Sadly, there is one thing I regret about the place. Apart from the great Bibles, there isn’t much in that shop (easily the biggest Christian bookstore in
I have little patience for the literary (and musical) mediocrity of the evangelical world, but there is one thing I find particularly intolerable. Have you ever walked down the Women’s aisle in a Christian bookstore? Let me share with you most of the titles I found on the shelf at IBS.
Date… or Soul Mate? (How to know if someone is worth pursuing in two dates or less)
Becoming the Woman of His Dreams (Seven Qualities Every Man Longs For)
More than a Match (How to Turn the Dating Game into Lasting Love)
Dating With Passion (More than Rules, More than a Courtship, More than a Formula)
Sassy, Single, and Satisfied (Secrets to Loving the Life you’re Living)
Women Making a Difference in Marriage
Preparing for Marriage
A Wife After God’s Own Heart
A Mom After God’s Own Heart
There were a few other books about motherhood and marriage (including His Needs, Her Needs, and a potentially amusing offshoot called Mommy’s Needs, Daddy’s Needs, where I can only assume the author tries to convince young children that their parents have needs too, by golly, and you should give them a little more space). Then there is one devotional book for busy moms. Sadly, I’ve just inventoried the entire section for you.
Have you ever heard a single woman say, “I don’t feel like my life is worth anything until I get married and have kids.” What did you say to that woman? What would you say?
What is the Women’s section in the Christian bookstore saying?
What is the Church saying?
Let’s pretend for a moment that I’m a new Christian, and I’d like to know what the Church believes about singleness. If the bookstore is anything to go by, the job of a single woman is to make herself as attractive as she can and do whatever necessary to attract a man, then get married and have children as soon as possible. Then she will spend the rest of her life trying to make that marriage and those kids “work for her”.
Please hear me, I’m not trying to say that the Church should stop helping young women prepare for marriage and motherhood. I know many young women whose hearts’ desire is to be a wife and mom, and I believe that is a worthy calling. But I believe the Church has erred by bending to the world in this area, and it has placed an unhealthy focus on finding “true love”, which isn’t really true at all, and has called women away from the truths of the Bible. The Bible says if you can stay single, you should, for as long as you are single, you are able to devote yourself wholly to God and the things that concern Him. (That’s in 1 Corinthians 7.)
Well, this is a big topic, and I’m going to write more about it in the coming weeks and months. I hope you’ll feel free to comment on what I write, and even share your experiences if you like. I’m sure it would enrich my own study.
2 comments:
I could give my own opinion with your topic that is not boring for me.
I stumbled onto your blog purely by accident - or was it? I'm not one who really believes in coincidences.
As a Christian writer, I'm convinced the Lord caused me to find your blog as I embark on my next assignment. I have in recent months encountered a number of single Christian women in the mission field. I wasn't aware the focus of most Christian women's books are as you've pointed out with an emphasis on marriage and family.
As a Christian woman, though older and married with children, I do find women's ministering methods uniquely God's treasure, whether more like Martha, Mary, Esther, Ruth or whatever their personality. As you're wandering through the Christian bookstore, what sort of book would you like to find for your enlightenment or pleasure?
For the glory of the Lord,
anne hughes
www.cogprays.net
Romans 12:12
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