Do you believe one creates their own destiny or do you think it's pre-determined?

Question

Personally, I think one creates their own destiny with the choices they make.

Answer 1

I agree to a point... I do believe that some people's destinies are set in a way. Like Bill Gates was given the intelligence and confidence to do what he does... That doesn't mean a person will do it, just means they are given certain talents. So maybe the destiny itself isn't predetermined, but maybe other things are. You have a choice to use it or not. Like choosing if you're going to walk, ride a bike or hop the bus to get to the store... the final destiny is the store, but how you get there is still your choice.

Answer 2

The Bible tells us, “…All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). So, yes, God knows exactly when, where, and how we will die. God knows absolutely everything about us (Psalm 139:1-6). So, does this mean our fate is sealed? Does this mean we have absolutely no control over when we will die? The answer is both yes and no.



The answer is yes because God knows everything and knows exactly when, where and how we will die. Nothing we can do will change what God already knows will happen. The answer is no because we do have an impact on when, where, and how we die. Obviously, a person who commits suicide causes their own death. A person who commits suicide would have lived longer had they not committed suicide. Similarly, a person who dies because of a foolish decision (i.e., drug use) “expedited” their own death. A person who dies of lung cancer from smoking would not have died in the same way or at the same time if they had not smoked. A person who dies of a heart attack due to a lifetime of extremely unhealthy eating and little exercise would not have died in the same way or at the same time if they had eaten healthier foods and exercised more. Yes, our own decisions have an undeniable impact on the manner, timing, and place of our death.



How does this effect our lives practically? We are to live each day for God. James 4:13-15 teaches us, “Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.” We are to make wise decisions about how we live our lives and how we take care of ourselves. And ultimately, we trust God, that He is sovereign and in control of all things.

Recommended Resource: What the Bible Says about Heaven & Eternity by Ice & Demy.

Answer 3

I am a fatalist through and through. Our destiny is set in stone. It might appear that we make our own choices, but we don't. I've worked in the emergency services field for a long time and have seen a lot of people die and after seeing all that you know that it was there time even if it was something seemingly random as slipping on a banana peel. Our birth and death is set and so is everything else in between.....

Answer 4

And I think you're deluding yourself.

Just because the patterns of the Universe involve far more steps, parts and the like and are far too complicated for you to fully understand doesn't mean those patterns don't exist.

You cannot change the Universe with the power of your will.... but by heck the Universe can direct your entire life from the get-go to death.


The entire Universe is one chemical reaction of ultimate magnitude and complexity. If we had the numbers that went into it in the first place, and enough processing power, we could calculate the entire course of time from beginning to end.

Answer 5

It's pre-determined, as the choices that you make were already part of your destiny before you made them.

Answer 6

God exists outside of time and space. He is not limited to His own creation. He knows the choices that have been made, are being made, and will be made. And that is the mystery and Majesty of God.

His Glory is shown when the right decisions are made as well as when the wrong decisions are made. Our free will is a testament to His Glory. He could have created us as simpletons that bow to Him without thought, but He has chosen to allow us to choose our path even though He already knows our final destination.

In a world saturated in evil it is a miracle that any of us choose to follow Him at all.

Answer 7

Predetermined to a large extent. Nothing supernatural or anything. Biology and society impose certain limitations on the individual. There is a bit of leeway though. We make our own fate? Tell that to all the Africans that starve to death and are caught up in genocide. The free are a privileged class.

Answer 8

Exactly, I believe that Fate brings certain things to us but it is our free will that determines what transpires with that event. These decisions we make limit what our destiny will be.

Bright Blessings )O(

Answer 9

Your life experience is determined by what you think and believe. The rest is just sign posts along the way.

Answer 10

God isn't imaginary for the answerer above and I believe God is omniscient, so I believe he knows everything already. I think everything has a purpose and everything works out in the end but I think God has allowed us to make our own choices and whatever we do it will follow what God has planned for us. I think our lives are predetermined, but only God knows how things will work out, so no human being can really know everything that is going to happen, we don't know the outcome, but he does. Thanks for reading.