Should I Get Married?, By M. Blaine Smith

Should I Get Married?

by M. Blaine Smith

Should I Get Married?

paperback

$27.00

Length: 204 pages
Published: October 05, 2000
Imprint: IVP
Item Code: 2271
ISBN: 9780830822713

Other Retailers:
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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 questions:

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 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.

CONTENTS

Part One: Setting Your Sights
1. The Search for Perspective
2. Does God Want Me to Be Married or Single?

Part Two: God's Guidance the Marriage Decision
3. Does God Have One Ideal Choice for Me?
4. How Can I Know God's Will?
5. Can I Be Certain?

Part Three: Choosing a Spouse
6. Do You Feel Deep Compassion for the Other Person?
7. Are You Good Friends?
8. Are You Both Ready for Marriage?
9. Are You Physically Compatible?
10. Are You Intellectually Compatible?
11. Are You Spiritually Compatible?
12. Are You Emotionally Compatible?
13. Are Your Expectations Compatible?
14. Finally Deciding

Part Four: Should I Remarry--or Marry Someone Divorced?
15. Remarriage: A Gift of God with Special Challenges
16. Paul's Balanced Counsel on Remarriage
17. Meeting the Challenges, Beating the Stigmas

Part Five: Confronting the Fear of Commitment
18. Understanding the Fear of Commitment
19. When the Problem Is Your Partner's
20. When the Problem Is Your Own

Appendix 1: To Date or Not to Date

Appendix 2: Vows for the Imperfect Marriage

Notes

About the Author

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ABOUT M. Blaine Smith

M. Blaine Smith

M. Blaine Smith (d. 2021) (MDiv, Wesley Theological Seminary; DMin, Fuller Theological Seminary) was an ordained Presbyterian minister who lectured widely on topics of guidance and God's will, Christian living, and personal growth. A frequent guest on Christian radio programs, Smith also appeared twice on The 700 Club. His lectures have been recorded for Guidance by the Book, part of a home-study course produced by the Christian Broadcasting Network. In 1978 Smith founded Nehemiah Ministries with the goal of "helping Christians understand God's guidance in their lives and realize their personal potential." The organization's bimonthly newsletter, seminars, articles, books, and website have benefited many Christians around the world.