Mary Andrews College Dean of Students
My interest in menopause began when my husband Brian (who is a minister) came to me and shared that a number of women in our church were coming to him and sharing about their experience of perimenopause and menopause. And their husbands were coming too, wanting to know how to support their wives. He felt ill-equipped for these conversations so he asked me if I had any resources that would help him.
I confidently assured him I’d find him something… but it turns out there wasn’t much to be found on menopause from a Christian perspective! It also dawned on me that I didn’t know much about menopause. It wasn’t a part of the curriculum at school, never heard it mentioned in a sermon, never talked about it in Bible study. Even my mum hadn’t said much about her own experience. So, I wrote an 8,000-word theological research paper on menopause—and what you’re reading here is a much briefer, more engaging, version of that paper. I’ll reflect using the classic framework of Creation, Fall, and Redemption.
Genesis tells us we were created in God’s image. We are not accidents. We are designed—deliberately, lovingly, with purpose. Men and women together fully display God’s glory. As Sam Allberry in his book ‘What God has to say about our bodies,’ says, ‘our sexual difference is ‘bound up in how we are to image God.’ So, menopause, that’s something only women do. It’s therefore got to be part of the unique way women image God.
We also see that God built rhythms and seasons into creation and women have the privilege of having these rhythms built into our bodies in a way that men do not. Her menstruation cycle provides a monthly, bodily reminder of the rhythms and seasons of life. Her body literally keeps time. And this timekeeping, these rhythms and seasons give women an opportunity to represent God to the world in a way than men cannot.
We also need to remember that God gave our bodies limits. We are not infinite. These limits aren’t a result of sin—they were part of creation from the beginning. That makes them good. But we don’t always trust that limits are good! Women are particularly prone to fall into the trap of ‘having it all.’ Menopause may be a gentle, or not so gentle, reminder to a woman that she cannot have it all. Our limitations invite us to depend on God. To say, ‘I am not God, and that is a good thing.’
As well as having limits, our bodies also have immense value. God says: Your body is mine. I made it. I value it. My son came in a body like yours. My son died to redeem your body. My Spirit dwells in you. You are not discarded. You are not ‘past your prime.’ You are honoured and treasured.
Finally, our bodies have purpose. In Genesis 1:28, God tells humanity to be fruitful and multiply, and to care for the earth. Most women will bear children at some point, participating in that creation mandate in a remarkable way. And menopause marks the end of that chapter. It’s natural to grieve that, whether a woman has had children or not. But as we’ll see, in the redemption section, if a woman has not had children or can no longer have children, it’s not the end of a woman’s usefulness. Far from it.
If our bodies are so good, why do they sometimes feel so frustrating? The short answer: we live in a fallen world. Our bodies—though still created and valuable—are now broken. Menopause is a vivid, visceral reminder of that. Things don’t work like they used to. Our minds are foggy. Our emotions run wild. Our energy dips. Our relationships are stretched. This reminds us that everything is not right in the world.
And many women experience a crisis of identity. Who am I, if I’m not capable like I once was? If I’m not thin, not attractive, not sharp, not able to have a full plate? There can be a good that comes from this, of course, menopause can expose our pride and vanity and God can bring growth from that. But I just wanted to observe that it can also be very painful to have your identity thrown into question.
There’s also the question of purpose. If Genesis 2 states that one of the purposes of humanity is to be fruitful and multiply, what does that mean for a woman who can no longer do so? Many women will experience a loss of purpose, for they can no longer bear children. Menopause may also come at a time when a woman no longer has an active ‘mothering’ role. Or for a woman who has not had children, there may be a genuine sense of loss that she will now never have the chance to. One woman in Kathleen Nielsen’s book Women & God, explained she feels she is ‘paying the price for goods she never got to take home.’
Menopause also highlights our sense of worth. Not only has the fall resulted in broken bodies, it has distorted the way we think about our bodies. It’s no surprise that women feel self-conscious today and perhaps, especially so, in menopause. Menopause signals the end to a woman’s youth and brings with it wrinkles, extra weight and thinning hair, signaling that a woman no longer fits society’s unrealistic expectations of her. As a result, she might feel a deep sense of shame.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Menopause can also be a story of redemption and hope.
If we stopped at the Fall, menopause would be a tragedy. A sign that life’s best days are behind us, that our bodies are wasting away and the end is night. But because of Jesus, menopause tells a better story.
Menopause marks the end of a woman’s ability to generate physical life—but it points to a deeper truth: God is the one who brings new life—in its truest and fullest sense. I think this brings great relief and great joy. We also have the promise of resurrection. Just as Jesus’ body was raised, so ours will be. And our new bodies will be imperishable, glorious, powerful, and spiritual.
Furthermore, it points us to the God who rested from his work of creation. There will come a point at which, just like a menopausal woman, God ceases to create new human beings. He will perform one final mighty act of creation, in bringing forth a new heaven and a new earth, and then he will cease to create again. And so, menopause can remind us of the goodness of rest. Menopause is rest built into a woman’s body in a totally unique way. Menopause calls us, ‘come, rest.’
This also reframes our calling. While we may no longer be fruitful in the Genesis sense, we are still called to be fruitful as we ‘go and make disciples of all nations.’ Postmenopausal women participate in growing God’s kingdom. They are to take seriously the call to evangelism, leading people to a commitment to follow Jesus and discipling them, teaching and instructing them, modelling to them how to lead a godly life.
Menopause offers new ground for sanctification. It’s a season of suffering for many women—but also a season of growth. As Romans 5 reminds us, suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. Yes, we may feel more irritable, more fragile. But that’s exactly where God meets us and grows us. In our weakness he is strong.
And menopause reminds us of the seasons of life. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time for everything. Just as menstruation marked one phase, menopause marks another. I think menopause is a season to take stock. To reflect on where we’ve come from and to consider how we’re going to spend our remaining days on this earth. For some, that might mean renewed focus on work or ministry. She might feel freed and invigorated for new challenges. For others, it may be a time of rest, of mentoring, of creativity.
And the church has a role to play here. We haven’t always done a great job of honouring women in this season. But we can—and should—do better. Let’s recognise the unique contributions of older women. Let’s create space for them to serve, to rest, to speak wisdom into younger lives. Let’s encourage intergenerational relationships and refuse to let anyone believe their value has diminished. Proverbs 16:31, says ‘gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.’
So—what message does menopause send us?
It tells us we are created—embodied, valuable, and made with purpose.
It tells us we are fallen—our bodies are broken, and our identities shaken.
But it also tells us we are redeemed—there is hope, purpose, and transformation still ahead.
Menopause is not a death sentence. It’s not a divine afterthought. It’s a season where you can trust you are loved and cared for by your Father.
To those who feel invisible: you are seen.
To those who feel discarded: you are valued.
To those who feel weary: you are being renewed.
You are not past your usefulness. You are walking into a new kind of fruitfulness—one that mirrors the Gospel, bears spiritual fruit, and prepares you for future, a glory that we cannot even imagine.
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