The world often invites us away from the thought of death, as if by forgetting about it we can live more peacefully. But Ecclesiastes invites us to look in the opposite direction: to remember that life is finite, so that we can truly live it. Imagine a young man dancing in the hot sun, not because he thinks time will never run out, but because he knows the light will eventually fade. He is not wasting time, but celebrating every second with full awareness. That is where we find a paradox of faith: we only learn to celebrate life to the fullest when we dare to stare mortality in the face.

The preacher's message in this passage is not to quell that joy. Instead, he says, "Rejoice!", an acknowledgement that youth is a fleeting gift, like a hebel, a vapour or a vanity, briefly visible and then gone. But the joy does not go without direction. The realisation that life is in the light of God makes every choice worthwhile. Therefore, remembering the Creator from youth is not a burden that holds back happiness, but a source that gives direction and meaning. The joy born from it does not hurt, but grows slowly as an expression of gratitude.

With poetic language, Ecclesiastes paints a picture of the days when the body begins to fray, tremble, bend, become myopic, until life slips away like a broken silver chain. This image is not meant to frighten, but to realise that human beings, no matter how beautiful, are still fragile. This realisation helps us to live our lives more wisely: not wasting our time and not clinging to temporary things.

Friends of the Bible, Ecclesiastes does not scare us with mortality, but rather teaches us to love life honestly. Youth is a gift to be celebrated, but not to lose sight of its direction and meaning. Therefore, live life truly, rejoice sincerely, and let every step be rooted in God. So that when the time comes, our lives do not pass in vain, but rather become a testimony of His everlasting love.