Our Women’ Fellowship was very good. We prayed and we praised God. We shared testimonies of the goodness of God. This is the sermon that was given:

There is a psychological phenomenon called ‘midlife crisis’. It is a time of increased anxiety concerning the future. It is more common with men but the women experience it too.  Women go through it earlier than men, often between the ages of 35 and 40. There is a major difference between the way men and women react during this crisis. Men are anxious for provision and women are anxious for identity. Men hate that they are getting old. They look back and wish to be young again. That is why they experience greater levels of anxiety. But for women, midlife crisis manifests more as a time to ask questions about their identity and purpose in life. Most women dream to marry and have children. Some also desires to achieve success in their careers. For many years they try hard to be ‘super-women’. They combine taking care of their families with involvement in business. These dreams are good enough for them when they are young, when they go to university and fall in love with the man they have been praying for.  These dreams are the source of most of their prayers from childhood until late thirties. But a time comes when they realize that God has already answered their ‘old’ prayers. By this time the children leave the home to go to the boarding house or to the university. Their husbands are more interested in making money than making love. The wine of romance is not bubbling again. In the office, the younger women are coming from behind and push them off from their pedestal of success. This creates a crisis in any middle age woman’s heart. Their youthful dreams are fading away and they awake to the reality that life is not easy and time is waiting for no one. As they reach menopause, most women become anxious, angry and depressed. They feel like losing control. They start putting on weight. They become careless with their appearance. To add to their problems, their husbands experience midlife crisis as well…

These are some signs of midlife crisis in women (I look these from the internet):

1-Starting to ask questions about life, destiny…

2-Desiring a simpler life

3-Realizing that many of your youthful dreams may not be accomplished (owning your own house… being slim and beautiful…)

4-Thinking about your ‘happy’ childhood a lot

5-Being jealous when you discover that your friends are richer or more successful than you

6-Buying a very expensive gift for yourself out of anger (something you can’t even afford…)

7-Worrying about your appearance (your hair is getting thinner, your waist is getting bigger, your face has wrinkles…)

8-Taking up a new hobby (like learning to play a musical instrument…)

9-Feeling sad when you look at the pictures showing you when you were much younger

10-Fearing that your parents will die soon (even if they are not sick…)

11-Reading obituaries and always checking how people died

12- Obsessively comparing your looks with others who are the same age with you

13-You stop telling people how old you are

14-Taking vitamins and supplements hoping that they work ‘miracles’

15-Worrying about High Blood pressure, Diabetes and other ‘old people’s sicknesses’

16-Always observing when your boss, your pastor, your landlord etc is younger than you and you feel embarrassed

17-Worrying that a younger person will take your job in the office

18-Dreaming about having hair transplant (men) or cosmetic surgery (women and men)

19-You are anxious, easily distracted and unhappy for no good reason… You lose your temper about little things

20-You stop reading books to educate yourself (you only check things on the internet on your phone for quick information)

21-You always complain that ‘you have no time’ for yourself …

How to prevent midlife crisis or any other emotional disappointment in life? It is to trust God and His Word!

“Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

Give her of the fruit of her hands,

And let her own works praise her in the gates” (PV 31:30, 31)

To find peace, joy, comfort and wisdom we have to go to the Bible. The Word of God applies to all, men, women and children; young and old. No matter the season in life, you will find encouragement and healing in the Word. Read Proverbs 31 and you shall find the model for us women. For example we are told that some things like sexy charm or physical beauty are temporary. They can deceive you thinking that they last forever. Nice dresses, jewelry, hairstyles are all good. Thank God for them. But if you give these too much importance you shall be disappointed and the crisis will be deeper. (Dear wife, no matter how nice you look in that new dress, your husband may be attracted by a younger (fake) version of you, whose face is smoother and whose body is slimmer than yours). Trusting and investing in these temporary things will end in disappointment.  But there are other things which are permanent: spirituality and ministry. The fear of God is the source of wisdom and godly character. The work, the business of a godly woman is always successful and fruitful.  May God encourage you at such a time as this!  In Jesus name!