“Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity.” - Ecclesiastes 1v9-10
There is an apparent contradiction here – “Rejoice, let your heart cheer you, follow your heart – but know this, in all these things God will bring you into judgement.”
How do we explain this oxymoron? Simple really – God wants us to enjoy life and live it to its fullest. He does not what us to live a dull, boring, moribund life. His desire is that life is to be lived to the fullest. Yet, in all of the living we must remember that God is going to judge our actions. It is possible to live a full, exciting life without living a sinful, carnal life. Full enjoyment in life comes from living in accord with God’s will and by the standard of His word.
What advice does God give? Put away your sorrowful spirit and put away the evil from your flesh. The two go hand in hand, evil always brings sorrow, it never brings real joy. Real joy and real enjoyment comes from walking in close fellowship with the Lord as we put off the sins of the flesh.
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