I remember when my wife and I got married five and a half years ago that we got many gifts from family and friends, but the one gift that meant the most to us wasn’t something we would use for cooking or furniture or anything else. Instead the gift that meant the most to us was words written on a card given to us by an older married couple from one of my wife’s relatives. On the card with words directed towards me it said, “Dave find Sarah in the kitchen or around the house and give her a hug and a kiss.” While that advice may be simple the point behind what this relative was saying was something I have learned through being married: my wife loves it when I seek her out and pursue her (especially spontaneously). As I read Date Your Wife, I followed Pastor Buzzard’s advice and decided whether it’s an evening out or a day in, I was going to be more intentional to date my wife and pursue her.
My first date with my wife was a day out on the town in Seattle, Washington. That day (over six years ago) we walked around the waterfront, went to Pike Place Market and then walked around downtown Seattle. I was already in love with my now wife Sarah, but that day cemented in my mind that I was going to marry my wife. Since I already knew where I was going to propose to my wife, I took my wife back to the place of our first date and then asked her to be my wife on one of the Piers on the waterfront in downtown Seattle. Thankfully she said, “Yes” and we got married February 18th, 2007. Marrying my wife Sarah has been the best decision of my life as she is truly my best friend and the greatest gift outside of my salvation that God has given me.
Date Your Wife by Pastor Justin Buzzard is a biblical theology of marriage. The book has four sections: The good, the bad, the new, and the perfect all tracing the story of Scripture. The focus of this book is on men taking responsibility for loving their wives because of all Christ has done for them in His death, burial and resurrection. Justin like any good Pastor seeks to help men understand not only their responsibility as husbands but also how the Gospel provides the solution to their sin and empowers them through the work of the Holy Spirit to be godly husbands and witnesses for Jesus Christ.
I recommend every man read Date Your Wife. In fact, I believe that Date Your Wife will help men revitalize okay marriages, good marriages and great marriages by helping them see where they need to not only improve but also better pursue and love their wives by the grace of God. Whether you are newly married or have been married for fifty or sixty years, every man needs to read Date Your Wife to not just understand what the Bible teaches on marriage but how we as Christian men are to love our wives as “Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
Title: Date Your Wife
Author: Justin Buzzard
Publisher: Crossway (2012)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the 10 Publishing book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Dave Jenkins is happily married to his wife, Sarah. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, the Host and Producer of Equipping You in Grace Podcast, and is a contributor to and producer of Contending for the Word. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It (House to House, 2021), The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022), and Contentment: The Journey of a Lifetime (Theology for Life, 2024). You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, or read his newsletter. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. Dave received his M.A.R. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.
