Say No to YOLO - H

Do you remember a few years ago when the cool thing to say was "YOLO"? Meaning "you only live once." People would say it when they meant "screw the consequences--I'm going to do it anyway!" I'm not trying to point fingers; in fact, I still say "YOLO" a lot. 😂 And sometimes it's a good thing to say it about little stuff, like if you're wondering whether to take a break from homework to eat some chocolate (I will neither confirm nor deny whether I'm speaking from personal experience or not . . . 😇). But in regard to big things . . . YOLO might not be the best response. Let me explain what I'm thinking.

First of all, God doesn't want us to live life in fear of the future. Yes, He controls our every breath, and He could take it away in a second if He so chose--but we shouldn't go through life cowering in anticipation of death. Listen to what Jesus says in the book of John:

John 10:10 NIV-- "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

The Message paraphrase says "more and better life." How awesome! 😁 Jesus has given us the free gift of life, and not just life, but more and better life than we could ever dream of! (We shouldn't give our hearts to this world, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy it in moderation!)

There's another side to this discussion, though. Two sides to every coin, am I right? The other side is this: we shouldn't live life in fear of death, but likewise we shouldn't go through life with a haughty attitude, acting recklessly and without good sense. Don't walk out into busy traffic without looking, expecting God to send down a fleet of angels to pull you out of the way. God gave us good brains and logic--we should use it!

In conclusion, I leave you with one of my favorite verses:

2 Timothy 1:7 NIV-- "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."

Another version says "sound mind." Let us not have a spirit of fear, but of power! Don't forget about the next world, but likewise give God's creation the appreciation it deserves. 😊

Much love, H xoxo 💝

PS A big happy birthday to Sarah! Her birthday was January 12--hope 18 treats you well! 😍😄