Book Review: Tying the Knot by Rob Green

“ The great secret of a successful marriage is this: It is more about your love for Christ than it is about your compatibility as a couple ” [143].
I’ve been waiting for a book like this for a long time. The modern-day biblically faithful church has gone a long way toward shedding the baggage of secular philosophies in its counseling ministry. Marriage counseling, and pre-marital counseling in particular, seems to be one of the remaining hold-outs. Personality profiles, tests, and such seem to occupy a greater place of importance than examining the basic commitments of the heart. Much of what is out there focuses on superficial issues, rarely penetrating all the way to the heart of what goes on between partners in a marriage.
This book finally breaks free. Rob Green has written a thoroughly Christ-centered premarital counseling book, investing the topic with the seriousness it deserves. The chapter titles demonstrate this: Chapter 1: Jesus Must Be the Center of Your LifeChapter 2: Love with Jesus as the CenterChapter 3: Problem Solving with Jesus as the CenterChapter 4: Roles and Expectations with Jesus as the CenterChapter 5: Communication with Jesus as the CenterChapter 6: Finances with Jesus as the CenterChapter 7: Community with Jesus as the CenterChapter 8: Intimacy with Jesus as the Center
Green does not merely tip his hat to the centrality of Christ. Each chapter fulfills the promise of developing the Christ-centered focus. Using the best of the insights of the biblical counseling movement, the author lays a solid foundation of teaching, unfolding principles that couples will be able to use for years afterwards.
The book concludes with a section for mentors that summarizes the principal points and trajectories intended in each chapter. It’s rare to find a book this good that is also so brief. I’ve finally found a pre-marital book that I’m satisfied with. This is a five-star book, and I recommend it highly.