The Marriage Builder

Best book on marriage I have ever read. That said it is the most difficult book on marriage I have ever read. It is not a book on how to get fulfilled from your spouse. Rather it is a book about how to get your fulfillment from God then let it flow out of you to your spouse. The difficulty is the way the author pinpoints our tendency to be so self absorbed wanted to be cared for rather than care for our spouse.He is really speaking the gospel of love here. It is such a good book that I wanted to throw it out the window on many occasion because it reveals my inability to love fully as Jesus did without wanting anything in return.. This book may have made me mad but it has also made me run to the thrown room for help and healing too.I like all his writings because they really make me want to be more like Jesus.

...to the scriptures and the ministers need to teach that THIS is what Paul was talking about when he admonished husbands to love their wives. Applying the principles in this book (along with scriptural guidelines and now having a stronger understanding of how loving my wife looks) has helped my relationship with my wife immensely. I highly recommend this book and the best part is, that your spouse does not have to read it for you to make changes to yourself. The only way this works is if I am willing to make the changes that need to be made for the sake of Christ, MY walk with Him, and out of obedience to scriptures, regardless of what my wife does or does not do. I found myself moving out of the "if she'd only... then I'd..." mindset and into one of serving her and trying to meet her needs. It's hard, but take heart - as Paul wrote to the Philippians: "I can do (endure) all things through Christ who strengthens me" - even serve my spouse.

This book challenged me during college (pre-marriage), and again during Seminary (after-marriage). As a pastor in a young church-I recomend this book all the time with great results. It forms the basis of 90% of my pre-marital counseling, also with great results. It is biblical, practical, and deeply challenging. I am convinced that any marriage would benefit from reading this book-regardless of age.Many people find themselves opened up to a whole new world as they begin to grasp some of the concepts in this book, such as the difference between ministry and manipulation, soul oneness and body oneness, and the ultimate source of security and significance (which Crabb makes very clear that it must be Christ).I ask couples to read the book slowly on thier own and then go through the study questions together perhaps on a date night. It is absolutely amazing what kind of discussions this book sparks between couples that have known each other for years.Buy this book!

Crabb tells it like it is, and he has a lifetime of examples to illustrate his points. The thing I loved most about this book is that he doesn't a quick, three-step guide to marital success. He doesn't sugarcoat things by saying you're always going to be happy. He doesn't even say you were MEANT to be happy.But he does give you a model, a paradigm to follow that is bound to improve your perception of your situation because it places God as the provider, just as it's supposed to be. I read this a couple times as a single, and I have read it now that I am married, and I can definitely say that the principles I have learned from this book (to supplement the Bible) are priceless. Whatever you do, do it out of love.

This is the Best book on Marriage you'll ever read! I am a Pastor and I use this book in all of my Pre-Marital Counseling. Dr. Crabb is so piercingly accurate in his assessment of the Insecurities and Insignificance that each couple wrestles with! His solutions are NOT FORMULAS, they are insights and journey's with questions to discover and opportunities to serve one another regardless of their response toward us. This is also so thoroughly developed it not only prepares you for marriage it can help identify in the midst of a troubled marriage, where the breakdown in ONENESS is Occurring! This is the Definitive book on Marriage, especially from a Christian Faith perspective!

This book really hits the nail on the head when it comes to the reality that no person can "complete" you. In fact, anyone you choose as a mate is bound to let you down. While the message of this text is profound and important, it takes time to read and really understand. If you are looking for a book that you don't have to really ponder, look elsewhere. If you don't mind putting in some work, this is a great book for you.

If you are looking for a guide to a Christ centered marriage, this is the book for you. I have read some books on relationships and only consider one book (The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman) to be as helpful in learning to express love most effectively to a spouse. I am buying many more copies of this book! From now on I will require that each couple that I counsel must read this book and discuss the questions at the end.It is a quick read, very well written in an enjoyable voice, and sets forth the best blueprints for a godly marriage.

This book includes wonderful Biblical exhortation for viewing your spouse as your primary ministry and serves to eliminate excuses for doing otherwise. The concepts fly in the face of views like "I deserve..." or "I'll do this as long as s/he does that..." The first half of the book is what to do and the second half focuses more on the how to - foundational principles that must first be established in order to be able to do what is called for in the first half. It is meaty but still a well written, quick read.

Helpful

Ce livre offre une vision christo-centrée du couple et du mariage qui est parfaitement applicable. Il aide à la réflexion et encourage à l'action!