Faith vs. Fate

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Faith vs Fate

By Ivan Ho
Written 18 July 2016

Many people (some Christians included) have a fatalistic attitude in life, believing that fate defines their future. They seemingly have no control in life and have no power to alter their future. What is meant to happen will happen and if it doesn’t, accept it as FATE (or God‘s will) anyway. So everything that happens to them, everyone they meet, be it good or bad, are governed by fate which they have no control whatsoever. They just let things happen, and if they are Christians, they think that “everything is from God”.

I believe in destiny and predestination, but I also believe that God has given each person the freewill to choose to follow His destiny, or not. Everyday we are making decisions and choices that will either take us closer to God’s destiny for our life, or further away from it.

FAITH, as opposed to fate, is active. Faith is like walking up a flight of steps, except that we are not sure how long that flight of steps is. But we can be sure that each step we take, it will take us a step closer to our destiny. We can be sure that if we follow God’s predetermined path for our life, and keep on pursuing and making active steps in the same direction without changing cause, we will surely reach our destination! On the other hand, if one stands still and just let things happen to him, he will never fulfill his God given destiny. If you let the garden grow organically by itself, it will be overtaken by all kinds of weeds and turn into a junk yard in no time. That’s what some people’s life is like, allowing all kinds of things to happen to them instead of taking charge and making active decisions and steps towards their God assigned destination.

One of the first instructions of God to man was: “cultivate the garden”. Mind you, that was before the fall of man when there were no weeds, thorns and thistles to deal with. Yet God let man to take charge of the Garden of Eden to cultivate it (Gen 2:15). Not only that, God commanded man to take charge of the earth (Gen 1:28) ! I believe one of the major reasons our world is in such a mess today is because man, God‘s people included, fails to take charge!

If you just sit in a car and do nothing, it is not designed to take you where you want to go. You have to start the car and drive, and follow the GPS. Fate is not going to drive the car for you! There is this cliche that says: “Let God take the driving wheel” meaning to let God take control of our life. In reality, even if we let God take control, He will never drive the car for you! You have to drive it yourself with Him alongside to direct you.

Let‘s say you married someone, you can‘t say to your spouse: “You made me marry you!” or “God (or fate) made me marry you!”. God may have led two persons together in marriage, but ultimately both made the decision to marry each other, God didn‘t force it on them!

In the same way, when someone commits adultery, he or she can‘t say: “God (or the devil) made me do it” either. It happens because two persons have been actively making decisions along the way leading to the act of adultery, and no one else, nor fate, made them do it.

Not only does God give us the power to choose, He also gives us the power to choose what is right, and to reject that which is not of God.

God shows us the way and gives us the power to do His will on earth, but He won’t take your place to do what He has empowered you to do!

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