Ecclesiastes 12:1 – Placing God at the center of our life

In the last four verses of Ecclesiastes 11, we are called to celebrate the gift of life God has granted to us. To do so, we must seize every moment and rejoice in them. Every day is a gift from God, and we should rejoice and be glad in it. To rejoice and enjoy the life we must, first of all, remove the spirit of vexation. So, verse 10 says, “Remove vexation from your heart, and put away pain from your body, for youth and the dawn of life are vanity.” Don’t get bogged down with undue anxiety, anger, and worry. It is important to remove whatever that’s troubling to us. Do what we can then trust God to do what we cannot. And as we do, keep putting our focus on God.

Apart from removing vexation, we are also called to put God at the center of our life. We are to remember Him. This instruction is found in Ecclesiastes 12:1. The instruction is primarily directed at the young. This is due to the fact that the young don’t think too much about the dark times of life expressed earlier. They don’t think so much of what will happen when old age catches up with them. Their state of physical well-being makes them feel as if their good health will not diminish. Besides, youth are usually more impulsive, hasty and reckless. Many of them will act without thinking. Hence Ecclesiastes 12:1 sounds out a very important call. It’s a call to live a God-centred life. We must remember God in the days of our youth. But we must be attentive to the call to remember God in every stage of life, everywhere we go and everything we do.

Without a doubt, young or old, we all need the close presence of God in our lives. We need to walk in His prescribed ways. We can only enjoy God’s gift of life when we factor Him into every stage of our life. The best way to do life is to remember Him and to place all our faith as well as cares for Him. The best time to do it is when we are young and can offer to Him our faithful service in our prime. Don’t wait till we are old and have not much time left, then offer to Him the fainting ashes of our hearts. Don’t procrastinate and wait until your desire to serve Him is all gone. And don’t wait till your energy is dissipated and you have no more strength to serve Him. We must give our all passionately to God now, while we can make a difference.

Horatius Bonar wrote this inspiring hymn in 1866. Let us make the words of this hymn our daily quest:  

Fill Thou my life, O Lord my God,

In every part with praise,

That my whole being may proclaim

Thy being and Thy ways.

Not for the lip of praise alone,

Nor even the praising heart,

I ask, but for a life made up

Of praise in every part:

Praise in the common things of life,

Its going out and in,

Praise in each duty and each deed,

However small and mean.

Fill every part of me with praise;

Let all my being speak,

Of Thee and of Thy love, O Lord,

Though I be poor and weak.

So shalt Thou, Lord, from me, even me

Receive the glory due,

And so shall I begin on earth

The song forever new.

So shall no part of day or night,

From sacredness be free;

But all my life in each step,

Be fellowship with Thee.