ISERVE AFRICA
MARRIED FOR GOD BY CRISTOPHER ASH
REVIEW BY RUTH WALIAULA
“Married For God”, if not one of the best books I have read about relationships and marriage, then it is the best I have read.
When I got hold of the book I knew somehow it was a guide to what I wanted most, that is to know about how to go about in a relationship that will lead to a Godly marriage and how to have a godly marriage etc. But this is a different book, it does offer less about me and more about God. The author seeks to offer the biblical teachings about marriage and not his own personal experiences.
We are living in a world where marriages are breaking each day, divorce rates are increasing each day not just for the none Christians but for the Christians too, everyone is living in fear, both singles and married people are wondering what tomorrow is going to bring on their side. But From the introduction the author is showing us what we need, having God at the centre, asking God what He wants then aligning up our goals behind His other than having Him aligning his goals behind ours. Indeed the best question to ask ourselves when we think of marriage is, what does God want for marriage? We ought to put God at the centre to want what he wants for marriage. The author states; you will make a better marriage if you focus on God and not on marriage. Put God at the centre and strive to want what He wants.
Christopher Ash sums up the purpose of marriage as service to God; he sums this up using the phrase sex for the service of God. That he created us male and female not to satisfy our needs but to serve our creator. Indeed The key to good marriage is not to pursue a good marriage but to pursue the honour of God.
All along I have known love to be the heart of any relationship and more so the heart of marriage, but this book has changed my perspective on the heart of marriage. I have come to learn that Faithfulness is the heart of marriage, not just faithfulness but faithfulness that comes from God. Learning that faithfulness in marriage comes from faithfulness of God, that God is faithful and He pours his grace and faithfulness into me if I will come to Him and trust in Him. I have learned that marriage can be so hard and even impossible if we decide to do things by our own moral resources without putting our faith in faithful love of God; indeed it is all about His grace. It takes the grace of God for a successful marriage not our effort and strength.
This book has been very helpful to me, helping me to learn of Gods purpose for marriage. Now I view marriage in a different way. It’s not a place or a way of satisfying my needs or solving my loneliness but it is for service to God. I now see marriage as established by God and for Himself, and that is it.
Christopher Ash writes this book in a way that the reader is able to see marriage in the scriptures and to clearly see Gods plan for marriage from the beginning of time. The whole book is based on scriptural truths. I recommend this book to every person whether single or married. Indeed, it is a must read for all.

BOOK REVIEW
Married for God
By Christopher Ash
Married for God as a book seeks to explain the foundation of marriage as service to God. In His motto “sex in the service of God”, Christopher aims at teaching couples and the unmarried what God intends marriage to be like. By this foundation, “sex in the service of God” you can make your marriage the best it can ever be. Christopher begins by making his audience comfortable by guaranteeing that this book is for their optimal digestion. Whether be it the young man hoping to marry someday (that’s me) or those already married or even to them that are yet to consider this honorable service to God, this book has something to say for each.
I think what I love most about this book is that Christopher, from the word go starts by clearing out our misconceptions about marriage; that it is all about us and that all we need to know is how to exploit it for our greatest good. Unfortunately, that is what most books and media resources have to say about marriage. But not with this book, rather Christopher wants us to see marriage as an institution created by God and for God. Yes, though an unpopular clause to emphasis, marriage really is created like all of God’s creation for His honor and affects not only the two people seeking to be joined in matrimony but the society, the body of Christ and ultimately should be for the Lord’s glory. And so Christopher makes a call of repentance to distance ourselves from this lie in the world that marriage is all for the couple at hand and rather to see God’s purposes and align our goals with His will as regards marriage.
Christopher subdivides the message of the book into 8 chapters which he intends to use in walking his audience through this wonderful yet at times delicate topic of marriage. All through the chapters, the book begins with short narrations that helps meet the reader at the point of experience. Most of these are stories of young people with troubles on sight of this topic or couples struggling to make marriage the best it can be. Using this tool, Christopher lovingly holds the reader's hand and points them to the right direction in regard to making marriage to be what God intends it to be. In the first chapter for instance, the book narrates of a lady with a troubled past now considering a date with a Christian man who seems all going well for Him. In this, the book looks at the baggage we carry as we come to the marriage table and seeks to emphasis the freedom that our Lord by grace has rendered to us. You may have messed up in the past and most probably feel unfit for that partner, yet our Lord by His love has all that sorted out and made you a new creation ripe for love.
Alongside emphasis on marriage being purposed for the service of God, this book focuses on controversial topics surrounding the marriage topic; sex, children, order, celibacy and through the chapters Christopher carefully shows how marriage all in all is founded on the service of God and thus whether married or unmarried, couples with or without children all should aim at that. Primarily, the book handles the purpose of marriage and shows how cohabitation, adultery and divorce divert from God’s purpose and harm both the couple and the entire body of Christ. At the end, the book clears the misconceptions that we may have about marriage and focuses on faithfulness as the heart of marriage even as it is the heart of God.
In conclusion, the message of Revelation 19:7; the marriage of the lamb is considered and there we realize that all of us have an opportunity to be married in the end, not to earthly brides or grooms but to the bridegroom of the church, our Lord Jesus Christ. In that marriage above all else, fulfillment is guaranteed and all the tears in regard to earthly relationships that we may have will be wiped away. As Christopher reiterates so I pray that I will be there to enjoy it.
As we see through this book, there are many misapprehensions that we come with on the marriage table; baggage from troubled past, unreal expectations about marriage from soaps and secular marriage literature and this topic among many deserves thorough consideration. Thereby, at the end of every chapter, the book contains study questions for couples or individuals who want to deepen their understanding on this topic and make their marriage the best it can be.
Well, it’s a shame I cannot say all there is in this book and I can only encourage someone to grab a copy and have the experience of the book at first hand. I am looking forward to reading this book again and if God so will even read it with my wife to be in the uncertain future. May you be encouraged to see marriage as it is and may God be glorified as you consider this topic and align you goals and desires on marriage as with every other area of life to the will of God. Amen.
Yours in pursuit of God’s glory
Peter Muturi.