How is your marriage? Is it good? Is it great? Could it use some work or, at least, some fine tuning? Marriages, even good ones, need regular maintenance. Welcome to Mondays @ Soul Survival. Each week I feature a book that I consider a valuable resource. This week’s selection is  Strengthening Your Marriage by Dr. Wayne Mack.

 

Strengthening Your Marriage

 

Genesis 2.24 says:

For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

This is much more than the obvious physical union between a man and a woman. This is a unity of hearts and goals that requires good communication and a laying down of our own selfish agendas to follow God’s agenda.

Amos 3.3 says:

Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?

As Christians, our goals should be in line with God’s goals for marriage, but that won’t happen unless we know and understand God’s blueprint.

Dr. Wayne Mack’s book, Strengthening Your Marriage, can be a great tool for helping any couple do just that. The book is made up of 8 Units to study together as a couple or as part of a small group:

1. God’s Purpose for Marriage
2. The Wife’s Responsibilities
3. The Husband’s Responsibilities
4. Good Communication
5. Financial Agreement
6. Sexual Unity
7. Raising Children
8. Family Religion

Each unit begins with a teaching section in the form of an amplified outline. Key points are noted and all points are accompanied by Scripture references. The teaching section is followed by study questions and practical exercises to work through as a couple. Dr. Mack says:

These study questions and exercises are not simply busy work. They are designed to provide the basis for practical, specific, personalized research and direction which will result in the development of greater unity in your marriage.

Scripture says, “In all labor there is profit” (Prov. 14.23), and nowhere is this more true than in the marriage relationship. Good, God-honoring marriages do not just happen. They are the result of dedicated, diligent, consistent prayer and work on the part of both husband and wife.

In this manual I call you to work – to work on the most important human relationship in your life. What I am going to ask you to do will not be easy. Time, effort, serious thought, painful examination, and honest evaluation will be required. But I guarantee you that your prayerful efforts will be richly rewarded.

My husband and I have worked through this book and have used it as part of our counseling work with various couples. It offers solid, practical, biblical hope and help for couples who wish to study and apply it.

Marriages, even good ones, need maintenance. If you’re interested in strengthening your marriage, Dr. Mack’s book is a great resource.

Blessings,
Donna

Quotations taken from:
Mack, Wayne. Strengthening Your Marriage. P & R Publishing.

 

You can get a copy of Strengthening Your Marriage or shop for other resources here.