Sweethearts Box (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Grace Church Summer Reading Program: Lord, Make My Life a Miracle by Ray and Anne Ortlund. Chapters Eight and Nine: “Be a Christian Wife” and “Be a Christian Husband”

“I would like him to have kind eyes, a nice laugh, and a fun sense of humor.”

“I want him to be sensitive, good with children, and a great communicator.”

“I want him to take care of his appearance and health, but I don’t want him to be overly obsessed with it.”

“I want him to be good with money.”

“I want him to be responsible but still have an adventurous side to him.”

“I want him to love nature and the outdoors—and, oh yeah, dogs, he must love dogs.”

“I want him to love God more than he loves me (but I certainly want him to be crazy in love with me).”

“I want him to be romantic, thoughtful, and kind.”

“And I want him to think I’m the prettiest woman in the world.”

Before marriage people often have a pretty extensive list of the quality traits that they’re looking for in their spouse, but after enough time has passed many couples “settle” in their marriage. No one sets out to “settle” in the selection of their mate, and yet as the busyness and daily-ness of life sets in a lot of couples settle for being roommates instead of sweethearts.

This is not God’s intention for our marriages, and in chapters eight and nine of their book Lord, Make My Life a Miracle Pastor Ray and Anne Ortlund deliver a stiff one-two punch to married couples who have gotten a little lethargic about pursuing and fulfilling the vows of their marriage covenant. In chapter eight they address wives, and in chapter nine they address husbands.

These chapters are intense and challenging—but that’s good because our marriages are worth fighting for and paying a price for, and sometimes it’s good to be challenged to re-prioritize our priorities.

If you’re married, please read both chapters in their entirety, and then faithfully pay the price to continue building a marriage worth fighting for.

For more information about our summer reading program go to www.gracechurchlaverne.org.