Ecclesiastes 11:9
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.
The verse is a sorrowful and shameful warning out of sad personal experience, given to save the young from the errors that in the prime of manhood squandered Heaven's choicest gifts by turning from the light of Heaven and the wisdom of God to put idolatry in place of the worship of Jehovah. It sets before youth their privileges and responsibilities in God's service, permitting gladness in youth and walking in the ways of the heart and in the sight of the eyes, yet charging them to know that for all these things God will bring them into judgment. Following one's own desires, pleasure, and what one sees does not remove accountability to God, for every such action will be brought into judgment and hidden motives and deeds will be made known.
The certainty of judgment makes it urgent to remember consequences, to remove sorrow from the heart and put away evil from the flesh, and to repent and turn from evil while young and while there is still time, because childhood and youth are vanity and a misspent life brings guilt when wrongs can no longer be righted. The warning applies to sexual temptation and misconduct and calls young people to put away evil, preserve moral purity, and live by God's moral standard, since sexual impurity and self-pollution dull the moral powers and can lead people to corrupt others. The warning applies also to dishonest business practices and indulgence in liquor, giving reason not to trust in one's own cleverness or continue in wrongdoing, and intemperance illustrates the degrading results of following the desires of the heart and eyes and warns against taking even its first step.
Walking in the way of one's own heart and in the sight of one's own eyes means following self-directed desires and choices, a course marked by self-indulgence, earthliness, and lack of self-denial that shows God is not in the person's thoughts or heart and that tastes are directed downward rather than toward heavenly treasure, and when it produces an earthly, degraded character it stands under God's judgment. The verse describes professed Christians who have no real merit as workers and no experience in practical religion, keeping the same faults, tastes, and self-indulgences as before, with littleness, earthliness, and debasement of character and conduct testifying against them because they follow their own desires and what pleases their own eyes, refuse self-denial, are determined to enjoy life, have no attraction to heavenly treasure, and have no mind to hate evil and choose good, so that friends and relatives cannot elevate them.