10 Must Read Books for Christian Husbands
By Jimmy Sliwa
Not every husband has positive role models. With record high divorce rates and loveless marriages on the rise, where can a husband go to get sound advice? Fortunately, there are extremely helpful resources out there.
I have compiled a list of 10 must read books for every Christian husband.
I have read a handful of them, and the other half are on my “to read” list.
When my wife and I started a young married life group, we did our study on “You and Me Forever.” Unlike many traditional books that cover marriage with a step-by-step approach to fixing your marriage. Francis and Lisa Chan encourage you to fix your marriage by focusing less on your marriage and more on Jesus.
Maybe the key to a thriving marriage is to focus on your personal walk with Jesus and let the rest flow out of that place.
I just picked up this book and have been cruising through it. My favorite part about this devotion is that it is loaded with lessons and practical advice for marriages in any stage. If you and your wife are looking to do a devotional book together, “The Marriage Devotional” is a great option. You will get great insight and sound biblical truths as well as date ideas and conversation starters. The 52 devotionals are chalked full of sound advice and practical for a marriage in any stage.
This book was recommended to me by my marriage counselor when I was at an all-time low in marriage. He specifically recommended this book to help me understand how to ‘connect’ with my wife. This is a terrific book for teaching men (and women) how to re-connect with your spouse. This book will help you understand how vulnerability is the key to intimacy. This book is chalk full of practical advice for learning to create intimacy in your marriage.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want the culture teaching my son how to be a man. I want to instill morals, confidence, and an unshakeable identity in my son. Jon Tyson lays out a very practical guide to help fathers raise their sons to be men of character. My favorite part of the book is the specific activities and rite of passage suggestions for teaching your son to be unshakeable.
Is the way that we do family in America the way that God intended it to be? Jefferson Bethke challenges the typical American nuclear family and compares it to God’s way of doing family. He doesn’t just make a case for changing your family dynamic, he actually gives practical steps to take back your family.
If you are married and don’t know your wife’s love language, you are navigating marriage blindly. Everyone has a love language; it’s not just reserved for women.
In Gary Chapman’s bestselling book, “The 5 Love Languages,” he dissects the secrets to showing love to your spouse in the way they need it. This book is a game changer. If you have difficulty demonstrating love to your wife then this book is a must read. It is often regarded as one of the best marriage books of all time.
Ever feel like you get mixed messages about love, sex, and marriage? Our culture is full of advice that cheapens and contradicts the way God intended marriage to be. God created marriage after all, shouldn’t we listen to what he has to say? In this book, Matt Chandler gives sound biblical advice on marriage, love, sex, and healing from brokenness.
Jerrad Lopes makes the case that husbands should be the spiritual leader of the home. If you don’t feel like you have quite figured out spiritual leadership then this book could be great for you. Even if you don’t feel qualified. Remember, God doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called. This book is full of great stories that challenge you to step up and lead your family closer toward God.
Do you still dream of taking grand adventures? Or have you given up all together? Every man has big and lofty dreams; it’s a shame that our culture stifles them. In the book “Wild at Heart,” John Eldredge uncovers the masculine heart for adventure. Being a Christian man should not be a life of stagnant routines (family, work, church – repeat). No, men are created for something much more grand. This book is a great read for any husband that needs to break free from a rut.
God wants you to have a great marriage and sex life. Unfortunately, the silent church and loud Hollywood propaganda can cause confusion. In “Love-ology,” John Mark Comer discusses romance, sex, and the way that God intended marriage to be. Through sound biblical doctrine, “Love-ology” covers some of the most prevalent questions about sexuality and relationships.
******Bonus*****
If you are a guy, then you struggle with sexual temptation. This book explores the battle that every man faces when it comes to sexual sin (particularly pornography). This is a terrific resource for laying the foundation for winning the war against sexual sin. In it, you will find strategies such as ‘bouncing your eyes” and confessing your sin. This is a must read for any husband that struggles with temptation and sexual sin.
