Living with Eternal Purpose: Moving Beyond YOLO Mentality

May 13, 2025 | The Way of Life Church Blog

Living with Eternal Purpose: Moving Beyond YOLO Mentality

Many of us live with regrets about missed opportunities or choices we wish we could change. Our culture promotes "YOLO" (You Only Live Once) as a solution - seizing the moment and living for today. However, this mindset can actually cause us to miss out on what truly matters in life.

Understanding Life's Temporary vs. Eternal Nature

The Apostle Paul uses the analogy of tents versus buildings to help us understand the temporary nature of our earthly life compared to eternal life. Our current bodies are like tents - temporary dwellings - while our eternal state is like a permanent building.

The Reality of Judgment

Everyone will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give account for how they lived. This judgment doesn't determine where you go - it confirms where you're already headed based on how you lived. Living only for temporary pleasures while ignoring  eternal impact leads to regret.

From YOLO to YOLO-tie

Instead of "You Only Live Once," we should embrace "You Only Live Once to Impact Eternity." This means:

• • Making decisions with eternal perspective
  • Investing in what lasts forever
  • Aiming to please Jesus in everything
  • Using our resources for Kingdom purposes
  • Focusing on spiritual growth and helping others know Christ

Signs of YOLO Mentality in Christians

Even Christians can fall into YOLO thinking through:

• Selective obedience
• Spiritual complacency
• Prioritizing temporal pleasures over eternal purpose
• Neglecting spiritual growth and service

Living with Eternal Purpose

To live with eternal purpose:

• Start each day seeking to please Jesus
• Invest in others' spiritual growth
• Use your gifts and resources for Kingdom impact
• Make decisions based on eternal value
• Focus on building God's kingdom, not your own

Life Application

This week, consider these questions:

1.  What areas of my life reflect a YOLO mentality rather than eternal purpose?
2.  How can I realign my priorities to focus more on eternal impact?
3.  Who is one person I can spiritually invest in this week?

Challenge: Start each day with this prayer: "Jesus, today I want to please you. Show me one thing to stop and one thing to start for my eternity with you."

Remember: Living for eternal purpose may have painful moments, but it leads to a life without regrets and lasting joy. Don't sacrifice eternal significance for temporary pleasure.

Living Your Truth vs. God's Truth: Understanding Biblical Truth in Today's Culture

May 6, 2025 | The Way of Life Church Blog

Living Your Truth vs. God's Truth: Understanding Biblical Truth in Today's Culture

In a world where "living your truth" has become a popular mantra, it's important to examine what truth really means from a biblical perspective. While personal authenticity sounds noble, we must consider whether individual truth can coexist with absolute truth.

What Does "Living Your Truth" Mean in Today's Culture?

The modern concept of "living your truth" typically means

• Being authentic to yourself
• Following your feelings and intuition
• Not submitting to external authority
• Defining your own path and meaning
• Having no accountability except to yourself

What Does Jesus Say About Truth?

In John 17:17, Jesus prays, "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." This reveals several key points:

• Truth is definitive, not relative
• God's Word is the source of truth
• Truth comes through both written Scripture and Jesus as the living Word
• Truth has the power to sanctify (set apart) believers

Why Do We Need God's Truth?

Psalm 119:105 describes God's Word as "a lamp to my feet and a light to my path," teaching us that

• Without divine truth, we walk in spiritual darkness
• God's truth provides both immediate guidance and direction for the future
• Personal truth may feel comfortable but leaves us in darkness
• Only God's truth can truly illuminate our path

How Do Christians Sometimes Reject God's Truth?

Even believers can fall into living their own truth by:

• Justifying decisions by saying "I prayed and felt peace"
• Claiming "that's just who I am" to avoid needed change
• Using Scripture to excuse sin rather than encourage repentance
• Following partial truth rather than all of God's Word

Life Application

This week, consider taking these steps to align with God's truth:

• Begin reading one of the Gospels (like John) to better know Jesus as Truth
• Examine your life for areas where you're following your truth instead of God's

Ask yourself:

• What "personal truths" am I holding onto that contradict Scripture?
• Where am I using feelings to justify disobedience to God's Word?
• How can I better align my life with biblical truth this week?

Remember: True freedom comes not from living your truth, but from knowing and following God's truth. As Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32).