What’s the Point?
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1. Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” . . .
6. 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.
7. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. . . .
12. But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.
13. That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.
14. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. Ecclesiastes 12:1, 6-7, 12-14
Many years ago the phenomenon of a midlife crisis was given its name. Many people approaching the second half of their adult lives want to ensure that all they’ve ever worked for, lived for, and hoped for hasn’t just been one big mistake.
The entire book of Ecclesiastes addresses the meaning of life, but this passage in particular punctuates his point. Solomon’s summary makes it difficult to miss. Read on for help with that age-old set of questions that demand an answer somewhere around the halftime of your life.
In this passage you will also find specific lessons on death, wisdom, investing, and growing old.
Solomon concludes this book by giving advice on how to live a full life. Solomon’s final conclusion is that “everyone’s duty” is to fear and obey God (Ecclesiastes 12:13). Solomon gave this advice because he knew that one day we will have to stand before God and be judged for how we have lived (12:14). We will not be able to use excuses to justify our failures and sins. So we need to learn how God wants us to live and then to do it. When we do this, we then complete our search for meaning.
Don’t let the excitement of being young cause you to forget about your Creator. And don’t spend your life trying to substitute your own rules for the ones God has given you—as if living your own way will somehow be easier, or as if God won’t notice. Keep your values and priorities in line—keep God in first place in your life.
