Should We Live According to ‘You Only Live Once’?

There’s no doubt about it. Social media keeps us on our toes. It seems every day there’s some new acronym being introduced, designed to save frequent users from the inconvenience of having to type messages out in full. Perish the thought that denizens of social media would be forced to do that!

 

For instance, we have LOL (laughing out loud); BTW (by the way); TMI (too much information); PDA (public display of affection); and FOMO (fear of missing out). That’s just the tip of the cyberspace iceberg. Admittedly, there are many I haven’t even heard of, but I’m not worried about keeping up to date.

 

One I find especially interesting is YOLO – you only live once. This seems to be social media’s version of the saying, “Grab all the gusto while you can.” After all, our days on this earth are numbered and pass more quickly than we’d like. Therefore, if (and “if” is a crucial word) we only live once, why not toss caution to the wind and try anything and everything we can? Finish your bucket list early.

 

Many people seem to live according to this credo. They change jobs like some folks change clothes. They jump from one relationship to another, in search of the elusive ‘Mr. or Miss Right.’ They treat life as one continuous party, shirking responsibility and insisting all that matters is having a “good time.”

 

I think of young athletes who turn professional and become instant millionaires, lacking the wisdom and experience needed to manage their riches. Acting according to YOLO, they determine to live it up, failing to realize their pro careers won’t last forever and there will be lots of living remaining afterward. The wealth which could have enabled them to live comfortable lives that most of us can only dream of has been squandered. The you-only-live-once approach to life has left some of them bankrupt, devoid of purpose and direction, and in some tragic cases, suicidal.

 

The problem with YOLO is – if we believe the Bible – it’s not true that we only live once. Hebrews 9:27-28 makes this clear: “And just as it is destined for people to die once, and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.” 

 

Contrary to what some skeptics might believe, our final moments on earth aren’t final. Everyone will stand before the Lord and be judged, some to receive glorious eternal life, others to face eternal condemnation. Our days on earth determine the quality of our existence beyond this life.

 

Another verse states it this way: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). We’ll have only two options: To receive what we deserve, punishment for our sins, or to accept the atoning sacrifice for sin that Jesus made on our behalf.

 

As Jesus said in John 5:28-29, “Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice and come out – those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”

 

For followers of Jesus, those who have received Him (John 1:12) and His once-and-for-all payment for our sins, this life is merely an appetizer. The Bible doesn’t provide specific details of what life will be like on ‘the other side of eternity.’ That’s because our finite, earthbound minds couldn’t begin to comprehend what God has in store for us. We do have assurances like what 1 Corinthians 2:9 tells us: “‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ – the things God has prepared for those who love Him.”

 

It’s like a parent having a very special surprise for a child, something much greater than anything he or she could ever imagine. Infinitely so. Kind of like comparing the school playground to Walt Disney World.

 

That doesn’t mean we should become so heavenly minded we’re no earthly good. God offers us each day as a gift, not only for us to enjoy but also to serve and honor Him. Instead of adopting a YOLO attitude, we’re to live in the temporal world always with an eye toward eternity. As Colossians exhorts, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”

Jesus explained it this way: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20). In other words, when we die we can’t take whatever we have with us – but we can send it on ahead.