no-situation-in-the-world-in-which-a/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Modern man no longer regards Nature as in any sense divine and feels perfectly free to behave toward her as an overweening conqueror and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/modern-man-no-longer-regards-nature-as-in-any-sense-divine-and-feels/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Dance when you're perfectly free.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/dance-when-you-re-perfectly-free/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [The secular humanist, although he would never dream of committing the social faux pas of calling a black man a negro, feels perfectly free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-schaeffer/the-secular-humanist-although-he-would-never-dream-of-committing-the/) [Frank Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-schaeffer/) > [Naturally, the workers are perfectly free; the manufacturer does not force them to take his materials and his cards, but he says to them..'If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-engels/naturally-the-workers-are-perfectly-free-the-manufacturer-does-not/) [Friedrich Engels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-engels/) > [Leadership is the art of serving God by helping His people become more like His Son through the indefatigable pursuit of His vision and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-barna/leadership-is-the-art-of-serving-god-by-helping-his-people-become/) [George Barna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-barna/) > [I don't know what kind of God the rest of y'all are serving, but the God I serve says, 'Mary, you need to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-blige/i-don-t-know-what-kind-of-god-the-rest-of-y-all-are-serving-but-the/) [Mary J. 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