Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) can be a difficult time for many women. The physical and emotional symptoms of PMS like cramps, bloating, mood swings, irritability, and fatigue can make it hard to maintain a positive attitude. However, God understands what you are going through. The Bible offers encouragement, wisdom, and hope to help get through the monthly struggle of PMS with grace and joy.
Remember God’s Love and Care for You
When PMS has you down, remembering God’s unconditional love and care for you can lift your spirit. God created you in his image and cares deeply about every detail of your life, including your monthly cycle (Luke 12:7). He promises to be with you in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1). You are his beloved child, and nothing can separate you from his love (Romans 8:38-39). God sees your struggles with PMS and wants to comfort you through them (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Recalling God’s intimate care and compassion can give you strength to press on.
Trust in God’s Sovereignty Over Your Body
It’s easy during PMS to feel out of control and at the mercy of your hormones and emotions. Yet God is sovereign over your body. He put all the intricate pieces of your menstrual cycle in place with care, purpose and wisdom (Psalm 139:13-14). Though it feels chaotic and uncomfortable now, you can trust God to sustain you through it. Ask God for strength and peace when you feel powerless. Remember that he works all things for the good of those who love him, even PMS (Romans 8:28). Put your hope in God’s power and sovereignty over your body.
Pray and Seek God’s Help
Don’t underestimate the power of prayer during PMS. God invites you to come to him honestly with all your struggles (Hebrews 4:16). Tell God how you are feeling, physically and emotionally. Ask him for strength, comfort, patience and grace to get through this time. Seek his supernatural peace that transcends circumstances (Philippians 4:6-7). Let God’s presence ease your anxiety. Bring your irritation and moodiness to God, asking him to help you show love. Prayer connects you to God’s power and opens the door for him to intervene with mercy.
Leaning on God’s Word
Immerse yourself in Bible verses about God’s love, grace, comfort, peace and strength. Write them down and meditate on them through your cycle. Let God’s living Word wash over your heart and mind, renewing your perspective. “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). “The joy of the Lord is my strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). God’s truth is powerful and can steady your soul when PMS threatens to shake it. The Psalms especially meet you in your suffering with great tenderness and hope.
Resting in God’s Grace
PMS can make you acutely aware of your limitations and frailties. When your body feels weak and temperamental, remember that God’s grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9). God does not expect you to be your usual cheerful, patient self when you’re crampy and hormonal. His grace covers your flaws and gives you space to struggle. Let go of guilt over negative emotions and frustration about physical woes. Accept God’s compassion and care over your efforts to muscle through. Give yourself permission to rest, move slower and care for your body in this season, trusting in God’s grace.
Serving Others as God Strengthens You
When you’re in the pit of PMS, caring for others or being productive can feel impossible. But opening your eyes to small ways you can bless others often lifts your gaze from your own pain. Offer to pray for a friend going through hard times, even if you don’t feel like talking. Send an encouraging text to someone God brings to mind. Smile and greet your family warmly, though you feel awful inside. God may surprise you by giving you just enough strength and joy to reach out, getting your eyes off yourself. Let caring for others be a spiritual practice that points you to hope in God.
Gratitude and Perspective
PMS can easily breed discontentment, irritation and self-pity. Combat negative thoughts by intentionally giving thanks to God. Thank him for the blessing of health, even though you may not feel well now. Thank him for access to medication that provides relief. Thank him for his promise to renew your strength when you feel weary and spent (Isaiah 40:31). Try keeping a gratitude journal during your period to jot down gifts from God you notice. Remembering what you have and recording God’s provision cultivates perspective and hope.
God’s Mercies are New Every Morning
When you’re in the throes of PMS, it can seem like the pain, exhaustion and gloom will never end. Yet God reassures us that his faithful love and care are new every single morning. He never runs out or gets weary (Lamentations 3:22-23)! Take PMS one day at a time, asking God for the strength and endurance you need for just that day. Trust that when tomorrow comes, God will be there with fresh mercies, even if you still have PMS. He will not leave you alone in your time of need. Look for God’s new, daily outpourings of grace.
Hope in Christ and the Days Ahead
On difficult PMS days, hope can seem elusive. Yet followers of Christ always have a sure and steadfast hope in Jesus, no matter what our circumstances may be. He conquered sin and death forever and stands ready to help you in your time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). Fix your eyes on the day when God will fully renew and restore your body, making all the pains and ailments of this life former things that have passed away (Revelation 21:1-5). Joyful, pain-free days lie ahead for eternity. Christ’s resurrection power will prevail in your body. Let your hope in Christ lift your head.
