Remember your creator

Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 (NLT) Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honour him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly.
Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral.
Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

The book of Ecclesiastes does not state its author, but it’s traditionally assumed as having been written by Solomon towards the end of his life. In this book, the writer reflects upon life, and with the benefit on hindsight and all the wisdom he had gained over his time on earth, he comes to the conclusion that everything is worthless outside of God. So in the 12th chapter, Solomon talks to young people to share the wisdom that He has gained from his perspective as an old man.

It’s difficult when we’re younger to listen to what old people say, because it’s hard to get a grasp of how much there is to learn about life. Even in my advancing age I’m only just beginning to relate and to and understand what he is saying here. The author here has an understanding that can only come from the perspective of being at the end of life.

The passage begins by stating that when you are young and the world is new and exciting it is really easy to get carried away with things that we discover as we grow up. We may get carried away with the passion of our hobbies. When we get older and maybe go to university we may become excited about new ways of thinking and learning, or maybe with relationships that we form. And many of these things are good things, God wants us to enjoy life, enjoy hobbies or learning and have healthy relationships,

However, the author warns us not to let these things make us forget our creator. He recognises youth as a very narrow but precious window of opportunity. Despite how little of our lives we spend as a young person, it is so important in terms of how we develop as an adult.


Remembering God helps us to Understanding Ourselves 

Until we come into the knowledge of our creator, we will never properly understand who we are. It is when we are younger we begin to develop our identity.

Our identity is how we think about ourselves. It is our self image. It is our self esteem, meaning  how good or bad we think of ourselves. Our identity is shaped by many things. A part of it is shaped by our family, by how they’ve raised us and by what they tell us about ourselves.It is also shaped by our friends, by how they react to us and what they say about us, by our experiences in school or in after school activities. It is also shaped by the traditional media and now increasingly by social media, by what we see on instagram or TikTok and so on. We are surrounded by people telling us what it takes to be a success, how we should look, how we should behave.
Society tries us what our value is, based on how well we do at school, or maybe how we look, how we act or what we can do. Now of course some of these things may be good. It’s good to do well at school or to have talents, don’t misunderstand me, but if we let these things define our worth, what happens if we don’t get the exam results that we want, or when our looks fade or if we’re not quite as talented as the next person.

A few decades ago we had a school system where everyone took an exam at 11, called the 11 plus to determine what type of high school you would go to. Those who passed the exam went to what’s called a grammar school, aimed at those who are more academic, and those who failed this exam were sent to a secondary modern school.

There were some advantages to this system, and it still exists in some parts of the country including where I went to school. One of the disadvantages with this system was that those who failed the 11 plus exam were effectively told that they were not as important as those who did pass the exam. They were told there was only certain jobs they could do, only a certain future that they could have. For men that meant that you would have to learn a trade or work in a factory or something similar. Women were told they were going to become a secretary or maybe a nurse, (but definitely not a doctor.) or work with children. 

All this was based upon one exam you did when you were 11. Your value to society was assigned to you by this exam. Many people who went through that system and failed their 11 plus still carry a burden in them even today of being told what they were worth at such a young age. So while of course it is great to be successful in all areas of life, that is not our identity, that is not what defines our value.


Our Value

Our real value is found in Jesus. That means who we are is rooted in who Jesus says we are, and that truth holds regardless of how much of a success the world thinks we are. It is so important that we  understand our true worth.

We are each created uniquely. You are not your friends, and you’re not even your siblings, and they are not you. What they may do well at does not define who you are.

So what does God say about us?

Firstly, that we are loved. (Romans 5:8.) That means that he loves us when we have lots of friends, but it also means that he loves if we feel rejected or if people think we are too different to fit in with them. It’s always a temptation to want to change ourselves to make ourselves fit in, but actually God wants to make you into His image, not anybody else’s. If we try to make ourselves too much like other people, we may miss out on being the person that God wants us to be.

Secondly, God says that when you feel weak, in Him you are strong. (2 Cor 12:10.) Our feelings can be very deceptive, our feelings can trick us into believing that something is true when it isn’t. This is why it’s so important to listen to what God says about us rather than listening to how we feel. 

Thirdly God says that even though we do sometimes mess up and sin, In Him we are forgiven.(Romans 8:1.) Again, sometimes we find it hard to forgive ourselves, but when we know God we know we are forgiven.

Fourthly, if we feel abandoned by people, God says that we are adopted into His family. (Ephesians 1:4-5.) When we feel alone, He says that He is with us.

Fifth, when we think that we have no hope, we need to know that God has a plan for us: Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. He has a purpose for each and every one of us, and again that purpose may not be the same purpose as someone else, because we are unique.

Sixth, When we think that we are lost, God gives us direction: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21).

And lastly if ever we think that we are worthless, God sent His Son to die for us because we are worthy. He died for each and every one of us because we have value. (John 3:6)

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Remembering God helps us to Understanding the world around us

So knowing God when we are young helps us to understand ourselves, but He also helps us to understand the world around us. The people we meet, study with, form relationships wit her work with with all have their own ideas about the world, how it works and what is right or wrong. When we grow up we will move into new situations like different schools, different friendship groups and each of them will have different values. We however remember God, because He teaches us what is right and what is wrong. He is an anchor, a rock. He does not move. His values never change.

Psalms 18:2 (NLT) The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.

The thing about big rocks is they cannot be moved by people. They don’t blow around, they aren’t fickle, but they are solid and trustworthy. This is why the Bible urges to build our lives upon the solid rock of Jesus, because then we will be steadfast and unshakable ourselves. Our emotions and our judgement will be less changeable, because they are based upon truth. I guarantee you that the values that society has in 20 years time will be different from today’s, but Jesus remains the same yesterday, today and forever. His truth never changes

When we remember Jesus, we will always be grounded in truth and goodness. The circumstances of our lives may change, but we will always be safe in His purpose.

This is what the apostle Paul wrote and the towards the end of His life:

2 Timothy 4:6-8 (NLT) As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
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He realised that the true prize of life is having remained faithful to God. Before we talk apart in any race, our focus is upon what it takes to win the race. This is why we remember our creator, so that we know what the true purpose of the race is that we are in.
The purpose of our life is this: to remain faithful to the Lord, and even at the end of our days, to be found in Him.