The Gift of Remembering: Living with Eternity in View

Life moves faster than we expect. When we're young, the days stretch endlessly before us. But somewhere along the journey, we blink and realize decades have passed. Christmas arrives again, and we wonder where all the time went. This reality—the brevity of life—isn't meant to discourage us but to awaken us to what truly matters.

The book of Ecclesiastes closes with a compelling invitation: "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth." This isn't a call to nostalgia or regret. The word "remember" here carries the weight of pleasure, delight, and enjoyment. It's an invitation to take joy in God while we still have energy, opportunity, and time stretching before us.

When we're young, it's tempting to think we have unlimited time to get serious about faith. "I'll follow God later," becomes our mantra. "Right now, I want to live my life for myself." But here's the truth that experience teaches: the habits we form in youth shape the people we become in age. The patterns we establish early either serve us well or haunt us later.

Youth isn't a time to waste chasing emptiness. It's not a season to squander on things that ultimately don't satisfy. Instead, it's the perfect time to build joy, purpose, and identity in God. Why wait until your body is weak and opportunities are few? Why spend your best years pursuing vapor only to spend your later years trying to catch up?

If you're young, choose God now. Not because you have to, but because building your life on Him gives you the best foundation possible.

But Ecclesiastes doesn't speak only to the young. It paints a poetic yet honest picture of aging that anyone who has lived long enough recognizes immediately.
The sun, moon, and stars grow dim—the brightness of life begins to fade. Memory slips. Hands that were once steady begin to tremble. Backs that stood straight begin to stoop. Teeth are lost. Eyesight fails. Social circles shrink as energy wanes. Hair turns white like almond blossoms. Movement becomes slow and stiff, like a grasshopper dragging itself along. Even the appetites and pleasures that once brought joy begin to fade.

This description is beautifully poetic, yet painfully real. Aging is hard. Our bodies betray us. The strength and energy we once took for granted gradually slip away.

But here's what's remarkable: this passage doesn't dismiss the elderly or treat aging as something to be ashamed of. Instead, it dignifies the struggle. Your perseverance in the face of physical decline is a testimony. God is with us through every season of life—not just when we're young and vibrant, but also when we're tired and our bodies ache.

The call isn't to wish we were who we used to be. It's to be the person God has called us to be now, in this season of life. You are valued and wonderful at whatever stage you're currently experiencing. Your faith, your story, your endurance, and your rest in God's eternal hope give hope to the world around you.

Even as our outer bodies fade away, the inner spirit can be renewed until we are taken home to Him.

Ecclesiastes doesn't shy away from death. Silver cords snap. Golden bowls break. Pitchers shatter. Wheels break at the well. These poetic images all point to the same reality: death comes for us all.

We try desperately to extend life and live forever. Medical technology can keep us alive almost indefinitely—but is that really life? We try to achieve immortality through other means too. We put our names on buildings. We pass our names to our children. We chase fame, hoping that if we're famous enough, we won't be forgotten.

But the reality remains: "The dust returns to the ground it came from." Death is inevitable, and eventually, even the greatest people are forgotten.
This could be depressing—except for the next part of that same verse: "And the spirit returns to God who gave it."

What a beautiful picture. Eternity is forever. Eternity is life. Death isn't the end for those who belong to God.

Here's where we sometimes miss the point. We've often reduced faith to a single question: "Do you know where you're going when you die?" That's an important question, certainly. But focusing solely on the afterlife can cause us to miss what God wants us to do with our lives right now.

Life is short. Life is fragile. We need to live it for God now, not just prepare for what comes after.

Without God, youth is wasted. Without God, pleasure is fleeting. Without God, aging is hopeless. Without God, eternity holds no promise of paradise—no return to the garden of delight, no place where God is.

But with God, everything changes. With God, there's hope. With God, there's purpose. With God, there's passion—not just for the future, but for today.

So what does this mean for us?

If you're young, don't waste your life. Remember your Creator while you have strength, energy, and opportunities. Build your life on Him now so that the habits forming today will serve you well tomorrow. Don't become an old dog trying to learn new tricks.
If you're aging, don't despair as your body weakens. This is part of life. Your faith and endurance give hope to others. God is with you in this season just as much as He was when you were young.

Life is brief. Aging is certain. You can't escape it. But eternity is real.

The question isn't whether life will pass you by—it will. The question is: Will you remember your Creator in every season of life?

Perhaps you're struggling right now with your sense of value. Maybe someone has devalued you, or you've devalued yourself. Hear this truth: You have value. God values you. He loves you. You are a valuable person, no matter what has happened in your life before now.

If you're young and people treat you like you don't matter yet, know that you're valued. If you're older and feel like your best days are behind you, know that you're valued. Christ died for you because He values you. He wants you to live a life—now and forever—that matches up with His love.

Yes, He calls you to stop doing certain things and to do other things. But that's not because He wants to restrict you. It's because He wants you to have the best life possible. The wisdom He offers in Scripture isn't meant to burden you—it's meant to guide you into fullness of life.

Whether you're just beginning life's journey or nearing the finish line, the call is the same: Remember your Creator. Because with Him, life has meaning at every stage. Your life has value. And the life He offers isn't just for someday—it's for now and forever.