Learning Through the PMS Journey
Think of PMS as an opportunity to grow in grace, cultivate godly qualities and draw closer to Jesus. As you learn to lean on God through monthly pains and discomfort, your faith will be strengthened. As you fight against discouragement and anger, God will shape your character into the likeness of Christ (Romans 5:3-5, James 1:2-4). Ask God to show you areas where you need to grow. What fruit of the Spirit do you need more of during this time? Allow God to use PMS to spiritually mature you.
God Understands What You’re Going Through
If PMS makes you feel alone, remember that Jesus identifies with your suffering. He was tempted and tried in every way as a human, so he can empathize with your pain and frustration. You have a Savior who truly understands the depths of your PMS struggles (Hebrews 4:15-16). God became man and dwelt among us – he knows what it’s like to live in an imperfect, aching body and human frame. You can turn to him for mercy and find compassion from someone who knows exactly what you’re going through. Take comfort that God intimately understands.
Trust God to Use Your Story for Good
If PMS makes you feel weak, embarrassed or defeated, remember that God wastes nothing. He promises to use ALL our experiences – even our monthly cycles – for an ultimate, redemptive purpose (Romans 8:28). Your struggle with PMS is not meaningless or insignificant to God. Ask him to use your journey to strengthen and comfort other women who experience the same thing (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). Yield your story to God and trust that he will work it for good. Your vulnerability can become a source of ministry, empathy and hope.
Finding Strength in Christian Community
Don’t try to soldier through PMS alone – you were created for community. Reach out to other Christian women who can empathize and pray for you. Ask your family for a little extra grace and support during this time. Let sisters in Christ carry your burdens so you don’t have to bear them alone (Galatians 6:2). God puts the lonely in families and his people in a household of faith (Psalm 68:6). Make your period struggles known so your church family can rally around you. There is strength and courage to be found in God’s people.
Sharing Your Experience to Help Other Women
Look for opportunities to share your PMS struggles with other women to reassure them they aren’t alone. Your vulnerability and honesty can help remove stigma and create a safe space for women to share freely. Model godly wisdom and perspectives you have learned through difficult periods. Offer hope to women struggling with painful cycles and debilitating symptoms. Advocate for grace and flexibility for menstruating women. Speak openly about topics affecting women’s health and wellness. Turn your suffering into a ministry to others.
Affirming Dignity and Purpose in God’s Design
When PMS makes you feel at war with your own body, remember how God created women with dignity, beauty and purpose. The ups and downs of your cycle have meaning beyond what you can imagine. God intentionally designed menstruation to allow for new life, even if that possibility now seems remote. Your womanhood matters profoundly to God. Ask God to help you see your body through his eyes of love and celebration. Menstruation showcases God’s miracle of bringing forth life from death each month. Give thanks for God’s heart and vision for feminine design.
Looking Forward to the Hope of Heaven
On bleak PMS days, fix your eyes on the hope of heaven, where all pain, sickness and crying will cease forever. The God who is making all things new awaits to welcome you into a perfect, eternal paradise (Revelation 21:4). Imagine what it will be like to have a glorified, resurrected body, free of hormones and aches. Let this hope spur you on as you struggle through the pains of your monthly cycle. The best is yet come. Keep trusting in God’s power to deliver you fully in eternity.
Turning Tears into Joy
When PMS brings you to tears, remind yourself that God keeps track of all your tears and will one day turn them into everlasting joy (Psalm 56:8). Your weeping will last only for the night, but joy comes fresh in the morning. Allow yourself a good cry if you need it – God welcomes your tears as a prayer without words. Let God comfort and soothe your soul. Pour out your heart before him. God sees the tears PMS draws from you and promises the pain is only temporary. Divine, eternal joy awaits you.
In summary, during the ups and downs of PMS it is so important to run to God, lean on His Word, rely on the support of others, and remember your eternal hope in Christ. Though PMS can be incredibly difficult, God promises to be right by your side through it all. He will give you everything you need to endure with grace, purpose and even joy. You have a Savior who loves you so much and will carry you through the storms. With God’s strength, you can not only survive PMS but grow spiritually through the journey. Rather than allowing the monthly cycle to defeat you, trust God to use it for your good and make your light shine. You are an overcomer through Christ!
