(Eccl 12:1) Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth . . .
Hey, you awesome and wonderful young person. The Lord loves you and the Bible has a lot to say about you and this time in your life. I guess you could boil it down to three things:
FUN - (Eccl 11:9) Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. King Solomon wrote these words of encouragement to young people. He’s saying to have a good time. That these are happy days of your life. That there are exciting discoveries to match that sense of adventure in your heart. There is so much to learn and take in to broaden your view of the world that you are emerging into. And then Solomon gives a good heads up. He says basically to discern as you learn. In other words, be careful of the pitfalls of being young. The devil’s out there planting landmines and you’ve got to keep your eyes open. (Read about the devices of the devil for teens in Proverbs 1:10-16; Pro 5; 16:18).
FAITH – (1 Tim 4:12) Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Some people say that you shouldn’t expect teens to be serious about God. That they have to grow up first and mature before they can really understand about spiritual things, etc. Who ever came up with that? Timothy was young and the apostle Paul encouraged him to not let anyone look down on his youth. That he could be an example to older people of how to walk with Christ and display godly character. Timothy took the challenge. He grew into a great man of God because he dedicated his youth to the Lord. He invested his youth instead of wasting his youth. Timothy was no loser. He gave his best years to the Lord and then thrived as an adult. His investment paid off big time. There is a reward for the righteous!
FUTURE - (Jer 29:11) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. As young people get older they can worry about their future. What does tomorrow hold? Where will I be? Who will I be with? What will I be doing? What will it take to get there? It can all be so overwhelming. But what a promise from the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah. We might not know what the future holds but we know who holds the future! There is a future and a hope in Christ, so you don’t have to worry. His plan will unfold so take it one thing at a time. Be in His will today, then tomorrow you will find yourself there as well. There’s going to be some tough times along the way but remember they only come to make you strong. That way you can be ready for the great future the Lord has for you.
I came to the Lord as a teenager and my teen years were the best! Yes, I had my ups and downs but because of Jesus I had a lot of fun, faith, and a future that I am enjoying today. And you can too if you remember your Creator in the days of your youth!
Louie