NONFICTION BOOK REVIEW #2020-044 - First One to the Cross: Wives’ Guide to a Winning Marriage

WINNING THE MARRIAGE GAME IS A DESIRE ALMOST ALL WOMEN WANT TO ACHIEVE IN THEIR LIVES

In her book author, Gwen Steinle desires for her readers [predominantly women] to acquire down-to-earth advice to guarantee that their marriages will be robust with the Lord's words. This book also offers a glimmer of hope for women who are suffering in a stressful marriage for an amicable resolution.

The Lord's presence is essential in the relationship between a husband and his wife. Some individuals allow their hearts to rule their minds when it comes to falling in love and blindly rush into marriage with that person. And sometimes, an individual's mind rules their hearts, and they rush into marriage because it's the proper thing to do; yet, there's no real love for that other person.

Given the vast multitudes of personalities that exist between men and women, two individuals can't mesh 100% correctly. There needs to be some compromise between the two, and within this compromising, couples on occasion might have incidents where anguish and disagreement rule the day. Unfortunately, there's no single book designed to give individuals detailed information about how something should be done when these incidences arise, save one; which is the book written by the Lord, the one who had created the institution of marriage.

According to the book's description, Ms. Steinle covers nine crucial aspects contributing to the quality of married life:

1. Unconditional Love (Who Luvs Ya Baby? )
2. Reverence (Let Go & Let God)
3. Humility (Who Me? )
4. Affirmation (What's Real Good? )
5. Expectations (En Guarde! In Your Thought Life)
6. Spiritual Warfare (Satan's Up to Something)
7. Virtue vs. Vice (Fruity or Foul? )
8. Romance (Takin' Care of Business vs. Marital Bliss)
9. Personal Growth (The Easy Way or the Hard Way).

In regards to marriage itself, I believe we need to look at EPHESIANS 5:28-33 [NKJV]:

28] So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.

29] For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

30] For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
31] For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32]This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
33] Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

In the end, anything that could help women to win the "marriage game" is a commodity that they need to possess, which is why I've given Ms. Steinle, 5 STARS for her endeavor here.

Amazon Review/Buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/review/R2VXGOQQ1RHNOC