Many reading this Bible Bite no longer identify as young. Of course, they might tell you they are “still young at heart.” However, chronologically and statistically, they are no longer in the youthful cohort and haven’t been for quite some time. Some of you are even grandparents. Be of good cheer. The spirit of this Bible Bite still applies to you, but perhaps the more significant impact will be in sharing the message of this little post with younger people in your circle.

When’s the best time to learn how to swim? When you’re young. When’s the best time in life to learn a foreign language? When you’re young. When’s the best time to learn how to snowboard? Young boarders seem so agile and fearless as they attempt complex maneuvers. Learning the skill at an older age has the disadvantages of caution, fear, and self-consciousness, not to mention brittleness.

What about the preferred stage of life to develop a close relationship with the Lord? The answer is the same. When you’re young. The Bible says:

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them…” Ecclesiastes 12:1

It is perhaps the most likely stage of life to ignore the Lord. So many think: “I will worry about God later in life before I die. I will get serious about my relationship with the Lord when I settle down. But not now. I’m only young. It’s time for fun, friends, freedom and fast lanes.”

What case can be made for putting the Lord first early in your life? Why not wait until you’re older?

• The fact that the Bible tells us to remember our Creator-Owner when we are young is all the reason anyone needs. Submission to the Word of God does not require supporting reasons or additional factors as to why one should obey.

• A young mind is keen and sharp and less cluttered. Youth is usually the best stage in life to diligently study your Bible, memorize verses, and pack your alert mind by unpacking the Scriptures.

• Put the Lord first in your young life so you will be strengthened and preserved through those vulnerable and even dangerous years in school, college, and early employment. The Psalmist asked this question: how can a young person stay pure? Then the answer: “I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.” Psalm 119:11

• Start early with the Lord so you can live a full life for Him and maximize your years of fruitfulness and usefulness for your Creator and Lord. Reflecting on wasted years, vanished opportunities, and lost potential is never a happy memory.

• With intentionality, pursue the Lord while you are young because, with each passing year, life becomes more complex. Establish the spiritual rhythm of communion with the Lord. Other demands and distractions pile up and weigh you down. The immediate tends to jeopardize the essential. Exams, friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, trips, part-time jobs, recreation, social media, career quandaries and choices, and so on. Establishing a spiritual rhythm will be a tremendous preservative in your Christian life.

Consider the Bible examples of young people who remembered their Creator in the days of their youth: Samuel, Esther, David, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, Mary (mother of Jesus) and others.

Cultivate a close and very real relationship with Christ. Make it a priority to talk with Him each day and listen to Him daily as you read and reflect on the Word of God. Not only will you glorify Him by doing so, you will experience a deeper joy and true fulfillment. The more time you spend with a person, the more you get to know them, and the deeper the relationship becomes.

The Apostle Paul associated “knowing Him” with power in his own life. The deeper our relationship with Christ, the more we experience His power. (Philippians 3:10) The more we fix our eyes on His glories, the more we are transformed into His image. (2 Corinthians 3:18.) It’s amazing and also very encouraging! More power and more like Christ.

Busy people block out time away from work to spend quality time with their friends and their kids and romantic time with their spouses. Have you blocked out daily time to develop and deepen your relationship with Christ?

For the older people reading this, you will never be any younger than you are today. Teaching an old dog new tricks may be hard, but you’re not an old dog! You can be thankful for that. You’re an older Child of God. God will help you to adjust some of your daily routines to carve out more alone time with Christ with your Bible open.

Click here to visit the Theodore F. Williams Tribute Gallery on this site.

If we all added 30 more quiet minutes alone with the Lord each day, imagine the nourishing impact it would have on our hearts and spiritual outlook each day!

Don’t hesitate to share a thought from your personal experience or a verse that has been a blessing to you –  in the comment section below. Or, if you would like to reach out privately, click below.