A Special Book on Marriage

Sacred Marriage

By Gary Thomas

I recently reread this is a very special book about Christian marriage published in 2000. Thomas speaks about his own marriage and offers many insights into seeking God through your marriage. He suggests marriage is a call to Holiness more than happiness.  “I have a Christian obligation to continually move toward my wife. I thought that as long as I didn’t attack my wife or say cruel things to her, I was a ‘nice’ husband, but the opposite of biblical love isn’t hate its apathy.”155 Both husband and wife must “fall forward” toward each other.

The chapters in Sacred Marriage include how marriage teaches us to love, to respect others, to persevere, to build character, to forgive, to have a servant’s heart and more. 

Chapter 11 Sexual Saints is a beautiful, thoughtful chapter about how your sexual life together can mirror your desire for God. 

Chapter 12 Sacred Presence shows us how marriage can make us more aware of God’s presence. 

Chapter 13 Sacred Mission is about how marriage can develop our spiritual calling, mission and purpose. 

Here are three of my favorite quotes from the book.

"A good marriage is not something you find, it’s something you work for." 133

"There are times I must sacrifice my ambition to succeed in God’s service so that I can be fully present and involved in the lives of my wife and children." 250

"Patience can be formed only in the crucible of frustration – making marriage, with its multitude of tasks, one of the best schools of patience there is." 252

"Give honor to marriage, and remain faiithful to one another in marriage." Hebrews 13:4 

Blessings, Dottie