[Should I Get Married?] [By: Smith, M. Blaine] [November, 2000]

by M. Blaine Smith

A Campus Life 1990 Book of the Year!Here's an indispensable book for any Christian contemplating marriage or seeking guidance in finding a life partner. Drawing from personal experience and his years of counseling singles and couples, Blaine Smith takes a refreshingly candid and openhearted stance as he helps you think through these and other Are the two of you compatible? Are your expectations realistic? Should dating be part of the courtship process? What if one of you has been divorced? How can you deal with the fear of commitment? How do you find God's will in all this? This revised edition (2000) tackles the tough questions single Christians face today in a culture that often idolizes personal fulfillment and devalues marriage commitment. Smith's common-sense approach, informed by biblical principles, debunks myths about marriage while offering wise counsel on marriage versus singleness, friendship and dating, compatibility, expectations, fear, problem-solving, communication and compassion.

Genres: Marriage, Nonfiction, Christian

Paperback Bunko

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Jolene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be extremely helpful in considering marriage with my current boyfriend! I am more of a logical person than most (especially in the Church) so I found his insight very freeing. There are a lot of ideas out there that deciding on who you will marry is mostly feelings-based, and I think that a lot of people miss out on the logical processing that Smith walks you through in this book. Like I said, this book was very freeing to me, and I recommend it to anyone out there, regardless of relationship status. It's worth your time!

[Jerad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written book at the college to graduate level. It helps the person seeking Gods will how to make educated decisions about choosing a spouse. This book helps by freeing the reader to understand that God has given us an intellect to choose our spouses. He does have a will, however, we do have a choice as to whether we wish to be married or single. This book is great for anyone who wants Gods will but fears that they are missing his promptings. It will help give peace knowing that he is leading us every step of the way.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the practical aspects of the book. In many ways, it's much more of a practical book than an eye-opening one, per se...but I found that I got a good amount of material for my mind to process over and think about. While Smith states that the book is primarily designed for people who are in serious relationships, I read it while single, and found it still pretty helpful!

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

To my surprise I actually really liked this book. Given to me from my sister, I was reluctant to read it for fear that it would be touchy-feely and scattered with Christian catch phrases. However, the book is very pragmatic and logical, shedding light on the importance of real issues and not just encouraging a "God meant it to be" approach to marriage.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like such a nerd for buying this book, but it was really helpful to me when I was figuring out if I really wanted to get married. I'm so glad I worked through some of the things in the book before making the commitment - it definitely gave me more confidence in my decision!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very practical yet spiritual look at the issues of when and whom to marry.

[Zac George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really practical. Helped me think through what a good relationship should look like. More conservative on some points than I would have been though.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this before I got engaged.

[Eric Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book for those interested in marriage. Good chapters full of questions and opportunities for self reflection.