As a public high school teacher, I learned about the YOLO phenomenon from my students. YOLO, the philosophy of You Only Live Once, encourages believers to do what they want to make themselves happy, no concern given to how your actions affect others.

This concerned me, but I didn’t address this idea through my lessons — too many spiritual implications to discuss in a school setting. I had too much of this YOLO philosophy thriving in my own reality. I wasn’t ready to face the issue, “God knows my heart,” I believed. “He will not allow me to fail.”

True to form, He pulled me free. Like Jonah and the whale, I had no power against the Higher Power pulling me along. (After all, I had asked God to save me from myself. He DOES know my heart!❤)

Today, as I watch the comings and goings of this world, I am very concerned. Mass animal die-offs, apocalyptic weather events, zombie-like customers at grocery stores and fast-food outlets. Pair these with the feeling many have that we are in the End Times referred to in Bible prophecy, and my concerns are multiplied.

I wonder if this YOLO philosophy works hand-in-hand with the philosophy of reincarnation, where we are given multiple chances at lives, repeating the birth-death cycle century after century? What if YOLO allows us to break free of the free-will choices that many avoid making because of the biblical damnation we learn about through religion? “Whatever,” we may think, “I’ve been good for too long. I deserve at least one fun life!”

But what if there is no more reincarnation? What if this recent
End Times thinking means that there are no more second chances?

What if this life is our last second chance? Will we be ready to be welcomed back into God’s arms or are we still hoping for a hero to save us?

For me, I’ve rediscovered the “hero” who came, Yeshua. I found Him through reading and re-reading ancient texts I’d never given myself time to read before. If we haven’t learned from His lesson, there is no other hero but ourself.

Okay, this is a pretty depressing post. Let me tell you what, though. It scares me straight! Just in case, I’m working to make this life the one that defines my heart.💚

I’m not going to count on another second chance.

Much love,

The Dragonfly’s Student