Unequally Yoked: Staying Committed to Jesus and Your Unbelieving Spouse

by Miranda J. Chivers

2019 Authors Academy Award Top Ten; 2019 Top Shelf Book Awards Top Ten; Silver Medal Winner of the 2018 Reader's Favorites Awards. Displayed at the 2018 Miami Book Fair. Help. I'm Saved. My Spouse Isn't. You decided to follow Jesus, but your spouse isn't interested. Your new Christian life should be amazing. Instead you are defending yourself—fighting for your right to believe—while enduring friction and strife. Peace seems impossible to attain.

The unequally yoked marriage is a challenging path. If your loved one is dismissive and argumentative when you try to share your faith, the fear of making positive changes in your own life can interrupt your spiritual walk and strain your marriage. The Bible says don't leave. You may be the only light he/she will ever see. But you want to be happy too. You need practical answers to grow in your faith while enhancing your marriage.

This unique practical guidebook answers your questions.

Is it possible to have a happy marriage when my loved one is dismissive and argumentative about my cherished faith? Can my marriage survive? Can my faith endure? How can I grow in your faith if I can't share my faith in my own home? How can I share my faith inside my unequally yoked marriage when my loved ones don't want to listen? Can I be a happy Christian in an unequally yoked marriage?

Stop dragging your protesting spouse behind you. There are better ways to manage your life.

This book provides practical solutions to real-life problems in this complex relationship.

Author and former social worker Miranda J. Chivers experienced plenty of ups and downs in two marriages spanning 40 years—including dramatic faith differences. After a lengthy prodigal journey, her re-dedication to her childhood evangelical faith in her second marriage shocked her non-Christian husband. Through prayer and researching the scriptures, she learned how to thrive in her unequally-yoked relationship. And now she’s here to help you recommit to both your faith and your marriage.

Unequally Staying Committed to Jesus and Your Unbelieving Spouse gives you the tools you need to examine your conflicted marriage and create new roads to healing. Through real-world examples, you’ll explore common problems partners in the unequally yoked marriage. With the author's guidance, you’ll learn to reframe your challenges through a different perspective and pave the way to a happier marriage without sacrificing your faith in the process.

In Unequally Staying Committed to Jesus and Your Unbelieving Spouse, you’ll Strategies for taking care of your own spiritual needs and personal well-beingThe importance of maintaining a spiritual support system within your church and community An exploration of common problems of unequally-yoked relationships including conflicting priorities in finances, friendships, and parenting stylesHow to assess the true nature of your spouse’s relationship with GodTechniques for better understanding your spouse’s mindset and much, much more!Unequally Yoked is your must-have guide for navigating a faith-conflicted marriage. If you like practical solutions to real-world problems, honest advice from a fellow Christian, and examining both your earthly and divine relationships, then you’ll love Miranda J. Chivers’ inspirational self-help handbook.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction

307 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 14, 2018

About the author

Non-fiction: Miranda J. Chivers.
Fiction: MJ Krause-Chivers

Award-winning multi-genre Canadian author Miranda J. Chivers/a.k.a. MJ Krause-Chivers writes Christian non-fiction and historical fiction.

Currently writing Christian historical fiction set in Ukraine during the Russian Civil War.

Her work includes multiple devotional collaborations with Christian Devo Writers. In her debut non-fiction book “Unequally Yoked: Staying Committed to Jesus and Your Unbelieving Spouse,” she explores the challenges of living in a faith-challenged marriage with scriptural answers and real-world experience.

When she isn't writing or reading, MJ travels, digs around historical settings, cooks ethnic cuisine, and collects rocks and seashells. She lives in Niagara, Ontario.

AWARDS:
2021: Global Book Awards: Fiction: Bronze: Katarina's Dark Shadow
2024: Global Book Awards: Fiction: Katarina's Dark Journey
2018: Readers Favorites: Silver Medal: Christian Biblical Counseling: Unequally Yoked: Staying Committed to Jesus and Your Unbelieving Spouse”; 2019 Author's Academy Awards (Advice) Top Ten; 2019 Top Shelf Awards Finalist.

