Don’t Waste Your Life

Ecclesiastes 12:1

So soon 2021 has come to an end. But looking back on 2021 how will you describe the year that has just passed? Will you describe it as fruitful? productive? successful? wasteful? failure? regrets? joy? sadness? Or none of the words I have mentioned describe your situation.  Whatever be the case, as you reflect over the year, what things will you say about your life? 

The word reflection means giving thought or consideration. One Philosopher has said that “an unexamined life is not worth living”. This means that at every point in our lives, we must be able to weigh our lives if we are moving in the right direction. 

Ecclesiastes 12:1 gives an opportunity for reflection. Indeed the whole of Ecclesiastes can be considered as the reflections of Solomon. 

Ecclesiastes contains reflections of an old man, the “Preacher” as he considered the question of meaning in life. He looked back and saw the futility (“vanity”) of chasing after even the good things can offer, including wisdom, work, pleasure, and wealth. Even if such things are satisfying for a time, death is certain to end the satisfaction.¹

In the first Chapters of Ecclesiastes, Solomon opens up for us his reflections. He begins by identifying the futility of life

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:1-3).

I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14)

Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:11)

Solomon reflects on life, tries to figure out the meaning of life and at the end, he draws a conclusion about life in Chapter 12. In this article, we will reflect on some of the things Solomon says in Chapter 12 and especially verse one. 

Life is indeed a precious thing to waste because we live only once. And if you waste your life, it is gone. You can’t do anything about it. How can we live then, not to waste our lives?

Remember Your Creator

This is the first part of Ecclesiastes 12:1. One of the first things clearly taught in the text is that there is a Creator. None of us came into this life by accident. Unless you don’t believe in God, this is a basic fact of life: there is a Creator. Observe everything around you. Someone made them. How do we then think there is no creator?

The first book in the Bible, Genesis opens with the words “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (1:1). This here clearly identifies a Creator. It goes on to further tell us that “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them” (Ecclesiastes 1:27). Our lives are not our own.

This is the most important understanding we need to come to in life that there is a Creator. Coming to an understanding that there is a Creator brings our lives into focus. We begin asking the right questions. If there is a Creator, why did he create me? What’s the purpose of my life? 

Unfortunately, many people seek meaning and purpose in life in the wrong places. They seek meaning in life in the material possessions of this world. They seek meaning in the pleasures of the world. They live sinful lives without any regard for God in their lives. 

Now when Ecclesiastes says “Remember your Creator” it means also that we can forget our Creator. We can live our lives without any thought of God. And naturally, that’s what all human beings do. Everyone that comes into this world is naturally affected by sin. We are sinners and no one can deny this fact. 

It is basically because of our sins we forget God. We don’t love him. We don’t want God to have control over our lives. We want to be our own boss, so we push God to the background. How will you describe your life? Are you someone who is seeking God or you are someone who is running away from God? You don’t like the idea of God controlling your life? If this is your case, I want to impress it upon you to seek God. Look for him. Search for him.

But someone may ask, how do we seek God? Look at verse 13 of the Chapter. 

The end of the matter; all has been said. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

There are two phrases in the text: Fear God and Keep His Commandments

Fear God

God is a Holy God. We are sinful people. Therefore we must fear God. Some people argue that God is a loving God so it is not right to speak about fearing God. Well, it is here. The Bible says it: Fear God.

What does it mean to fear God? Fear God and Keep his commandment appear in the same sentence. This means the fear of God has something to do with obeying God’s commandments. The fear of God is obedience. The fear of God is keeping away from sin. The fear of God is living a holy life and shunning sin.

But because God is so Holy, and we are sinners, we cannot do this by ourselves. Naturally, our sin has separated us from God and the only way we can even begin to obey him is by faith in Jesus Christ.

This is a very fundamental Christian teaching. Nobody can have a relationship with God who has not believed in Jesus Christ. It is only Jesus Christ who can bring us close to God. Jesus Christ died to save sinners so that anyone who will believe in him, will be saved. Repent from your sins. Turn away from the sins of 2021 and seek the face of God by faith in Jesus.  

Make Good Use Of Your Days

In Ecclesiastes 12:1, there are three periods in our lives that are compared:  “the days of your youth… the evil days…the years” These three are speaking about three different phases of our lives. The first phase is clear: it is the days of your youth. Youth. It is a period of energy. A period of opportunities. They are the best days of our lives where we make all the decisions. They are also the time we live our lives to enjoy all the pleasures of life

Rejoice, O young man, in your your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you to judgement (11:9)

Solomon here is saying enjoy your life, enjoy your freedoms, but remember you will face judgement one day. We will address judgement in the last point, but the point is that the youthful days offers us all the opportunities of life. And we are to take great care of how we live during this time of our lives. Because every bad decision we take now will have negative results on us in future. That sends us into the next phase of our lives: “the evil days”

This simply describes old age. And Solomon uses certain metaphors to describe this age. This is the age where many opportunities are no more. In fact, whatever we did in the previous phase will begin to show in this period. There are no opportunities at this stage. You are weak, you cannot do anything, you probably will be dependent on others. Verse 3 describes old age of the body

In the day when the keepers of the house tremble[legs], and the strong men are bent[waist], and the grinders cease because they are few[teeth], and those who look through through the windows are dimmed[eye] 

And most often, if one has not lived their lives well, this period comes with regret: “and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”. This is a language of regret.

How are you living your life now? In 5 or 10 or 20 years in future, will you be happy with how you are living now? And it is important the Bible says we should remember our Creator in the days of our youth. These are our best days and we should use them in service to God. You won’t wait till you become old and feeble before you start seeking God. Seek God now.

Now the next phase of our days is when we cease to exist. This is the reality of every living soul. One day we will die

Before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it (vv. 6-8).

This is a picture of death.

Prepare For The Judgement Day

Just as we prepare to enter 2022 with all the resolutions, it is important we prepare for this great day: Judgement Day, when God will judge how we live our lives here.

For God will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil” (v.14).

This is the final of all days in our lives. One day we will stand in judgement. God’s judgement is not going to weigh our good against our bad and if our good is a lot, we enter heaven. No that is not Christianity. We can only pass God’s judgement if we have believed in Jesus Christ and repented from our sins. Else, a great judgement awaits us. A judgement of eternal torment in hell and separation from God. 

You have the opportunity now. As you prepare to enter 2022, prepare your heart also to receive Christ. Receive Christ. Believe in his name. Put your trust in Jesus for the salvation of your soul and repent from your sins. Don’t waste your life. Amen!

Notes

  1. Introductory notes on Ecclesiastes from The ESV Classic Reference Edition, Crossway Bibles, 2007.

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