"Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart, and in the sight of your eyes; but know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, 'I have no pleasure in them'" (Eccl. 11:9-12:1).
The days of youth are a time to rejoice. The energy of this age seems endless. The opportunities appear to be boundless. The future looks bright. It is a most exciting time of life, and the Bible tells us to enjoy it. However, the Bible also warns us against abandoning God as we enjoy our youth.
There is a judgment that we all must face. Some choices made in youth will bring evil and sorrow upon us - both now and later in life. Because of this, the young are admonished to remember their Creator in the days of their youth).
The fact that we have a Creator tells us we are not the product of the mindless process of evolution. We are created in the image of God; created for a purpose. "Creator" implies both authority and responsibility. God has all authority, which means we have a responsibility to Him. As our Creator, God has a complete and absolute claim upon us.
To "remember" means more than simply calling to mind the fact that God exists. We are to shape and order our life in light of the fact that God is our Creator. We are to obey His will, follow His word, and glorify Him in all that we do - because He is our Creator.
We are to do this in our "youth." Why?
1. The days of youth belong to God. Remembering God is not something to be put off until later in life. We are not to purposely put off obeying the gospel to "sow our wild oats." The energy, excitement, and innocence of youth belong to God and are to be used to His glory. Consider the examples of young people like Joseph, Samuel, King Josiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and his three friends, Timothy, etc.
Youth is often an undistracted time of life. Business, family obligations, temptations, disappointment and sorrow will come in abundance later. Now is the best time to devote your attention to following God and learning to put Him first (Matt. 6:33).
Also, the tragic fact of life is that young people are not exempt to death. If we will learn to number our days (Ps. 90:10-12) we will learn to appreciate the frailty of life and the value of time. We will remember and begin to fulfill our obligations to God immediately.
2. Youth is the formative period of our life. The decisions that are made in this stage of life determine the direction of the rest of our lives. The days of one's youth is the time to establish our priorities, set proper goals, and acquire godly habits. If we set these priorities early in life, we will be less likely to struggle with them later.
3. Avoiding the pitfalls of life. A "pitfall" is a trap, something hidden that we can stumble into if we are not careful. We live in a fallen world full of many such traps. Timothy was told to "flee also youthful lusts" (2 Tim. 2:22). Some things are especially attractive to young people. Satan uses these things like lures to entice us and trap us into destructive sinful habits that will cause us struggles for the rest of our life.
The Psalmist asks, "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word" (Ps. 119:9). The light of God's word will expose the pitfalls of life and clear a path for those who are young, but only if they will turn to God, read His word, and take heed (Prov. 3:19-26).
4. To gain and keep a good reputation. "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold" (Prov. 22:1). A good reputation will serve us well in life. A good reputation takes a lifetime to establish, but only a moment to destroy. Obeying God in our youth will help us build a reputation that will serve us well throughout life.
Our reputation is an influence upon others (Matt. 5:13-16). Our good example should lead others to Christ. There is no greater purpose for our life than to lead others to Christ, and there is no greater curse upon our fellow man than to be a stumbling block.
Conclusion. Life has no restart button. We have to get it right. The brief enjoyment of foolish choices is not worth a lifetime of bitterness and regret. All of us who are older encourage you to remember your Creator in the days of your youth!