“Remember your Creator”
“Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.” These words found in Ecclesiastes 12:1 intrigue me. I understand the need to remember God but why just “in the days of your youth?” The biblical writer goes on to answer this question. His reasoning is that we should remember our Creator before it is too late. There will come a time when we may no longer be able to do so. Still, I believe we would be justified today to remove the latter part of this verse. All of us, young and old alike, should make every effort to remember our Creator. This is true for a number of important reasons.
We should remember our Creator regularly to help us keep things in perspective. So many of the problems we face these days, both as individuals and as a society, stem from the fact that we tend to put ourselves first. It’s almost as though we are convinced the world exists for us. The Psalmist, however, reminds us that “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.” (Ps. 24:1-2) Elsewhere the Psalmist says “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his.” (Ps. 100:3) When we pause to remember our Creator we are forced to recall that we, along with everything else, exist because of God. Furthermore, we, along with everything else, exist for God. If we could somehow keep in mind these two fundamental truths it would change our lives drastically. It would basically eliminate pride—the deadliest of the Seven Deadly Sins—and cause us to look at ourselves and others in a whole new light. It would likewise cause us to look at the earth and all our surroundings differently.
If we sought to remember our Creator on a regular basis we would be forced to remember our calling to be good stewards of God’s Creation. We would recall the Bible’s repeated affirmation that the world is good and our responsibility is to make sure it stays that way. The earth is not ours to do with as we please. We are merely tenants who are expected to cherish, protect and preserve that which our Creator permits us to dwell on. The earth is valuable to God. John 3:16 says “God so loved the world He gave His only Son…” The world’s value must also be recognized by us. Who could deny that many of our environmental crises would not exist if only we humans had been humble enough to remember our Creator?
The One who created this world deserves our utmost respect, our complete devotion, and our faithful service. The writer of Ecclesiastes was on to something when he challenged young people to “remember your Creator.” I just happen to believe that this is something we all need to do, regardless of our age. It will make a big difference in our life and in the world—a difference we all need.
–Chuck