Dooley Noted: The remedy for Back to School Blues

Returning to school each fall always evokes a bit of murmuring from my children. Sleeping in, trips to the beach, and free time with friends is admittedly more fun than studying algebra and writing book reports. I get it. What most children and teenagers do not realize, however, is that the revolving semesters of these years represent a season of life that not only passes far too quickly, but also allows a freedom and playfulness that life’s latter stages do not afford.

Youth Offers Numerous Opportunities. Scripture’s wisest man, King Solomon, explained, “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes (Ecc. 11:9a).” His point is that not that we are free to do anything, but that everything changes as we age.

Far too many too many of us fail to realize the advantages of youth until we are much older. Playing sports, going to movies, and hanging out with friends is much more enjoyable than clocking in at work and paying bills. The responsibilities of adulthood have a way of pushing out the freedom of carefree living. I am not dismissing the pressures of homework and prepping for college, but the simplicities of childhood disappear much faster than we anticipate. Every kid should be free to enjoy the pure impulses of youth.

Opportunities Bring Certain Accountability. The principle for which Solomon advocates, however, is not a call to “sow your wild oats” as some recklessly encourage young people today. He continues, “Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things (Ecc. 11:9b).” The freedom to live without a care in the world is not an invitation to dishonor God. Sleeping around, experimenting with drugs, and living foolishly can cause irreversible damage that follows us throughout the entirety of our lives and into eternity.

Furthermore, we should live with full awareness that God will judge all our actions, whether good or bad, one day. Solomon warns, “God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil (Ecc. 12:14).” Every careless word. Every hideous thought. Every defiant action. Every secret sin. We should remember God now because we will answer to Him later.

Thus, we’re told to remove grief and anger from our hearts (Ecc 11:10a). These sobering words caution us to avoid the painful consequences of sin that often come immediately and remain indefinitely (Ecc. 11:10a). Charles Spurgeon correctly warned, “Youthful sins lay a foundation for aged sorrow.” Maximizing the joys of youth is good, but stepping outside the will of God is not.

Because wasting the formative years of our lives lacks both wisdom and foresight, Solomon implores, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them.” (Ecc. 12:1)” Rebelling against God early in life can produce a certain apathy toward God later in life.

Once, while having a conversation with an older, godly Christian woman, a teenage girl happened to make the remark that her plan was to do whatever she wanted now, but then to turn to God in her elderly years. Sensing an opportunity, a few days later the seasoned saint sent the girl a box of wilted roses.

Later she asked the teenager, “Did you receive the flowers I sent you?”

“Yes,” the girl, answered, “But I was disappointed that they had already wilted.”

The wise woman answered, “I cut them Monday of this week and they were so beautiful. By weeks end when they wilted and were ready to die, so I thought of you. Young lady, that is exactly what you’re doing to God. You are saying that you will enjoy the young flower of your life, but when your life is old and wilted you will give it to the Lord.”

What’s the lesson here for people of all ages, no matter our stage of life? Again, Solomon is clear and succinct. “The conclusion,” he says, “when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person (Ecc. 12:13).” We should enjoy every moment of life while simultaneously revering the Lord. We should experience the numerous pleasures of youth for as long as we can without disobeying God’s commandments. And we should give God the best years of our lives, knowing that one day we will meet Him face-to-face.

Dr. Adam B. Dooley is pastor of Englewood Baptist Church in Jackson, TN, and author of Hope When Life Unravels. Contact him at adooley@ebcjackson.org. Follow him on Twitter @AdamBDooley.