subject: How God Inspires Couples Through Self Help Books And Christian E-books [print this page] One of the hardest parts of being a couple isn't that initial attraction-that's easy. What's hard is keeping the relationship alive and firmly grounded on the rock rather than the shifting sands. When the romance has started to fade, the drama turns to drivel and tenacity turns to tedium, here's a look at the ways God uses self help books and Christian e-books to help couples keep their relationship alive.
Self Help Books
Most people don't put a whole lot of faith in the "feel good" message of self help books, which is why they're being discussed here as an invaluable tool for Christians to get their relationships back on the straight and narrow. Before launching into an in-depth view, however, it's important to emphasize two points:
1)This is being written with the assumption that the self help books are being written either by Christian authors who have given their hearts and their lives to God, and that their dedication is being reflected in their work.
2)If the book in question is not written by a Christian author it should be written by a professional with strong moral standards and a great depth of professional knowledge of the human psyche.
The parentage of the book, if you will, is essential. Many relationship books focus strongly on sex, and some endorse various immoral and unethical activities (such as having threesomes or engaging in dubious sexual practices). Others look at the relationship as strictly being a matter of the heart and therefore disposable rather than a commitment made. Self help books that encourage you to act in ungodly ways are going to ruin rather than rebuild your relationship.
Now that the necessary addendums have been discussed, let's talk about self help books. These books are intended to encourage you alone to dig deeply into your relationship, identify the source of the problem and put it back on its proper course. Self help books, when accompanied by prayer and an open heart, can be invaluable tools in helping you repair a broken relationship or fortify a strong one. Why? They force you to dig into your own motives, strongly and honestly express your own opinions and look deeply at the darkness in your own heart.
Christian E-Books
Christian e-books (and regular books, of course, but heydoes anyone actually read real books anymore?) are separated from the self help books for the simple reason that they don't have to be self help. They don't have to ask you to deeply explore your relationship, or encourage you to face up to your own feelings. These books can simply explain to you what God has to say about your relationship, help point you toward certain passages in the Bible and inspire you to begin making things right first between you and God, then between you and your significant other.
It's important to note that these books and Christian e-books are in no way, shape or form required to be non-fiction! In 2008 the movie "Fireproof" and its accompanying novella made a huge splash in the happily wedded community, both Christian and non-Christian, for its brutally honest portrayal of what it really takes to ruin a marriage. This movie has inspired thousands of couples to rededicate themselves to their spouse and to God, but since neither Caleb nor Catherine are real it's impossible to give any glory anywhere but right where it belongs-in God's hands.
Christian eBooks and self help books can be invaluable resources when used by God to help move a heart in the right direction, so the next time you hear a book calling out to you don't hesitate to pick it up. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that it could have been written especially for you.
