Human beings are endowed with intellect and free-will.
These are precious and powerful God-given gifts that makes human beings stand at the apex of creation.
So with the intellect, we can decide what we want for ourselves.
It is a freedom of choice that even God will respect so that we can freely choose whether we want to do His will or not.
But there are times when some human beings abuse their power and authority to impose their will on others.
We hear of such a case in the 1st reading when king Nebuchadnezzar wanted to impose his demands on the three young men to worship the statue that he had erected.
The king went so far as to threaten them with death in the fiery furnace if they refuse.
But in the end, it was God who showed the king that He will protect and save those who chose to be faithful to Him.
To choose to be faithful to God and to do His will would also mean to respect the freedom of others and not to impose our opinions on them.
It is in respecting others that we show our reverence for God.