YOLO

I’ve seen it on t-shirts and hats. You’ve probably read it on a tweet or from a teenager or in the lyrics of a song. YOLO. “You Only Live Once.” Is it a justification, or, is it a proclamation?

As a justification, you use the phrase to say that it was ok to do that thing you did no matter how questionable it may have been. If it is a proclamation you may be saying you intend to get the most of everyday because it could be your last.

Jesus lived once. Then He died. Then He conquered death and lives forever. That’s what He has promised us. While we will not come back to this earth after death, as a Jesus-follower we will live forever in a place indescribable and undiscoverable by any human.

Adopting a YOLO attitude may give you the false sense of rationalizing choices that will negatively affect your life and the lives of others. In that respect, living by the YOLO rule and living like there’s no tomorrow, gives no hope of what God can do in your life each day. But, by realizing we have no guarantee of tomorrow and we are on a road of life not death, we can make each day count.

Read James 4:7-10 in The Message version and ask yourself which YOLO attitude you have. We do only get one chance at life on this earth so wasting it on insufficient thrills, risky behavior, or embarrassing actions seems like a drive down the wrong street in the wrong direction. At the beginning of the day (and all day long) ask God to open your eyes to see how life should be lived. The equation will be YOLO + Love = Life Well Lived.

YOLO only works when it is accompanied with You Only Live Once So Make It Count With God’s Love. YOLOSMICWGL. Not exactly a catchy phrase for a song or a tweet or a hat, but you get the idea, right?

Sherree Fischer

loveSTRONG ministries

Speaker/Facilitator Team Leader

www.lovestrongministries.com

Beautiful Weeds

There’s a house that I drive past on my way to church every week that has a yard filled with weeds. I’m sure at one time the yard boasted a lovely desert landscape motif, but over the years the weeds have grown up and choked out the succulent plants and overpowered the desert gravel and sandstone.

The weeds have upset the symmetry of the yard, stealing what was once sleek and orderly and turned it into something you’d never see on the cover of House and Garden magazine. Weeds are like that; they flower and sprout spreading their seed wherever the wind carries them with little regard to order.

The interesting thing about this yard full of weeds is that for two weeks each year during the early warmth of spring, these weeds become something altogether different. These weeds bloom and blossom into the most glorious expanse of wildflowers in colors so vibrant and spectacular that my eyes devour them like they’ve been starved of beauty my entire life. These weeds are so breathtaking that I find myself watching and waiting with expectancy for the rebirth of these beautiful flowers each spring.

Those weeds and their transformation remind me of what God has done for me (for us) through salvation. When we come to Jesus we bring the ugliness of our sinful past to Him. God, in His mercy is able to see beyond the shame, pain and disorder of a life lived without Him. Once we say “yes” to Jesus and repent of our sinful ways, He takes our brokenness and reinvents us into these beautiful new creations. (Old things are passed away; all things have become brand new. 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Witnessing the beauty of weeds blossoming into flowers reminds us that God will love and care for us every bit as much and more than He cares for weeds and flowers. If we continue to hold onto our past hurts, sins, pain or excuses for being less than what God wants for us – we’re missing the beauty of what salvation offers us.

If we’ve not fully let God have all of our ugly past lives, it’s time to let God in and allow Him to turn our weeds into beautiful flowers!

And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? Matthew 6:30 (NLT)

Blessings in Christ,
Kathy Kurlin
Author
www.kathleenkurlin.com