YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

Thinking about life’s certainties and uncertainties

You Only Live Twice and James Bond, secret agent 007, are only a figment of Ian Fleming’s imagination.

In reality, we only have one life – how we spend it is entirely up to us.

We cannot say, “Let me have another chance. I messed up this time. I’ll do better next time.”

Being jilted is hardly as cruel. Though hurt, the forlorn still has fresh opportunities to reconnect. But death is final and irreversible. That makes it incomparably vicious.

We cannot run away from taxes and death. One more thing is certain. We cannot run away from being accountable. Everyone must die once and after that be judged by God (Hebrews 9:27).

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What was Solomon’s conclusion about life after having lived it to the full – with all the wisdom, fame, power, wealth and pleasures* anyone could possible think of?

“Young people, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do” (Ecclesiastes 11:9).

“That's the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

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What was James’ view of life? He warned that we should not be so cocksure of our plans and projections. What man proposes, God can dispose.

“You should know better than to say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to the city. We will do business there for a year and make a lot of money!’ What do you know about tomorrow? How can you be so sure about your life? It is nothing more than mist that appears for only a little while before it disappears. You should say, ‘If the Lord lets us live, we will do these things’” (James 4:13-15).

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Footnote:

*Solomon married seven hundred princesses and also had three hundred concubines (1 Kings 11:3).