Book Review on Not Yet Married: The Pursuit of Joy in Singleness and Dating
by Marshall Segal
Reviewed by Hannah Hanzel & Krista Musiime
So often, as single women, we get caught up in the fantasies of a wedding. We dream of a long white wedding gown hung from the top of our closet door, still managing to safely fill the floor space below it. We envision an elegant dress whose train is long, much like the journey to our wedding day. The journey is sometimes hard, and yet, thinking of our groom… we trust it is worth it.
Oh yes, the groom. We smile at the thought of a kind and gentle hero. He’ll be quite worth the wait—quite worth the fight for purity and the sacrifice of self. Yet, while dreaming of an earthly groom, we often forget about our celestial wedding day. The grandest wedding of all is soon coming for the Lord and His beloved Church. This is something the Lord opened my eyes to as I read the book Not Yet Married.
The author, Marshall Segal, tackles several topics in Not Yet Married—dating expectations, dealing with past mistakes, using singleness as a time to uniquely glorify God, how to view marriage, etc. However, his book’s overarching theme is anticipating and preparing for the grand Last Wedding. Segal challenges us to not just wait “quietly in the corner of the world for God to bring you the one," but to “live and date for more now.”
-HANNAH
Segal, staff writer and managing editor at desiringGod.org, emphasizes that all of us as believers (whether single or not) are not yet married. Our Savior and King will come back for us, His bride one day. Just like a bride has to make so many preparations for her wedding day, we ought to prepare for the ultimate wedding (Revelation 19:7-8). Reading Not Yet Married will probably cause you to ponder some tough questions like, When that day comes, will the Groom find me ready with my lamps burning (Matthew 25:1-13) or will He find me distracted by the things and desires of this world? Am I living my life in light and purity or do I have some hidden darkness in my life that I’m getting comfortable with?
No matter what stage of life you’re in, whether you’re single or not, Not Yet Married would encourage you to live your life in preparation for the grandest wedding that is to come. And if you’re single, like me and desire to be married someday, know that in Christ, “we will all be married, and that marriage to come shapes every other desire and longing in this life—especially our desires for marriage.”
-KRISTA
Meet the authors!
Hannah Hanzel is an opinionated, passionate gal that loves sharing what God is doing in her often busy and complicated life. She strives to show God's glory in working as the Art Director for the Baptist Messenger, serving as a multi-client freelance graphic designer, and communing with CRBC. When she's not working, you can find her sipping coffee in a hammock, watching classic '40s movies, or going on an adventure with friends or family.
Krista Musiime lived in Uganda for more than half her life before moving to the States. She works as an engineer and during the weekends enjoys being a part of the children's ministry at Council Road Baptist Church. Krista is a lover of the outdoors, hot beverages, dancing and spending time with family and friends.