“What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?” The subtitle to the book sums up the main theme and point that Gary is making throughout the book. It’s a big thought: we don’t get married to be happy, marriage is meant to bring us closer to God.
As a whole, the world's view on marriage is that it should do something for us, and when it stops making us feel good then we can move on to someone else that does. Gary Thomas explains why that is not correct at all, that even though it can bring us happiness that was not the goal of marriage when God designed it.
Throughout the book, Thomas shows how marriage can teach us many different things, as well as bring us closer to God. The first two chapters lay out what the Bible says about marriage and how it can teach us about God. Other chapters focus on how marriage teaches us about love, respect, and forgiveness. Thomas explains how marriage exposes a person’s sins and helps to build character in multiple areas of life. While also telling how loving your spouse in the proper way is showing God that you are obedient to his will. Marriage can, if you let it, improve your prayer life and help you realize your spiritual calling.
I really enjoyed reading through this book. Gary Thomas is a wonderful writer who doesn’t hold back on telling it like it is. It is a great book to read your first year of marriage, I say this because it opens your eyes to how you should be viewing your marriage and spouse. My favorite line in the book says this “But God delights in us. We make his supernatural heart skip a beat.” If God is that delighted in my husband then I should be too, every single day. It is not about being happy all the time, that will never happen because emotions change so quickly, but it is about sticking it out and loving the way God has called us to love, even when we know all the little flaws our partner has.
Gary Thomas says, “The ultimate purpose of this book is not to make you love your spouse more - although I think that will happen along the way. It's to equip you to love your God more and to help you reflect the character of his Son more precisely.” It will do just that, putting marriage in a light other than emotions and romance, it shows the spirituality of marriage and God’s underlying purpose.
My Rating: 4 stars
The only reason I take one star away is because the chapters are quite long, and some are hard to read through. Overall though this book is great!
Have you read Sacred Marriage? What did you think of it? If you haven’t would you consider reading it?
As a whole, the world's view on marriage is that it should do something for us, and when it stops making us feel good then we can move on to someone else that does. Gary Thomas explains why that is not correct at all, that even though it can bring us happiness that was not the goal of marriage when God designed it.
Throughout the book, Thomas shows how marriage can teach us many different things, as well as bring us closer to God. The first two chapters lay out what the Bible says about marriage and how it can teach us about God. Other chapters focus on how marriage teaches us about love, respect, and forgiveness. Thomas explains how marriage exposes a person’s sins and helps to build character in multiple areas of life. While also telling how loving your spouse in the proper way is showing God that you are obedient to his will. Marriage can, if you let it, improve your prayer life and help you realize your spiritual calling.
I really enjoyed reading through this book. Gary Thomas is a wonderful writer who doesn’t hold back on telling it like it is. It is a great book to read your first year of marriage, I say this because it opens your eyes to how you should be viewing your marriage and spouse. My favorite line in the book says this “But God delights in us. We make his supernatural heart skip a beat.” If God is that delighted in my husband then I should be too, every single day. It is not about being happy all the time, that will never happen because emotions change so quickly, but it is about sticking it out and loving the way God has called us to love, even when we know all the little flaws our partner has.
Gary Thomas says, “The ultimate purpose of this book is not to make you love your spouse more - although I think that will happen along the way. It's to equip you to love your God more and to help you reflect the character of his Son more precisely.” It will do just that, putting marriage in a light other than emotions and romance, it shows the spirituality of marriage and God’s underlying purpose.
My Rating: 4 stars
The only reason I take one star away is because the chapters are quite long, and some are hard to read through. Overall though this book is great!
Have you read Sacred Marriage? What did you think of it? If you haven’t would you consider reading it?
Sounds like a great book. We are celebrating ten years of marriage this week, but that doesn't mean we have it all figured out. I'll definitely put this on my list of books to check out.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound like a great book. I hadn't heard of it. Thanks for the recommendation. I've been married 17 years, and we're still learning and growing, too. I'm so glad I'm not as naive as I was 17 years ago!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this review! Married 45 years, here, and have 4 married offspring, so plenty of use for a very good marriage book. Thanks, again!
ReplyDelete