Prayer for those who fear to grow older
By Chelsey Dematteis
Bible Reading:
“Be careful not to be wise, not to be wise, but to make the most of your time, for the days are bad.” – Ephesians 6:15-16
Read or listen to the following:
A few months ago, I was overcome by a marketing message that I could bring “Botox to Botox” to my door. With full transparency, I fell into the algorithm. The seeds were planted and moms of my age needed this innovative product. I couldn’t press the checkout button quickly enough. While I was caught up in this frenzy, I forgot to read the ingredients, thinking I would age and reduce the signs of my aging. The day the “craving age” formula came, I was the first to fly. I tore the box excitedly like I was five years old at Christmas. I did not do skin tests and I did not start with an application once a day. I went straight for victory – twice in the morning, morning and evening. What were I thinking? I was clearly not thinking – I’ll ask the world to tell me what to do instead.
About two weeks later I noticed that my skin was very itchy, like itching from an allergic reaction. Thankfully, I didn’t lose all the senses. My desire to reduce the lines of my face had not completely overturned my discernment, so I decided to pump the brakes of my “Holy Grail” products. Two days later I woke up to an absolute mess of skin. For those who have never dealt with skin problems, I have been devastated. I grabbed the box to read the ingredients. The oil was the first ingredient. It’s a complete, complete no no in my face. The fear of aging has overturned my ability to make clear decisions.
I sat in disbelief with my oversight, so I remembered this that had happened before. Six years ago, I chased another “symptom of aging” product. The fear made the most of me. Often, rapid fixes devastate or detour us. When making quick decisions to get quick results, we don’t take the time to read fine prints. And we don’t know if our choices cost us. This accident by me transcends skincare. It’s for all life.
The Bible is filled with reminders and commands to be wise to see the options before us, and we don’t choose based on fear without weighing the costs. In Ephesians 5:15-16, “Be wise and not wise, and take full advantage of the times, so be careful to walk, not wise,” James 3:17 says, “But wisdom from above is pure, then peaceful, calm, and reasonable, full of mercy and good fruit, fair and sincere.”
My prayer is this: May God use my calamity to walk through wisdom means not making the most of our fears. We are talking about our choices and identification issues, whether we are aging, and all areas of life. Is this current skin problem changing life? No, but it is to inflict fear in order to make quick decisions. So, before pressing the buy button, make sure you are not afraid to swipe a card, call someone, or do what appears most attractive at the moment, encourage you to make a choice: Compare costs, fight the temptation of simple corrections, and read detailed prints.
Let’s pray:
Father, thank you for walking us with Misstep. Take the wisdom I gained today and apply it to the decisions I will make tomorrow. I am “reasonably good” and I pray that my fear of aging will become a woman who will not allow me to push me to make choices I wouldn’t otherwise make. Holy Spirit, stir up my conviction that you will love the person who created me. Let me remind you that I am horrified and wonderfully made. Give me grace and wisdom just as I grow older. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Dragana991
Chelsea is the voice of my life, who lives a life of Christ in a world that is hardly podcasts and devoted to him for 52 weeks, who lives a life of Christ in a world that is centered around me. She writes Lifeway Women’s Journey Magazine, Crosswalk.com, and Devotions for Ibelieve.com. She also writes a Bible Reading Plan for the Youversion Bible app. Chelsea lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. You can connect with her on Instagram @chelseydematteis and her website chelseydematteis.com.
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