You Only Live Once

Anyone who has been paying attention to common lingo among people under the age of 30 has heard the acronym YOLO at least once. It's a cute little phrase meaning, "You only live once." People use this phrase as an excuse for inappropriate or dangerous behavior. It's their way of saying that they are going to do whatever they want, whenever they want because they may not get the opportunity to do so later.

Walk into a hospital sometime and ask someone why they are there. Most people in hospitals are there because of poor choices on their part or someone else's. Obviously people just get sick sometimes. Sometimes bad things do happen to good people who make good choices. However, if you walk into the average hospital you'll find that most people are there because of the damage done to their body by bad decision making. Sometimes it's a broken arm from a kid going up a ramp on a skateboard. Sometimes it's a man in a bed waiting for a liver transplant because his liver was destroyed by alcohol. Sometimes a girl is getting shrapnel removed from her from the car accident she was just in.

People make bad decisions everyday, but everyone who is in the hospital because of his own bad decisions is sorry. They are sorry they didn't take necessary precautions or abstain from certain activities.

People are taught today to live today as if it's their last. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it has to be understood properly. For instance, this is a quote I pulled from a teenage blogger,

"Look at you. You’re young. And you’re scared. Why are you so scared? Stop being paralyzed. Stop swallowing your words. Stop caring what other people think. Wear what you want. Say what you want. Listen to the music you want to listen to. Go out for a drive at midnight and forget that you have school the next day. Stop waiting for Friday. Live now. Do it now. Take risks. Tell secrets. This life is yours. When are you going to realize that you can do whatever you want?"

Yes, this is horrible! Kids think they can just take their life and do whatever they want with it. YOLO right? What's life worth if you can't live it to its fullest? All those rules and restrictions are holding you back. If you want to dip your hand in liquid nitrogen then do it! YOLO! That's a silly illustration I know, but that sort of thinking is infused in every area of our society.

We've got churches saying it's fine to be gay as long as you love one another. We've got couples talking about their "open marriages" because they want more sexual partners than just their spouses. What are we supposed to do? How can we fix this?

The Bible says in I Corinthians 6:19 "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 

Yes, you only live once. You only have one life on earth. But that's just it, your life isn't your's to waste. It's not about doing all you can while you are alive! It's about doing all you can for Christ while you have the time to do it. Get out there and do what you can for Him, because He deserves it. Stop making bad decisions and live your one life for Christ! People naturally want to do what they want to do. It's our job to show them Christ's version of YOLO.
Keep thinking friends,

Simeon Brazzell
I Tim 1:12