I Thought This Would Make Me Happy: How to Fight Less, Forgive Faster, and Cultivate Joy in Your Marriage

Christians should center God in their marriages to forge stronger and holier bonds with their partners, according to this optimistic guide from Living the Sweet Wife blogger Damon (Together with Christ). She explains how pride and selfishness prevent partners from “seeking God’s goodness.” Instead, she encourages husbands and wives to “model sacrificial submission” to each other in the same way the church is said to submit to Christ. For the author, this means readily confessing one’s sins, asking for and offering forgiveness, and prioritizing the relationship over one’s individual comfort. While Damon provides reflection questions and sample prayers, much of her advice is easier said than done—readers may struggle, for instance, to understand what it looks like to forgo the “desire to put ourselves first and control outcomes” in favor of “the desire to make God great in our lives.” Still, the central notion of a marriage rooted in sacrifice is lucidly constructed, and Damon’s lighthearted candor about how her own relationship has sometimes fallen short (“Is it possible to fold laundry in a threatening way? If so, I’m pretty sure I’ve done it”) will endear her to readers. Christians looking to build more durable, faithful marriages will find inspiration here. (Aug.)