YOLO: You Only Live Once

In 2011 a song called “The Motto” by Drake he proclaimed, “YOLO, you only live once. The battle cry of a generation.” It reminds us of a poem by Robert Herrick poem: “To the Virgins, to Make Much of time”

Gather ye rose-buds while ye may.
Old Time is still a-flying
And this same flower that smiles today
Tomorrow will be dying.

So, one should pick that flower while it’s blooming. Soon it will shrivel up an die. Who wants a bouquet of dead flowers?

The acronym Y.O.L.O. stands for “You Only Live Once”. It has been used to justify a multitude of behaviors. “You only live once, so lick the bowl.” Maybe you’ve used this phrase to justify eating Nutella out of the jar or riding a roller coaster with fifteen loops.

In the Old and New Testaments this concept is summed up with “Eat, Drink and Be Merry for tomorrow we die.” As is seen in Jesus’ parable of the foolish farmer who was blessed with a bumper crop. Instead of thinking about his soul, this fool thought only of his future pleasures on earth and enjoying his blessings. He planned, “I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry’” (Luke 12:19).

Solomon in his pursuit to investigate the profit and purpose of life observed, “I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled; and indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11). In his quest for answers Solomon tried everything, including fame, money, enlightenment, sexual pleasure, fun experiences, comedy, alcohol, accomplishments, etc. In the end, he found all men end up six feet under a tombstone listing the dates of the day he was born and the day he died with a dash representing his life in the middle. This left the wise and wealthy king frustrated and disillusioned. In Ecclesiastes 8:14-15 he listed a recommendation based on what his investigation had discovered so far. “There is a vanity which occurs on earth, that there are just men to whom it happens according to the work of the wicked; again, there are wicked men to whom it happens according to the work of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. So I commended enjoyment, because a man has nothing better under the sun than to eat, drink, and be merry; for this will remain with him in his labor all the days of his life which God gives him under the sun.”

Is this all there is? If this life is all there is, then anything we want to do or say is justifiable. “But instead, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” (Is. 22:13). Paul offered this view as being logical, if there was no resurrection of the dead and this life is all there is. “If the dead do not rise, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” (1 Corinthians 15:32b).

Is this the view that God is really promoting through the prophets and apostles in the Bible? “You only live once” or “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die” sounds more like what someone would say to justify doing something foolish, like, a diabetic eating their second box of a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts.

There is a positive side to the saying. It does encourage some to take the risk, go on the trip, speak up, do the thing – because you only live once. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, so one should take advantage of the time and opportunities.

You Only Live Once So…

■ Do What Makes You Happy

Some use this catch phrase, because they believe that living life is all about being happy. If you only live once, you might as well do whatever you want that makes you happy. They believe they deserve happiness and that it is their right to be happy. Some will go so far as to preach that God just wants them to be happy. Others justify doing what they want, so long as no one gets hurt. This is a hedonistic view of life.

■ Complete Your Bucket List

A bucket list is a set of activities one desires to accomplish in their life before they “kick the bucket.” It might include such things as: bungee jumping; sky diving, etc. Some of the things on the list cause one to think these folks must have some kind of death wish. Remember, no bucket list will ever compare to the joys of Heaven in Eternal life.

■ Die Without Regrets

Once a man went into a tattoo parlor to have the phrase “No Regrets” permanently written in ink across his arm. The artist misspelled the tattoo. So, he had to live with “No regerts” and one big regret. This mind-set does not want to miss out on any fun life might have to offer them. Life is short, so they need to just do it while they have the chance. The last thing they want on their tombstone is “Played it safe.” However, only sociopaths have no regrets. Many will have regrets on Judgment Day, because they failed to repent and serve God.

■ Don’t Let Anyone Judge You

Have you ever heard the foolish remark “only God can judge me” coming from someone in defense of their behavior. Since they only live once, they can sin all they want, and no one better say a word about it. Why is it that those who say “only God can judge me” usually live as if they will never face God in judgment.

If You Only Live Once…

▸ Remember You Will Die

Since it is true we only live once, perhaps we should value and wisely use the time we have preparing for eternity. Nobody gets out of this world alive. “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). God helps us to remember, we will have a funeral. After we die, it will be too late to change our minds.

▸ Remember After Death is the Judgment

There is one appointment that all will keep. “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:27-28). Every person has the responsibility and freedom of will to choose their course in life, but this appointment with death and judgment needs to be factored into every decision. “Walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment” (Eccl. 11:9).

▸ Remember Your Creator in the Days of Your Youth

Akin to YOLO is the phrase: “You’re Only Young Once.” So go ahead and do the things you want to before you are too old to enjoy them. Drugs are fun and work is dumb. However, wisdom weighs all the factors. Solomon wrote to his son, “My son, hear the instruction of your father, and do not forsake the law of your mother; for they will be a graceful ornament on your head, and chains about your neck” (Prov. 1:8-9). He later wrote, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them” (Eccl. 12:1).

▸ Don’t Die Twice

There is such a thing as the “second death.” In the Revelation John warns, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). Live once, die twice. Live twice, die once. Ensure you will live after you die.

▸ Die to Self

To avoid dying twice, let yourself die daily. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). C.S. Lewis put it this way, “Die before you die. There is no chance after.” Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

▸ You Will Miss Out on Eternal Life

People want to leave a legacy and obtain a sort of immortality as they live on in the work they leave behind. Therefore, they want to seize the day (carpe diem in Latin). This is great, so long as they are striving to use each day to seize eternity. Paul wrote, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14). Why would you choose “You Only Live Once” when “You Could Live Forever”?

“You only live once” has been proven to be a lie by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He died to give all men that chance to live forever and never die again.

– Daniel R. Vess