Man has always sought happiness in his life. But alas, he often looks at the wrong places for answers. Forgetting God and His eternal will, man acts on his own human wisdom and strives for happiness from earthly sources such as wealth and power.
But our Creator knows our inner hearts and He has preserved His timeless wisdom on the subject matters of happiness and the purpose of life through the pen of King Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes. This book reveals to us that Solomon sought happiness through wisdom, wealth, power and pleasure.
But was Solomon truly happy? Scripture reveals to us that he did not find happiness in:
Wisdom (Eccl. 1:17-18);
Wealth (Eccl. 5:10-11);
Power (Eccl. 4:13-16); and
Pleasure (Eccl. 2:1)
Imagine the tremendous wealth and power of Solomon (1 Kgs. 10:14-28). His wisdom and wealth were so abundant that even the Queen of Sheba exclaimed that what she heard of his wisdom and prosperity was only half of what she saw in-person when she visited him to seek answers to her difficult questions (1 Kgs. 10:1-7).
Being the richest of all men, Solomon was able to acquire whatever his heart desired: “So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem… And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them; I withheld not my heart from any joy…” (Eccl. 2:9-10; ASV).
Yet, Solomon reached the inevitable conclusion after living a long life of luxury that “all is vanity” under the sun. Hence, we should pay attention and learn from the wise man so that we do not waste years of our lives chasing after the things of this world that really do not matter and miss out on the true purpose of life.
In Ecclesiastes 12:1, Solomon admonished: “Remember also thy Creator in the days of thy youth” (ASV). Here, the Preacher directed his message to youths. He wanted them to learn from his life experiences and his conclusion thereof.
He urged young ones not to be carried away by the excitement of their youth such that they forget their Creator. Instead, they should seek to honour God before they grow old and say that life is no longer pleasant even as age and death catches up (Eccl. 12:2-7).
Notice that this counsel to remember our Creator came after the wise man exclaimed in Eccl. 11:9 (NLT) “Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in.”
Indeed, being young is a wonderful time of one’s life because it is generally filled with much aspirations and youthful energy. Therefore, enjoy the days of your youth. However, Solomon did not stop there; he continued with an earnest warning: “But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do.”
A simple and yet timely reminder this is. Yes, you may enjoy life but be not engaged in evil doing because our Creator, who has power over us, will bring all that we have done in the body into account, whether it be good or bad (c.f. 2 Cor. 5:10; Jn. 5:28-29; Rev. 20:11-14).
So, how can the youths remember the Creator? They can remember God by:
1. Serving God
Youths have their own dreams. And some youths may say that they will serve God after accomplishing their dreams. However, Scripture reminds us time and again that our lives on this earth is short and there is no guarantee of tomorrow (c.f. Jam. 4:14; Job 7:7; Ps. 102:3). Thus, today is the best time to seek God and to serve Him (2 Cor. 6:2).
There were many great Bible characters who served God in their youth, such as Joseph, David and Daniel. Even Jesus, as a boy, sought God in the temple (Lk. 2:41-52).
It is essential to note that serving God in your youth will help you avoid many life choices that could bring you much sorrow, and prepare you for the "days of darkness" (Eccl. 11:8) that will come.
It will help one to make the right choices in life, just as it did for Joseph. When Potiphar’s wife attempted to seduce Joseph daily into lying with her, Joseph remembered God’s commandments and rejected her approaches because he knew that such an act was sinful (Gen. 39:7-12).
2. Surrendering to God
The strength of youth can cause arrogance and pride. With such a heart, he will unlikely heed the advice of another. That is why we must take stock of our heart’s condition lest we fall (1 Cor. 10:12), for “When pride cometh, then cometh shame; But with the lowly is wisdom.” (Prov. 11:2; ASV).
The wise man further cautioned that “Pride goeth before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16:18; ASV). Therefore, we have to humble ourselves by having a deep respect for God and His timeless will. We have to set aside our pride of life which is an avenue in which our adversary, the devil, can easily take advantage of to ensnare us into sin (1 Jn. 2:16; 1 Pt. 5:8).
It is of little wonder why Solomon urged us to remember our Creator, the all-powerful supreme being who created the world and all things therein (Acts 17:24; Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11). That power of His is beyond our comprehension. Even so, the created will always be subject to the Creator, who has power over us.
Hence, we ought to surrender our will to the will of God. Clothe ourselves with humility, and learn to seek the will of God, just as Jesus had done (c.f. Jn. 5:30). Even in the face of death, Jesus remembered that it was His Father’s will that must be done and not His own (Lk. 22:42). What a magnificent example for us to imitate!
3. Studying the word of God
It is not surprising that the more you study and learn about a person, the more you will understand that individual’s character and his traits. Thus, by studying the word of God, we are constantly reminded about God’s love for mankind and how He desires all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4).
We are reminded of Paul’s encouragement to young Timothy: “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15; ASV).
The same advice likewise goes to youths of today – be diligent; make every effort; do your best to be approved of the Creator. To be approved of God, one has to learn the will of God and do it (Matt. 7:21; Lk. 6:46). Such learning will demand a careful and conscientious study of God’s word.
Therefore, we should be like the Psalmist whose “delight is in the law of Jehovah; And on his law doth he meditate day and night… And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” (Ps. 1:2-3; ASV). What a blessing to remember our Creator by studying His word and doing His will, for in so doing, we can be confident that a mansion is waiting for us in heaven (Jn. 14:2).
Conclusion
After living a lavish lifestyle on earth, Solomon declared that happiness and the purpose of life cannot be found in the ungodly pursuits of earthly wisdom, wealth, power and pleasure.
He concluded that there is but one source of true and lasting happiness, and it comes not through what one can obtain, amass, or enjoy, but through a humble life of obedient faith in God and honouring Him as our Almighty Creator. This is truly the whole of man's existence.
King Solomon also gave his admonition to youths, so that they remember the Creator; and the young ones can do so by:
Serving God;
Surrendering to God; and
Studying the word of God.
It is only when we diligently act upon the Preacher’s wisdom that we can add value to our lives and prepare us for the judgment day. Have you been remembering your Creator?