I will never be able to understand people who do not worry. Their calmness in nearly every imaginable situation is quite puzzling to me. See, I am a chronic worrier. In fact, I am persuaded that it is my past time (as demonstrated below).

"Oh, I have a free 15 minutes. Let me worry about the time I mixed up my words two years ago talking to that girl whose name I can no longer remember."

OK, I don't actually have that mental conversation. But, one would assume, by looking at my actions, that I really do enjoy worrying. Despite knowing I have no reason to worry in a general or in a specific situation, I still decide to toss aside my peace and joy in order to worry.

In a way, it is like a kind of drug. It always makes me feel physically ill. My stomach churns worse than indigestion after fast food. As my throat begins to constrict, breathing seems harder and harder. And lastly, it settles into my heart like pouring rubbing alcohol over a festering wound. Not to mention how it affects my ability to interact with others, handle the current situation or actually address the problem. But no matter how awful it makes me feel, it is always my first reaction. Somehow I find a sort of high by worrying myself to death.

My relationship with worrying has been dynamic, and if you look back even five years ago, I was at such a different place than I am now. Along the way I have learned several truths that have aided me in my fight against total destruction of my peace and joy by worrying. By relying on God and His promises and employing a few tactics, the battle against worrying can be won. Here are four of the truths I have learned over the years about dealing with worry.

1. When you worry, you are telling God that He isn't big enough or strong enough or good enough to handle this situation.

Think about this for a minute. You are telling God, who created the universe and mapped out your life, that He is incapable of dealing with your problems. That is crazy. If anything, He is more qualified in handling situations in our life than we will ever be. When you start to feel those tell-tale signs of worry creep up, remind yourself of this truth. Remember that God is big enough and strong enough and good enough to handle this situation. Remember that since before time, He knew you were going to be encountering this situation. Read over Jeremiah 29:11. His plans for your really are good.

2. Worrying gets you nowhere.

A certain amount of concern is healthy and needed, but worrying over everything is not. Moreover, in a very practical sense, worrying gets you nowhere. Jesus talked about this very practically during his sermon on the mount. From Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus explains that our worrying gets us nowhere. He points us to the lilies and the birds who do not worry yet receive their food daily. God looks after each of them, yet we are of much more value to God.

3. What is the worst thing that could happen?

I have my mother to thank for this lesson. When I am in the middle of agonizing over a social event or another scenario, she helps me put things back into perspective. This question gives you the ability to see the worst possible thing that could happen and recognize that your experience will more than likely never be that bad. I have found that sometimes it helps to over-exaggerate your answer and come up with a ridiculous scenario. For example, if I was nervous about meeting a new professor, the worst case scenario would obviously be me forgetting to put on a pair of pants, wind up late to the meeting and walking into the wrong room. And then it would get worse! After finding the professor, he would begin to develop an allergic reaction to the dog hair on my shirt. After he his whisked off to the hospital by a pair of cute paramedics, he would send me an email banishing me from his department. See, doesn't that make you feel better?

4. Replace worry with trust.

I am the ultimate hypocrite with this. I can sit down and pray all day long that I trust God. But when some small aspect of my life begins to slip out of place, I panic and grab back the reigns. Breaking the cycle of worry is hard. But I have found that one must be in active conversation with God. When you are actively trusting God there is no room for worry in your heart. He will replace your worry with His peace and joy. This takes practice, and I am in no way perfect. But on the days that I do rest my soul in God and trust him completely, the struggle with worry is much easier and the victory much sweeter.

I used to think I would finally reach a place where I would no longer have to worry. And however much I desire to reach that, I will probably always have to deal with some sort of worrying on some level. But I have learned that it is a process. God walks me through a new truth or new lesson about trusting Him and relying on His promises, which enables me to take a small step forward in my miles-long marathon.

And for one last word of encouragement to chronic worriers like me. The war is already won; we already have victory. It is the day to day battles in which we must fight. However, we are not left alone during these skirmishes. God desires that we would trust and joy in Him, and he offers help in our time of need in order to deliver us from worry.