Date Your Wife Book Review

I have been married for 9 1/2 years now. My wife, Lindsey, and I have 3 small children. The oldest is 5, the middle just turned 2, and the youngest is 15 months. Life is good. Marriage is good. But most everything could always stand some improvement. I'm certain my marriage is no different. Two grown sinners plus three small sinners plus busy lives plus ministry basically equals what seems like total chaos some days.

I recently finished reading a book titled "Date Your Wife".This book was exactly what I needed! I love what Justin does in this book by taking us back to the Creation account. He even gives a new vision of just exactly what it means "to work and keep" the Garden (Genesis 3:15). This is the foundation and backbone for the entire book. He even gives a little more life to the language by saying "these Hebrew verbs can be better translated: cultivate and guard"(41). He continues with these verbs throughout the book and that was really helpful to me.

One great thing about this book is the fact that it is grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Over and over Justin takes us back to not only the Cross, but also to grace. He encourages all men to have grace-filled marriages. He rightly says, "Every husband has a belief system that drives his life and drives his marriage. Religion destroys men and marriages, but the Gospel makes men new and marriages new" (79). I also love how the book parallels the same pattern as the Bible does, as it relates to man. "The Good. The Bad. The New. The Perfect." (124)

Most men I know don't do a whole lot of reading. And big books oftentimes scare people off, especially men, including me sometimes. That's why I love how Justin has set this book up. It is a very easy read. I love the ease of the short chapters. I think he has made this book very readable for all men. It is also loaded with personal stories and experiences, which I always love while reading. And perhaps the best part of all is the "Take Action" section at the end of each chapter. Justin clearly has given us more than an idea and some information. He gives men everywhere ways and ideas to think deeper and apply what he has laid out in this book.

The most life changing portion of the book for me was chapter 4. I think it will wake many men up to the current state of their marriage. Justin makes a fresh discovery (fresh to me at least) in Genesis about Adam and his wife. I don't want to ruin it for you, but I will simply ask you this question: Do you think that since you are a "committed" husband, who isn't going to leave your wife, you have completed your duty as a husband?

This book is a must read for any man who is married and truly desires for his marriage to be how God created it to be! Now you and I have to make time to date our wives!