Biblical care for self and others

When Home Hurts: A Guide for Responding Wisely to Domestic Abuse in Your Church

Jeremy Pierre and Greg Wilson

Domestic abuse dynamics are complicated and sometimes counterintuitive. Christians can easily apply the wrong Biblical principle to situations—confronting an abuser before making sure the victim is safe, for example. This book overviews domestic abuse dynamics and the relevant Biblical principles to inform helpers, particularly church leaders. It shines when outlining step by step how pastors can care for victim and abuser. The authors recommend church leaders involve others (e.g., trauma experts), but they encourage pastors not to shy away from these complex situations: “If the Lord has called you to care for people, He will be with you as you do it—however confused or clumsy you feel.”

When Words Matter Most: Speaking Truth With Grace to Those You Love

Cheryl Marshall and Caroline Newheiser

Do you ever struggle to find the words to encourage a hurting friend? Authors Marshall and Newheiser have Bible training and teaching experience, but here they address women who just want to help their friends. This well-written book is easy to read and regularly points back to Scripture. The first section calls Christian women to speak truth to friends struggling with sin or suffering, but do so with grace and propriety. Four chapters in the second half demonstrate how Scripture can inform conversations about common struggles—worry, weariness, waywardness, and grief. This book would make an excellent starting place for aspiring counselors as well as women who simply want to support others who are hurting.

The Whole Life: 52 Weeks of Biblical Self-Care

Eliza Huie and Esther Smith

In short, accessible chapters, Huie and Smith take readers through several aspects of “self-care.” They distinguish Biblical self-care—stewarding the body and mind to maximize Christians’ capacity to love God and serve others—from worldly self-care, which often slides into laziness and self-indulgence. The authors write clearly and carefully. They cover numerous facets, including the role of medical care, hobbies, spiritual disciplines, and what self-care looks like in seasons when a balanced life is impossible. The book contains whole-life applications and is designed to use over the course of a year. Not everyone will agree with all this book’s recommendations, but the book will provoke readers to think through their own priorities.

Reclaim Your Marriage: Grace for Wives Who Have Been Hurt by Pornography

Jenny Solomon

Though pornography is a widespread problem, the wives who suffer from it are often overlooked. Jenny Solomon aims to correct this, sharing details of her own struggle to forgive, trust God, and be a faithful wife to a husband who has struggled with pornography. She uses several stories from Scripture to encourage wives to hope in God and practice obedience in trials. She recommends women read the book with a counselor or mature Christian friend, using the applications, discussion questions, and recommended resources at the end of each chapter. Appendices tackle tough questions including whether porn use disqualifies a man from ministry and whether it is grounds for Biblical divorce.