Happy Valentines Day everyone! In the midst of all of the heady romantic vibes that are going around this time of year, I often find myself in need of some down to earth, practical advice. Because, let’s face it, relationships can be confusing, and as one of my favorite books says, it’s because we’ve made it confusing and complicated. Believe it or not, relationships don’t have to be confusing, complicated and naturally messy. With the help of some down to earth advice, often coming in the form of, *gasp* parents! and prayer, guy-girl relationship dynamics can loose their stress and confusion. Another helpful resource is, of course, books! However, there are so many books out there on relationships, and many of them do not give true, helpful, and biblical advice for how to approach relationships with our brothers in Christ, (or sisters in Christ for you guys out there). The books that I have here are favorites of mine, tried and true books who have proved their merits to me in my own life. These books are not arranged in order of merit, simply in the order that they came into my mind.
- It’s (Not That) Complicated by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin
This one is an all time favorite book of mine. Sisters Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin teamed up to write one of the most well founded and well conducted pieces of literature I have ever come across. Not only that, they wrote from their hearts, successfully attempting to share much needed wisdom with other girls. The subtitle, How to Relate to Guys in a Healthy, Sane, and Biblical way, sums the book up better in one sentence than I could attempt to. It’s (Not That) Complicated puts the quandaries of the heart into simple terms, and gives practical and simple advice to the reader. Though this book was written by girls for girls, I believe that guys can benefit from reading it as well, though in a different way.
- Passion and Purity by Elizabeth Elliot
In Passion and Purity, Elizabeth Elliot shares her love story with Jim Elliot and uses it to bestow the lessons and wisdom pertaining to relationships, life, and theology they learned along the way. Valuable advice for all seasons of singleness are tucked into each page of this wonderful volume. Quest for Love by Elizabeth Elliot is also a good read about relationships.
- Preparing to be a Help Meet by Debi Pearl
Prepare for impact! This one is a much needed message for single girls, and it wasn’t really edited so as to not offend. Read it with a humble heart, ready to learn, and you’ll reap the full benefits from it. Debi Pearl writes to encourage and instruct younger women how to prepare for the future and develop much needed practical and relational skills that most women don’t realize are missing from their toolbox until after they get married. Debi Pearl’s husband, Michael Pearl, wrote In Search of a Help Meet for single guys. I haven’t read it, but have heard good things about it.
- I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris
For those of you who have seen a problem in the dating system and are looking for something better this one is for you! Really, this book is for everyone. If you have no prolems with the conventional dating system, and wonder why anyone would, read this book. If you have grown up knowing that you were never going to date, instead approaching relationships with a different mindset, read this book anyway. If you fall into some other camp, read the book. My point: read the book. Joshua Harris approaches the topic with humility and wisdom. Harris wrote I Kissed Dating Goodbye before he met and married his wife, and after that, he wrote Boy Meets Girl all about courtship, and how it worked for him and his wife, also addressing pitfalls to avoid while in a relationship.
If you’ve read any of these books or have other books that you’d recomend, I’d love to hear your comments about them below!
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