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April 26 Daily Devotional

Held Accountable

Peter G. Feenstra

Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Ecclesiastes 11:9

Bible Reading

Matthew 12:33–37

Devotional

To whom are you accountable? Will you be brought into judgment for the things you do wrong in public and in private? People like to think they are accountable to no one. They suggest they can live as they please with no consequences. In Ecclesiastes 11 the Preacher combats the “I can do whatever I want” attitude. Young men and women may think nothing is expected of them. As long as they show up for Sunday worship and make a donation to the church, they have no further obligations. After all, God’s grace will triumph in the end. That attitude is not that far removed from us as adults. We, too, tend to put off getting serious about the service of the Lord and we dismiss juvenile delinquency as a stage our youth will outgrow.

Through the words of the Preacher the Holy Spirit warns us against trivializing what God calls us to do in His service. What is the right time to serve the Lord and to break away from what is meaningless? The best time is now and not a second later! From our youth, from the moment we hear about the work of God, we are called to serve Him.

Knowing that we are held accountable does not put a damper on life. The Preacher is not some wet blanket but he wants young people to realize true happiness has parameters. That is why they need to watch what they do while they are with their friends, at parties and in other social environments. With the words “for all these” the Preacher is not primarily warning youth that they will have to give account for all their sins and shortcomings. Rather he wants young people to realize that the Lord will judge them if they fail to enjoy life within the parameters God has given.

It should be possible and it is desirable that we thank God for time spent with others, for a relaxing holiday, party, long hike and sports event. These are God’s wonderful gifts and He may not be left out of the picture. Sin taints everything but that should never be used as an excuse to veil our unwillingness to serve Christ. Let each of us ask ourselves: “Would those who watch my behaviour have any interest in finding out more about my life in Christ? What do they see radiating from me?” Knowing that God holds us accountable, let’s make a point of holding each other accountable so that we can help each other enjoy life as God intended.

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