Miranda can be contacted via email: miranda@mirandajchivers.com
Check out her website for free info and read her latest blogs https://www.mirandajchivers.com
https://www.mjchiversbooks.site

Reviews

[lena · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating kept going between 2, 3 or 4 based on different sections/topics in the book. The author is in more of a charismatic type of belief in Christianity where I am reformed. So rating the doctrine, I disagree with quite a bit she stated in the book, I would give a 2. She did emphasize about Christ being the way, among other things which I commend her for.
The relatability of being in an unequally yolked marriage was a 4. Where both people are at different spiritual (or lack thereof) maturities in their walk of life. I found some things the author wrote about the whole situation being relatable and liked how I could compare something she had experienced to something that I had. Like, “oh you feel that way too?” Or “you did that as well?”. This is my first time reading a book on this topic and it’s not a very common one in the publishing world or even in the pulpit (that I have seen personally). I’m grateful to have come across this book even though there is a sizable portion of doctrine I disagree with, but felt some sort of peace and understanding of someone writing out things I have felt or experienced.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unequally Yoked is a book that could benefit anyone. Those who are personally involved in such a relationship will find encouragement, inspiration, and resources. Those who are considering entering into such a relationship will receive an honest picture of what they are choosing. Friends and family of people in such a relationship will come to better understand what their loved one is going through and how they can support them.

I'm not in an unequally yoked relationship, and neither is anyone in my immediate circle, but I still found this book interesting and helpful. Section Three: Life at Home includes topics that could benefit anyone such as attitudes and forgiveness, respect, grace, money and tithing, and self-care.

After reading this book, I felt uplifted and better informed. It gave me not only information, but a glimpse into the author's heart. Based on what I have read here, I predict that Ms. Chivers has a very successful career ahead, sharing her experiences in a compassionate way and helping others along the path she has already walked.

[Anna Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thorough look at marriage to unbeliever

For those married to an unbeliever or not sure how committed they are, this book is a great tool. With chapters on abuse, the church body, and staying connected, this is a great help for small group leaders and church staff. Full of encouragement and hope, it's a great read.

[Bridget Holbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally!

I’ve been looking for this subject for a long time! I’m in the author’s same situation and it was so refreshing and encouraging to read. This book is for any Christian believer who has an unsaved spouse.

[PAULA CORDOVA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

All I can say is, wow! When I got to the end I had to fight through the tears to finish...I have a lot of work ahead of me, let's just say...I'm a work in progress.

[Ylva · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Do not get married to an unbeliever!", is what many churches preach. And also many Christian books about marriage only tell the reader to break up with the unbelieving partner before getting married. But what about those that already are married to an unbeliever? Maybe you married a non-Christian or you only came to Christ after you got married or your spouse was a Christian, but then left the faith. Or maybe you are thinking about marrying a non-Christian and you're wondering if it's really that hard?

In this book, Miranda Chivers offers advice and encouragement for those in an unequally yoked marriage. She points out that there is hope in such a situation, but she also doesn't sugarcoat anything. She makes clear that it is going to be difficult and very lonely at times. Then, she also gives advice on how to live out your Christian faith and how to nurture your relationship with Jesus. That part was very good. I also like how she makes the reader aware of how a spouse that doesn't share your faith might perceive your religion and how prejudices and fears might influence his/her view. In addition to that, she gives advice on how to successfully talk about your religion with your spouse without being preachy, judgemental or disrespectful while still displaying love for Christ.

I think that this book is a much-needed resource and fills a gap in Christian literature on marriage. If you are in an unequally yoked marriage, I think that you will really profit from reading this book, but also if you are teaching or mentoring others about marriage, you might want to read this book. Highly recommended.

[Lawanna Dyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Book

This book was everything that I needed. Everything that I thought I was doing right to win my spouse over was completely wrong. Everything that I was doing wrong she spoke on it. It was definitely an eye opener to everything I need to do to do to when my spouse over to Christ. I have to change me first. And since I started changing me I see a change in my spouse. I highly recommend this book and I promise you will not be disappointed.

[Virginia Ritterbusch]

Miranda Chivers has put her heart into writing UNEQUALLY YOKED. She has intimately shared her journey of leading her marriage through changes and challenging viewpoints, working through all of it by keeping God's WORD in her heart and implementing God's PLAN in her marriage.

Working from those two perspectives, she was able to convey her love in subtle ways, seek ongoing connection to her husband, understand his needs, listen to her needs, honor them and convey them in open, non-threatening manners that gradually drew she and her husband back together and joined in their mutual desire to stay partnered for life.

In addition to their oppositional viewpoints and needs as they pertained to God, Chiver's discusses all aspects of her marital journey including busy schedules, jobs, and parenting that can create disharmony and stress between two people.

She weaves the beautiful relationship that God intended the marital union to provide into all of those arenas in order to maintain friendship, respect, intimacy, trust, and oneness with your spouse, yourself and God -- in the trilogy of marriage.

I recommend this book as an excellent resource for healthy marriages as well as struggling marriages because we all need to assess and evaluate daily where we are in our spousal relationships -- they are forever evolving because the individuals that compose the union are forever evolving, So in order to keep our love relationships moving in a positive direction, objective assessment is necessary. Combining objective assessment with Miranda's example can bring resolution and peace to our marriages, our hearts, and our minds.