There are some questions that arrive without warning. This one came to me as I stood in my kitchen one morning, doing nothing particularly profound. I wasn’t reading a book or listening to a sermon. I was simply going about my morning when a thought quietly entered my mind. Is everything in our lives preordained, or do our choices determine where we end up? It’s one of those questions that seems simple at first, but the more you sit with it, the more complicated it becomes.
If we listen to many of the teachings in church, we often hear that God already knows the plans for our lives. That everything unfolds according to His purpose. Yet there are just as many people who believe our future is shaped by the decisions we make every single day. They would say that our choices, not fate, lead us to where we eventually arrive. So, are these two ideas really incompatible? Do they have to sit at opposite ends of the spectrum, or could they somehow exist together?
I found myself turning the question over in my mind. If everything is already preordained, why do our decisions seem to matter so much? Why do acts of kindness open one door while bitterness closes another? Why does discipline often produce different results than complacency? Why do two people, given similar opportunities, sometimes end up living completely different lives? Why do some end up with a life that is considered fantastic and others not so much. Why don’t we all have the greatest life available? On the other hand, if everything depends entirely on us, where does God’s guidance fit in? What about those moments when life unexpectedly changes course in ways we never planned or could have imagined?
Perhaps that’s why this question has been debated for generations. Personally, I believe we are given the freedom to make our own choices, and those choices help determine where we go in life. Every decision, whether large or small, seems to become another thread woven into the story we are writing. But I also believe there are moments when life gently redirects us. Times when a closed door protects us from something we cannot yet see, or an unexpected opportunity appears just when we need it most. Looking back, those moments often seem too perfectly timed to be mere coincidence.
Maybe life isn’t as simple as choosing between destiny and free will. Maybe we are given a path, but also the freedom to decide how we walk it. Maybe purpose and personal responsibility are not enemies after all. Or perhaps I’m completely wrong.
That’s the beauty of questions like these. They don’t always demand immediate answers. Sometimes they simply invite us to pause, think, and see life from another perspective. So today, I’ll leave you with the same question that found me in my kitchen. Do you believe our lives are preordained, or do you think our choices determine where we end up? Or do you believe, as I sometimes do, that perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between?
See you soon! Join me again next Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. (Bogotá time) for another reflection on life, faith, growth and the lessons we learn along the way. If this week’s reflection encouraged you, there are many more thoughtful reflections in my book, “Thoughts on Life”, now available.
Before you go, I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment below. Every perspective is valuable, and your insights often help me see things in a completely different way. If you’re not comfortable commenting publicly, feel free to reach out to me through any medium. I’d love to hear from you.
Your feedback not only encourages me, but it may also inspire a future blog and help someone else who reads it. You never know how your words might make a difference.
Remember, life is meant to be lived, so always strive to live your best life.
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