“Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honour him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore”…” |
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Hi First name / Friend, Good morning. How have you been? It’s been a bit quiet; I haven’t heard from you - do let me know how you’re getting on. Considering the time of year, I can only imagine that things are a bit busy for you, however, I pray that you’ve gotten a chance to enjoy some good rest. The timing of this letter is interesting. In the past and even now, I’ve often felt overwhelmed with the need to plan ahead of the new year. It’s a task, and I usually switch off from social media for relief - and this year, I’ve decided not to buy a 2022 planner or watch YouTube videos of people talking about how they’re planning their year. Today’s letter isn’t about planning your time per se, but more about not allowing life to “just happen”. Before I continue, I’ll say this, there’s nothing wrong with planning, but the most crucial part of planning is committing it into God’s hands. When God is honoured in your plans, He’ll honour your plans in the best way that’ll favour you and give Him glory. So plan well, plan joyfully and plan with God. 👵 |
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The Young Shall Grow A few months ago, whilst on vacation in the UK to see my family, I visited my grandmother. My grandmother is a great woman, full of strength and wisdom. She is ever ready to cook for her grandchildren, knit a blanket for us, or learn how to play the keyboard, and she’s savvy on WhatsApp. I see experience, history, and a desire not to be left behind in this fast-paced world when I think of her. It fascinates me to know that part of me comes from this woman. During my last visit to her house, I asked her if she had been out during the day, and she said no because she feared tripping due to the windy weather. My grandmother made her claim with such ease like her reason was “normal”, as if everyone reasons the same way, and it’s that ease that struck me - this is my grandmother’s reality. At her age, these are the things she must consider before leaving the house. The simplicity of our conversation spoke to me profoundly and made me realise how much freedom there is in being ‘young’ and, to an extent, how this freedom has caused me to take things for granted. On the way back home, my brother and I spoke about ageing and life in general, and God kept reminding me about the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible, specifically chapter 12. |
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It's Not Too Late The book of Ecclesiastes is a great book to read ahead of a new year. The wise words that fill all 12 chapters will make you question your motives, humble you, and make you realise that living a life that honours God is the only worthwhile thing we can do, and this is how chapter 12 of the book starts ends. The chapter focuses on the physical realities of ageing and progressing in life and encourages us to know our Creator while we’re still young. You can read the entire chapter further down to grasp what’s waiting ahead for us all.
I pray that by God’s grace, we will all age well, in good health, with a sound mind and strength, but most importantly, I pray that we make Christ the centre of our lives now, for what we do now will impact our days ahead. So, even with my anti-pressure stance ahead of a new year, I do encourage you, First name / Friend, to take time out of your busy schedule to seek God.
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Here are a few things you can discuss with Him: - Ask Him how He’d like you to live.
- Find out His plans for you.
- Question your desires and motivations - are they what God wants for you?
- Be honest and assess your relationship with Him. Is He your priority? If not, ask for forgiveness and ask that He teaches you how to put Him first.
- This time next year, what do you want to say about your relationship with God?
Not sure how to put God first? Well, here are four tips: - First, start your day by thanking Him and asking Him for guidance for the day.
- Want to eat? Deciding on what to wear out? Need to write an email? Ask God, and His Holy Spirit will inspire your “mundane” activities. By involving Him in your daily tasks, you prioritise His opinion and therefore prioritise Him.
- Listen to worship/gospel music throughout the day because what we hear shapes our thoughts.
- Read God’s word, and make notes. Yes, brew your tea or coffee, get your pen and notepad and write down what you’ve learnt from reading the scriptures. If you’re new to this, you can start with the book of John in the New Testament and from the Old Testament, try Psalms and/or Proverbs. Finally, you can use the SOAP method to ‘study’ the Bible. You start with the Scripture, jot down your Observation(s), think of how you’ll Apply the scripture to your life and end with a Prayer.
Building a habit of communicating with God in the little things prepares our hearts to talk to God about the big stuff easily. Moreover, communicating with God helps us adhere to Ecclesiastes 12, which is to remember our Creator. |
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Grey Hair is a Crown We should all look forward to getting older because it’s an honour and a privilege to see and experience so many years. It’s a gift from God. The Bible also says: |
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“Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.” |
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Don’t fall for the hype of eternal youth and the anti-ageing culture we’ve come to know; instead, pray for your years ahead. Talk to God about how you’d like these years to look like for you. Despite the physical challenges our bodies will face as we get older, our joy will remain that we took time to learn about God in our youth to rely on Him in our old age. And First name / Friend, if your grandparents are still alive, and this is something you can do - then go ahead and give them a call, visit them, spend time at their feet gleaning the wisdom that comes from good living and experience. Understandably, not everyone has this opportunity for an array of reasons, but whatever the case may be, say a prayer for your grandparents, and God will remember you for doing so. In essence, I’m saying that don't let life just happen. Be intentional with your pursuit of Christ and lovingly care for those around you. If you have access to wise counsel from an older person, take the opportunity now, be ready to teach those after you, and be an example to those around you. Live well, live right and live godly. |
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The Word of God - Ecclesiastes 12 First name / Friend, don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honour him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop. Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly. First name / Friend, remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. First name / Friend, remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. Yes, First name / Friend, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. “Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.” Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly. The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep. But, my child, First name / my Friend, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. |
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Signed, Somebody's Grandchild, |
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