When people ask me about my hobbies, I tell them gardening, reading, hiking with friends, and playing video games.
But I’m sometimes tempted to add, “And one of my hobbies is worrying!”
I worry about everything, from work (aarrgh, I emailed my boss a memo with spelling errors, will she be frustrated?) to friendships (uh oh, I haven’t heard from my BFF about coffee today, is she mad?). I used to even stay up late at night stressing about such worries.
And then a friend told me about her Worry Jar and persuaded me to try it. I figured I had nothing to lose and everything to gain!
How To Create Your Own Worry Jar
All you need is a glass jar with a lid, some slips of paper, and a pen. (In my case, I had a glass jar with barely enough grape jelly left in it for a PBJ sandwich, which proved to be perfect.)
Clean out your jar thoroughly and dry it. Screw the lid on tight and put a hole in the lid.
Feeling crafty? Make a “Worry Jar” label and put something on it to attract your attention and remind you to use your jar.
Using Your Jar: How To Give Your Worries Away
So you’ve got your Worry Jar, carefully labeled and placed somewhere that you’ll see it every day (mine is right by my coffee maker).
Here’s a scenario of how it works in my life:
- Something happens to send me down what I call the Worry Time Rabbit Hole. For example, I get a request from a friend to babysit her daughter for a few hours the next day. I agree, then start worrying about how to entertain the little human version of the Energizer Bunny.
- I make a list of activities, get everything ready…and still keep worrying.
- I remember my Jar. On a slip of paper, I write, “God, I’m giving all my worries about how to entertain Pamela to you.”
- I put the paper in the jar and give my worries over to God.
- Whenever I start to worry again, I remember that I put that particular worry in my Jar, and that it’s all in God’s hands.
What Does The Bible Say About Worry?
In addition to creating your own Worry Jar and putting your worries in it, you may find comfort in related verses from the Bible.
“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy,” says Psalm 94:19.
The Bible reminds us of the benefits of giving our worries to God rather than struggling with them on our own.
My favorite, Proverbs 3:5-6, urges us to “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
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