Resources/Articles
YOLO
In recent years, the term “YOLO” has gotten some attention. The word is an acronym that stands for “You Only Live Once,” and has been used to justify a lot of questionable and risky behavior. Generally, people will reason within themselves (and to others) that since life is so short and we won’t get another chance at it, we just need to “live it up” and enjoy life here to the fullest.
It is certainly true that life is short. James 4:14 tells us that “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (NASB). That being the case, how should we spend this short amount of time?
There are several biblical examples of people who have lived their lives seeking different things to fulfill them, but one in particular showcases two viewpoints side-by-side. Luke 16:19 introduces us to a rich man who “habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day.” This is someone who personifies YOLO. Every single day sounds like an adventure for him, and there was no pleasure he couldn’t afford!
The next two verses show us his counterpart: “And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores” (Luke 16:20-21). This man obviously did not enjoy the same pleasures the rich man did. From all outside indications, he lived a pretty hard and terrible life!
Can you guess which of these two men the “YOLO” crowd would choose as their mascot? But before we cast the first stone, we need to take a step back. How much are we impressed by the things someone else has? Or by the exciting stories that people tell us about their great adventures in exotic places? We’re guilty of praising the wrong people all too often. We sell ourselves short because we forget the rest of the story.
The major problem with “You Only Live Once” is that the phrase is exactly right. We do only live once - then we have to answer for how we used the one life we had! Verses 23-24 tell about the rich man when he died: “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’”
Even though the rich man had experienced some of the “greatest” things you could get out of life, it seems that none of that mattered to him at all after he died. The punishment was just too much for him! Imagine a burning so intense that even a small drop of water put on your tongue sounds like a great act of mercy. It was bad enough that he asked for Lazarus to be sent to warn his family about it “so that they will not also come to this place of torment” (v. 28). Do you think all the fun he experienced in his life was worth that pain and guilt?
Compare that to Lazarus: Even though he had lived a tough life, he was able to enjoy being “carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22). Abraham himself speaks to the comparison in v. 25 when talking to the rich man, saying, “Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.”
The truth is, this life is temporary. We are promised in 2 Peter 3:10 that “the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.” Also in Hebrews 9:27 that “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgement.”
As Christians, we realize that Christ died in order to bring us life. But don’t forget our responsibility: “Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin” (Romans 6:6). We gave up our old lives to Him so we could be free from sin, and in turn “having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness” (Romans 6:18). We may only live once, but let’s use that life to serve the Lord, and reach the souls around us while we can!
