Is our destiny in our own hands? Can my actions impact my future? Can I overcome anything by my own resilience?
First, we need to define destiny. There’s your destiny of what will happen on this earth and then what will happen after you die. Your beliefs greatly impact your views on destiny. For me, I believe that God has a plan for my life on earth and I will go to heaven when I die.
But practically how does this play out?
On one side, knowing that God controls my life, do my actions matter? If God knows all that will happen and His plan will prevail then why do anything?
On the other side, if I live as if God is far-off and not a part of my everyday life it also doesn’t matter what I do since there’s no accountability. My life then depends on me and the choices I make.
Thus you have the conundrum of free will and the sovereignty of God.
Just because God knows all that will happen doesn’t negate our choices. We still have to live out life and experience what happens as a part of our choices.
The flip side is that God knows all because nothing happens without first passing through His Hands: the good and the bad. Our lives are not just random events that have no meaning. Rather, we have a God who filters what does and does not come to us.
Praise God for this because left to my own devices, I would make a mess of my life.