Book Review: 7 Myths about Singleness by Sam Allberry

It is unfortunate that the title of this book could lead you to believe that it may not be of interest or value to you. When a friend recommended it as a must-read and important addition to the church library, I somewhat reluctantly took it home to read. Now I find myself the one recommending it.  

It is a book that is practically and theologically rich. My favourite chapter tackled Myth #4: Singleness Means No Family. In it, we are reminded that the family of God is defined by spiritual lines, not biological. The author calls us to take a closer look at the language used in scripture to describe our spiritual family. In 1 Timothy 5:1-2 Paul instructs Timothy how to treat the people in his church. He is to treat them as a mother/father or brother/sister. Notice that he uses members of the nuclear family, not great aunt or 2nd cousin.  

Our modern-day instincts that view the nuclear family as self-sufficient and complete are not consistent with the Biblical view of the family. Christ affirms this in Mark 3:35 ... whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother. The biological and spiritual family are both designed and ordained by God, “overlapping and interlocking in a way that helps each to flourish in a way that wouldn’t otherwise be the case.”  

So thank you sister, for the recommendation. What a gracious God we have that blesses us with not just our biological family, but also with the family of God. Looking forward to the day when we can all be with our family again. 

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If you have a book you would like to review, please get in touch with Jo-Anne Koiter by email!