FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)

Missing Fun

Some people think that they would have to give up so much to live a godly life. There are so many beautiful and enjoyable things in this world. That’s actually why God created them — to be enjoyed. In the same way that a young child might think that a hot stove looks interesting, and they get upset when their parent stops them from touching it, God knows and is looking out for our best interests.
God created us and this life. When we, in our arrogance, decide to go our own way instead of God’s, we are actually saying that we know more than God. That’s more than just arrogant; it’s dumb!

Life

In Luke chapter 16, Jesus told a story of a rich man and a poor man who lived very different lives.

We can’t say for sure, but it seems this rich man was very greedy. He was living an extravagant life, but he wouldn’t even help a desperately poor man just outside the gate to his property. What was driving this man to be so callous to the basic needs of someone that he saw every day? He obviously cared about what other people thought of him — that’s why he dressed in very expensive clothes every day. Maybe he was so concerned about himself that he didn’t even think about the needs of others. It could be that he didn’t want any of his rich friends to see him stooping to the level of this poor man, Lazarus.
For his part, Lazarus had very little money and poor health. It says that he was longing “to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table.” Lazarus was in a desperate situation. He could have waited until the rich man was asleep, then gone into his property and stolen enough to eat and live well, but he didn’t. He could have convinced himself that he was entitled to these things just as much as the rich man was, but he didn’t. Lazarus maintained his integrity and godliness, no matter how desperate things got.

Death

Eventually, both men die.

Look at the language that Jesus used. The poor man was “carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom.” This was a common term that was used for the upper part of Hades, where the spirits of the righteous people would go. Abraham was there, along with many others.
The lower part of Hades was a place of torment. It was reserved for dead people who had been unrighteous in their lives. It appears that is where the rich man went. Notice it does not say that the angels carried him away to somewhere great.
Next, we see what Hades was like.

Hades

Look at what happened to the rich man.

From what we can see in the Bible, it seems that Jesus brought all of the righteous people out of the upper part of Hades and took them to heaven with Him, after He was raised from the dead. At this time, though, there were still two parts of Hades, and we get a glimpse of what it was like.
The lower part of Hades was a place of torment; the bosom of Abraham was not. The rich man was “in torment.”

The rich man was looking for any type of comfort, no matter how small. He was suffering horrible, painful torture. At that time, people in both parts of Hades could see each other, so he asked Abraham to send Lazarus with just a drop or two of water on his finger, so that he could put it on his burning tongue.

Punishment

To some people, the punishment of the rich man might seem extreme. Father Abraham puts this into perspective, though.

We could also say that how Lazarus was treated by the rich man during their lives was not fair. Lazarus deserved much better treatment.
I don’t think that anyone truly understands real holiness and just how horrible and disgusting sin is in the eyes of God. If we did, we would all live much better lives.

No Choice

It turns out that no matter what Abraham or Lazarus wanted to do, they were not able to help the rich man. His fate was sealed, and there would be no more comfort.

Choices

In this life, we have choices. We can choose to live godly lives or greedy lives. We need to realize, though, what we do now will affect where and how we live for all eternity.
When it comes to FOMO, my greatest fear would be missing out on spending eternity with Jesus. How about you? Are you willing to set aside what might seem like fun now, so that you can enjoy the rest of this life, as well as the next life, in the presence of God?