9Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you judgment.
Here is the bottom line: we will give an account for all our actions, so when we act, we need to keep this accountability in mind. The exuberance of youth is normal, but even in the exuberance, keep an eye to eternity. While my wife and I were dating, one thing kept us on the right path. We wanted to be able to say to our future children that they could do anything their mother and I did while we were dating, and know that they would not go too far. This potential future conversation with as yet unborn children guided our actions in the present moment. The future anchored and guided our present, and likewise our present choices secured our future. There is a sense of connection between present and future. We hear the connection between past and present so often in the Scriptures. The recounting of God’s faithfulness and deliverance is told repeatedly in the pages of Scripture. But we often miss the connection created between the present and the future, our actions being brought under the watchful eye of our Lord. So today, as you make choices, begin to make them in the knowledge that someday all will be brought into the light, and we will all have to give an account of our stewardship of the life we were given.
The Arnold Journey 