Part I - Minimized Effectiveness

The birds of the air and the lilies of the field. They know what they are doing.

Worry is a lot of things. Worry is how we cope with things we can't handle. Worry is a waste of time. Worry is a defense mechanism. Worry is not going to solve anything. And most of all, worry is a lack of belief in the fact that God has our best in mind.

If we truly believe that God is in control and we then believe He loves us, then Jesus' words ring true: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matthew 6:26-27, NIV).

Well, that is all well and good. But why is it so hard? We are in a battle here. What might cause someone to worry might not make someone else think twice. There might be something that would give you an ulcer, but it wouldn't phase someone else. . . Satan is wily. He is the father of lies. And our lack of faith in trying situations is not coincidentally tied with Satan's knowledge of what we struggle with. He is going to attack us in our weaknesses. He is going to tell us lies that build us up and tear our faith down.

Be ready. He gets us all comfortable and then just about when we are feeling pretty good about how great we are, we are attacked. Satan fights dirty. . .