A Prayer for Those Who Fear Getting Older - Your Daily Prayer - May 8
A Prayer for Those Who Fear Getting Older
By Chelsey DeMatteis
Bible Reading:
"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 6:15-16
Read or Listen Below:
A few months ago, I was overcome by the marketing message that I could have “Botox in a bottle” delivered to my door. In complete transparency, I fell for the algorithm. The seed was planted, and a mom my age needed this revolutionary product. I couldn’t hit the checkout button quickly enough. While caught up in this frenzy, fearing myself looking older and wanting to diminish my signs of aging, I forgot to read the ingredients. The day the “age-erasing” formula came, I jumped in headfirst. I ripped the box open excitedly like a 5-year-old on Christmas. I didn’t do a skin test, and I didn’t start with one application a day. I went straight for the win—twice a day, morning and night. What was I thinking? I clearly wasn’t thinking—I let the world tell me what to do instead.
About two weeks later, I noticed my skin was very itchy, like an allergic reaction itch. Thankfully, I hadn’t lost all sense. My desire to diminish the lines on my face hadn’t completely overrode my discernment, and I decided to pump the brakes on the “holy grail” product. Two days later, I woke up to an absolute mess on my skin —breakouts all over my forehead. For someone who has never dealt with skin issues, I was devastated. I grabbed the box to read the ingredients: oil was the first ingredient—a complete and total no-no for my face. Fear of aging overrode my ability to make a clear decision.
As I sat in disbelief at my oversight, I remembered that this had happened before. Six years ago, I went chasing after a different “end signs of aging” product, and it left my skin a disaster for months. Fear got the best of me. Quick fixes often leave us devastated or on a detour. We don’t take the time to read the fine print when we make quick decisions for quick results, and we don’t know what our choice might cost us. This mishap of mine transcends skincare—it’s for all of life.
The Bible is filled with reminders and commands to be wise, to look at the options before us, and not to make choices based on fear without weighing the cost. We’re told in Ephesians 5:15-16, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." James 3:17 tells us, "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."
My prayer is this: May God use my mishap to remind you that walking in wisdom means reasoning well and not letting fear get the best of us. Our choices and discernment matter, whether we're talking about aging or all areas of life. Is this current skin issue life-altering? No, but allowing fear to cause me to make quick decisions will be. So, before you hit the purchase button, swipe the card, call the person, or do whatever seems most enticing at the moment, be sure it's not fear propelling you to make a choice: Weigh the cost, fight the temptation of a quick fix, and read the fine print.
Let’s pray:
Father, thank you for the grace to walk us through the missteps. Help me take the wisdom I’ve gained today and apply it to the decisions I will make tomorrow. I pray to be a woman who “reasons well” and does not allow the fear of aging to propel me to make choices I wouldn’t otherwise make. Holy Spirit, stir up my conviction to love who you’ve created me to be. Remind me that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Please give me the grace and wisdom to do so well as I age. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Dragana991
Chelsey is the voice behind the Living with Less Podcast and author of the 52-week devotional More of Him, Less of Me: Living a Christ-centered Life in a Me-centered World. She writes devotions for Lifeway Women's Journey Magazine, Crosswalk.com, and iBelieve.com. She also writes Bible reading plans for the YouVersion Bible App. Chelsey lives in Ohio with her husband and two children. You can connect with her on Instagram @chelseydematteis and at her website ChelseyDeMatteis.com.
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