Remember Your Creator

Text: Ecclesiastes 12:1

As the wise man began to close the book of Ecclesiastes, he made an appeal to the young: Remember your Creator. This is important for all, but particular emphasis is placed upon the young. Why is it important to remember God as our Creator? And how do we remember Him as such?

Remember

This must be deliberate or it will not happen – Paul spoke of some who “did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer” (Romans 1:28); this mindset leads to sin (Romans 1:24-27, 29-32); there is no limit to the wickedness that can come from it
Therefore, it is important that we make a conscious effort to remember God – How?
Appreciating the natural world (Romans 1:20) – shows us God’s eternal power and divine nature
Meditating upon His works (Psalm 143:5) – time when we are not doing something or feeding our minds; we should take time to meditate on certain things (i.e. God/creation)
Reading His word (1 Corinthians 2:10-12) – the mind of the Creator is revealed to us through His word
Praying to Him (Matthew 6:7-13) – prayer is not for God’s benefit, but ours; reminds us of Him
Worshiping Him (Revelation 4:9-11) – through worship we are reminded of who God is
All of these involve a conscious effort to remember God

Your Creator

Many things might come to mind when we think of or remember God – here we’re focusing on Him as Creator (cf. Genesis 1:1); this affects so many other ways we think about God
Why is it important that we remember God as our Creator?
It reminds us that we are not number one (Psalm 100:3) – man has become arrogant thinking he is so “highly evolved”; remembering this leads to humility (Psalm 8:3-4); we must be humble to please God (Matthew 5:3)
It reminds us that we are not the product of blind chance (Genesis 1:26-27) – otherwise, man is just an animal; remembering this leads to a proper sense of self-worth; causes us to treat others as we should (Matthew 22:39; 6:14-15)
It reminds us that we are dependent upon Him (Acts 14:16-17) – providence is a witness to God; remembering this leads to thankfulness (1 Timothy 4:4); those who reject God obviously will not give thanks to Him (Romans 1:21)
It reminds us that as He created us, He can also destroy us (Job 1:21) – what God gave, He can take away; remembering this leads to fear (Matthew 10:28); godly fear is necessary for us to serve Him acceptably (Hebrews 12:28)
It reminds us that we have a purpose (Revelation 4;11) – we were made for God’s will/pleasure; remembering this leads to obedience (Ecclesiastes 12:13); we glorify God by accomplishing His will (John 17:4)

In the Days of Your Youth

It is important to develop a spiritual foundation in youth
We generally follow our training (Proverbs 22:6) – this is why parents must work to bring up their children in the Lord (Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15)
Youth can certainly be a time to enjoy life (Ecclesiastes 11:9) – however, that does not mean we can forget God

Before the Evil Days Come

Youth does not last forever (Ecclesiastes 11:10)
Eventually our bodies will break down (Ecclesiastes 12:2-6) – death is a certainty for all of us (Hebrews 9:27)
As we get older, we also have more responsibilities (1 Timothy 5:8; Matthew 15:4-6; 2 Corinthians 12:14; Proverbs 13:22) – the worries of life can choke out the word (Luke 8:14), or keep it from taking root initially
However, this does not mean that one cannot come to God in his later years (Matthew 20:6-9) – but if you are in your youth, do not think that you can ignore God now and come to Him later; those who do are the rare exception; now is the time to remember God and serve Him

Conclusion