Ecclesiastes 11:9
Be cheerful and enjoy life while you are young! Do what you want and find pleasure in what you see. But don't forget that God will judge you for everything you do.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
You’ve probably heard the term “sowing wild oats” – and maybe you’ve even sown a few! Some people think that testing the waters … doing a few things that are considered by others to be taboo, immoral, or even illegal … is just part of growing up. But just this week, a friend of ours was talking about how her daughter (who is now a mother of soon-to-be-teenage children) was now saying, “Remember the time I did such-and-such? Sorry, Mom.” And “Remember when I dropped out of college and ran off with my boyfriend? Sorry, Mom.”
A lot of the things that seemed like so much fun and such a good idea when we were young seem fairly foolish – or like huge mistakes – now that we are adults. And if you are still a fairly young person, you may laugh and say, “That won’t be me.” But somehow, I have a feeling it could be.
The worst part of looking back and regretting any “wild oats” you may have sown is the embarrassment and shame of realizing that what you did was displeasing to God. And that’s where this passage from Ecclesiastes comes into play. See, God wants us to enjoy our youth. He wants us to have fun – to try new things and have wonderful adventures and experiences. But believe it or not, all of this can be done morally, legally, and without sin.
I will be the first to tell you that there is a delicate balance to all of this. There were things that I was warned not to try (like dancing) because the members of the church I attended did not approve of this activity. I have told you before that I grew up quite convinced that many of the adventures and experiences I had as a teenager and a young adult would result in standing someday before God as He wielded a whip and a chain in my direction! I now know that this is not the case.
I’ve come to understand that the God I serve is loving, kind, and merciful. Yes, I do and say things that disappoint Him. Yes, He will ask me about these things some day when I stand before Him. But because of the blood of Jesus, I will have to account for them … and then God will wash every one of my sins away and mark the debt paid in full. What a wonderful, comforting assurance! What an awesome, amazing God we serve!
Hear me well… your salvation is not a license to “sow wild oats” willy-nilly and do whatever you please, assured that God will forgive you in the end. I can’t think of anything worse in this world or the next than doing and saying things I know will disappoint God! The message is that being a Christian is FUN! Being cheerful and enjoying life – and the adventures and abilities you have when you are young – is God’s gift. And it can all be accomplished within the parameters of your faith … and in a way that brings honor to God - not shame and disappointment.
And one more thing… there are a lot of people who no longer consider themselves young who are walking around acting pretty miserably. In God’s eyes, we are all children … and as such, He expects us to be happy and cheerful and drinking in all the blessings of this life He has given us. If you are moping around, acting and talking negatively, dragging those around you down and sharing a message of despair and discouragement, STOP IT! This is not the attitude of a Christian – at any age. Find pleasure in what you see … remember that God has blessed us immensely – even when we can’t seem to see it. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get busy living! Just be sure you honor God with how you do it!
©2010 Debbie Robus
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