Ecclesiastes 12:1-7 (The Message)
1 -2 Honor and enjoy your Creator while you're still young, Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes, Before your vision dims and the world blurs And the winter years keep you close to the fire. 3 -5 In old age, your body no longer serves you so well. Muscles slacken, grip weakens, joints stiffen. The shades are pulled down on the world. You can't come and go at will. Things grind to a halt. The hum of the household fades away. You are wakened now by bird-song. Hikes to the mountains are a thing of the past. Even a stroll down the road has its terrors. Your hair turns apple-blossom white, Adorning a fragile and impotent matchstick body. Yes, you're well on your way to eternal rest, While your friends make plans for your funeral. 6 -7 Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over. Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends. The body is put back in the same ground it came from. The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it.
These verses may have been written by Solomon in his older age as he reflected upon his past life. He says one should honor the creator while they are young, before the years of life takes a toll on their body. The further along you are in life the closer you are death, closer to the eternal life God has waiting. Life as beautiful as it is lasts like a flower on a plant, its beauty only remains for a short period of time and then it returns to the ground from which it came.
A study found that those who won silver medals during the Olympics were often disappointed, while those who won bronze medals were often happier. It comes from a view of perspective. For the silver medallist they came close to receiving the gold medal, but fell slightly short in their attempts. They became disappointed because they thought with a little more effort maybe they could have gotten the gold. The bronze medallist focused on how close they come to failure and they were happy to be acknowledged for their efforts. In the youth of our life we see the things we can do and we start to believe with just a little more we could accomplish must. What happens though is we become reliant on ourselves and not our God who created us. But as the years pass and we become weaker, we become happy just to survive here on earth. We start seeing our need and dependence on the Lord and the life He will give us after our death. Change your perspective now and focus on what the Lord can do for you in your life. Learn to be content and happy and enjoy the good things you have been given. For one day the body will not be able to enjoy what its youth had to offer. Give praise to the Lord for the good things He has provides. And always honor and praise the Lord for watching over you life.
