Fighting PMS

(Princess/Prince Mentality Syndrome)

Permit me to set the stage, the alarm clock goes off and it is way too early! You smack the top of it hard enough to bruise and find yourself hoping your hand actually went through it, knowing it would just have to be replaced and that would make you more angry, you’re happy to find you hand just stings. The first cognoscente thought to fly across your mind is
“Why me, God?” You drag your nearly lifeless body out of bed and make your way to the lou, when you would rather turn around and throw the covers over your head. You turn the shower on and cold water hits your body for 2 seconds before the warm hits and you nearly scream into the yet silent house.
“God, really, I’m up, can’t this be any easier?” You get to work and after you have fought for parking, spilt coffee onto your shirt, tripped over a crack in the sidewalk and collapsed into the chair at your desk, you are convinced that no one could possibly have it worse than you. You start to make a list of everything that is wrong in your life and by 0845 you are pretty sure that if the world knew what you were going through they would pay you to sleep in and stay home, just like Elton John. There is an example of someone who could not give two hoots about Jesus and he has life so good, why do I struggle? You think,
“God, why do I have to be apart from my spouse? I know loads of people that hate their spouse, they would love the vacation! But mine, whom I love and adore, You send away?” By noon, you are sure that God has been confused about what was in your best interest, because He has promised to give you a hope and a future, not break your heart, right? You get in the car to go home, which is this empty lifeless, but for the dog, building, wrapped in memories of your spouse, he is on the couch, the bed, in the kitchen or upstairs. You go to the kitchen and you are sure that he would be cooking dinner just now in some parallel existence, because you still are too pregnant sick to cook. You cry out to the Lord and say,
“God, this is too hard, I am all alone, why has this happened and why does it still happen?” This is a demonstration of what I refer to as the Princess Mentality Syndrome(PMS), if you are male, it would be prince, but the idea is the same. You can’t see past your own troubles to realize that others have it loads worse, or even look to see what the Lord is doing in your life with all the circumstances in it, good or bad.(Romans 8:28)
It is then out of the darkened haze that has become your PMSing heart, a voice says,
“Pray and be with Me.” My voice came in the form of my Pastor’s wife and she said,
“Dani, read and study Philippians 3. That should help you.” I thought sure, I’ll read it why not. Once PMS sets in, I really just want my husband, nothing else will do but I’ll humor her. It is so funny to think that PMS is a symptom of the heart, a heart that really needs God to get in there and clean it out, to once again be made number one, but I always just want my spouse. This cycle has been happening since my husband left but thankfully, God has placed people in my life to tell me where I should really be going.
So when I studied Philippians 3, what did I learn? First, I like to learn the context in which a book of the bible was written. It gives me a better idea of the situation that the disciple or prophet was coming from. In the case of Philippians. Paul was in prison in Rome awaiting a sentence that would most probably be death. Nero was the emperor during Paul’s imprisonment for Christ(Phil 1:13). A brief history lesson, Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of a section of Rome(a section he conveniently wanted to clear for his own purposes) and subsequently began years of persecution. He used to burn their bodies to light the circus races. # Since the entire palace guard knew that he was a Christian,(Phil 1:13) the chances of him getting a “fair” trial was slim to none. Yet, he rejoiced!
So, what is Philippians about? What does Paul advise those who love Jesus to do. Rejoice in all things . . .
“Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.”(Phil 1:18-19)
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”(Phil 4:4) Here from prison, awaiting death, he says to rejoice in the Lord. Philippians is only four chapters long, very short. In the whole book, Paul mentions rejoicing six times!
What is my problem? I’m making my husband’s and I’s first baby, I am awaiting his joyful homecoming, God has given me a family and love on this earth and I’m complaining . . .I have no excuse, Paul was a human sold out for Christ, so much so that he was beheaded for being Christian.#(Little Christ is what that word meant originally and was meant as an insult) I was shocked to realize that one of the most prolific writers of the New Testament, was so very persecuted! I had not considered how much,
“been in prison more frequently, w been flogged more severely, x and been exposed to death again and again. y
2Co 11:24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes z minus one.
2Co 11:25 Three times I was beaten with rods, a once I was stoned, b three times I was shipwrecked, c I spent a night and a day in the open sea,
2Co 11:26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, d in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, e in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. f “#
So, I thought to myself, if a great disciple had problems, why did PMS come out of me at all? Should I not expect troubles if I am walking with the Lord? Jesus said,
Jn 15:18 “If the world hates you, t keep in mind that it hated me first.
Jn 15:19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you u out of the world. That is why the world hates you. v #
So I should rejoice!!! Because it is so hard, because sometimes I feel like nothing is going right, even God’s own Son had troubles, He was persecuted and crucified! He came in love, He came to save us from Hell, a fate worse than death! He came to bring us unto Himself and the world killed Him for it! He knew the most horrible pain to save me! Thankfully, He ascended to heaven to be our great intercessor and will come back to get those who believe in Him and His gift to us!(Romans 10:9) Because I am His the world will hate me and I am so thankful for that! The more they hate me, the more I love the Lord, the more I should be rejoicing because I am really free!
I have to stop the PMS, I have to stop focusing on myself and my problems, I must look at the bigger picture, chase after Jesus and wait until I get my hubby back! I must count my blessings and realize that it could be so much worse in a world filled with hate, rage, anger, hunger, murder and every other ugly thing! Someday, Jesus is coming back to clean house, these ugly things will be taken away, in the mean time, I’m to focus on Him, rejoice in Him, be thankful that He opened my eyes to His truth and thank Him for the sweet beauties that He fills my life with!

# NIV Archaeological Study Bible 2005,pg 1931 Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
# http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_of_Tarsus#Arrest_and_death
# The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:2Co 11:23.
# The Holy Bible, New International Version. Pradis CD-ROM:Jn 15:18.