Ecclesiastes 11:10

"So, remove vexation from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting."So, remove vexation from your heart" -"Rid thy heart, then, of resentment" (Knox). "Vexation"-includes sadness, moroseness, fretfulness, grief, anger, wrath, spite and sorrow.

"pain from your body" -attitudes and practices which could hurt your body. "That which would rob youth of good times, pleasant days, happy memories, and general physical and mental/spiritual happiness is to be avoided" (Kidwell p. 272). Too many people have been convinced that joy or happiness can only be found in that which is forbidden by God. But the real truth is that happiness and joy are the result of doing the right thing. "Joy was created to dance with goodness, not alone" (Kidner p. 100). There are. good number of people who can't enjoy. good portion of their life, because of all the bad choices they made while young.

"because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting" -"The freshness of youth with its unimpaired vigor of the body, which makes joy taste all the sweeter, is but of. short duration---Bad attitudes and the misuse of the body can make any enjoyment difficult or impossible" (Leupold p. 272). The prime of life, includes more than just the teens or twenties. Literally, it is the days of dark hair.

Take care of yourself physically, mentally and spiritually while you are young. If you neglect the wisdom of these verses, not only will you be. miserable young person, but also. miserable old person.