Marriage is a gift from God! He created it for our good and his glory, and designed it to image Christ and his bride. It is a gift for the companionship, love, protection and accountability it provides. Arguably no other earthly relationship is more sanctifying than a marriage relationship, which is a compelling reason for why marriage is a gift. Living in a Christian marriage grows the husband and wife in Christlikeness as two sinners journey through life together.
The three book recommendations in this article are on the topic of marriage. With marriage being such a significant part of God’s design for his creation, we cannot seek to live a married life without the support of wisdom from his Word and from those more mature in their faith and life than ourselves. These three books offer wisdom for the married woman to help her grow in appreciation for the gift God has given her in marriage.
This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence by John Piper
Within the church, marriage can be held in such high esteem it moves from the category of being respected to being idolized. Many Christians can feel marginalized or incomplete unless they are married. Piper’s book reminds its reader that marriage is a temporary, earthly relationship. The greater relationship to which marriage points is Christ and his Church, a reality in which every believer partakes.
Piper’s book walks through many facets of marriage: forgiveness, male headship, female submission, intimacy, children and hospitality all enveloped in the truth that marriage is a covenant relationship. Throughout the book Piper shows how starkly different God’s design for marriage is alongside the world’s view of marriage.
Every marriage, no matter its length, would be strengthened by the truths laid out in this book.
A Wife After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George
I first read this book nearly twenty years ago as a new bride with a pastor’s wife I had asked to mentor me. This book had just been published and I was eager to learn all I could about how to be a godly wife.
George’s book includes twelve chapters about practical aspects of marriage. The chapters are manageable in length and the style of writing easy to digest. Each chapter ends with a section titled “Little Things that Make a Big Difference” where she lists five to seven suggestions for how to begin living out the truths shared in the chapter.
This book is great for a quick read with lots of practical wisdom. It would be especially helpful for a new bride who is seeking to lay a firm foundation of godly habits across many areas of her role as a wife.
15 Verses to Pray for Your Husband by Elizabeth George
I recently read through this book with a group of ladies from our church. By reading and discussing this book together, we were each refreshed in our appreciation and love for our respective husbands. This book softened our hearts to the many responsibilities our husbands carry and gave us new perspectives on how we can be better helpers to them.
Each chapter focuses on one Bible verse and how it relates to the role of a husband. Within the chapter George writes out an example prayer using the structure of the Bible verse leaving blanks to insert the name of the reader’s husband. The content of each chapter breaks down the Bible verse into smaller parts providing a deeper discussion of its meaning. At the end of each chapter is a section titled “Beyond Prayer, What Can You Do?” where George gives practical wisdom related to the topic of the chapter for how to better help your husband with the various hats he wears in the life God has given him.
This book would be refreshing for a woman who has been married for a number of years to help see her husband for the blessing he is in her life. It would soften her heart to pray for him more and provide new ideas for how to pray if she finds her prayers have grown repetitive or stale. This book would also be of help to a young wife in building a healthy habit early in her marriage of praying a variety of prayers for her husband.
When we pray for someone, we grow in affection for them. Who more important for a wife to pray for than her own husband?
In recommending these books I hope wives will be renewed, strengthened and inspired to cherish the God-given gift they have in their husband and in their marriage.
