LIVE TODAY WITH TOMORROW IN VIEW
 
Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes.  Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.  (Ecclesiastes 11:9)
 
            Last week I heard from many of you who could relate to being over 50 years of age, while you were also determined to serve God with vigor for many years to come.  Certainly, God wants us all to have abundant lives.  Of course, I have many younger readers as well and I know that many of you are also serving God with great enthusiasm.   Often times we, who are older, paint a picture of doom and gloom to young people who may think that they can't have fun in life and still be in God's will.   In fact, we can truly say that many of us really had a good time 30 and 40 years ago.  The question may arise, if we had it to do all over again, would we change anything?  I know there are some things that I regret doing, and some things that I should have done that I did not.  But it is too late to cry over spilled milk.  I thank God that even though I am not where I ought to be yet, I am also not where I used to be.
            Therefore I can relate to the advice that Solomon is giving to young people in the passage above.  He seems to be saying that you will have to give an accounting for your actions sooner or later.  I don't think that he is ruling out a happy and joyous life.  I think he just wants you to be mindful that judgment will eventually come on everything that you do.  The wise person will keep that in mind while he/she pursues the abundant life.  All of us have made mistakes in life.  But we can start early keeping those mistakes at a minimum.  You can still have fun and be a Christian. Just "remember now the Creator in the days of thy youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1)."   So as you live today, you should also keep tomorrow in view.  Because everything you do, will eventually be judged.