Eight days before Halloween and I saw my first Christmas commercial. Now, that is scary.

Businesses want to be the first to get their advertisements on television, so consumers will be more likely to remember their product. Have you noticed how important it is in our society to do things before we need to get them done? So many of us get our Christmas shopping done on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving), we like to vote early, pre-register for events, etc.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to get things done before they are due (this usually does not include my article, though). Even in the book of Proverbs, we can find verses that point to the importance of planning and preparation.

With the emphasis of getting things done early, we often miss out on the here and now, though.

Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33-34, New Living Translation, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

In all our anxiety to get things done, we start to worry. If you know anything about worrying, it is an effort in futility.

I know this from my DNA. My grandfather was the king of worrying. I used to go over to his house and he would be sitting in his rocking chair thinking of things to worry about. If he couldn’t think of anything, he would be worried about not thinking of anything to worry about.

Jesus also said, in Matthew 6:27, NLT, “Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?”

That pretty much sums it up. Many of you remember the ‘80’s song by Bobby McFerrin, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Anyone who has lived more than five minutes knows that life isn’t always happy. Jesus gives us these instructions about worry, because he knows our tendencies, and he knows that worrying causes more harm than good. Bobby McFerrin’s song does have a point, though. We can’t change anything by worrying.

Jesus is basically telling us, “Don’t Worry, Let Me Have It.” It isn’t as catchy as “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” but it works!

There is another verse that is straight to the point when it comes to our lives.

James 4:14, NLT, “How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog--it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”

I know that doesn’t exactly make you want to stand up and shout for joy, but it does make a point. We are on earth for a short time. What are we doing with our lives? Are we busy getting things done before we have to? Are we worrying about things that we can’t change? Or are we living life with a purpose in mind? For believers, that purpose is to live so that those who don’t know Jesus will see Him in us. Life is short, what are you living for?

William Campbell is pastor at First Baptist Church of Port Aransas.