The target audience for Josh McDowell’s book, 10 Ways to Say “I Love You” : Embracing Love That Lasts would be people, particularly men, who have been married less than 10 years. Josh obviously writes from a male perspective, which at times I didn’t connect with. However, I’ve been married 40 years and still found some of the material useful.
In the book, Josh discusses 10 commitments to develop a deeper relationship with your spouse. These are: Making God a priority; Loving and Accepting Myself for Who I Am; Being a Fantastic Lover parts 1 & 2; Becoming a Great Listener; Learning the Art of Communication; Demonstrating an Accepting, Loyal and Enduring Love; Resolving Conflicts Quickly; Always Forgiving You; Making Money Matter; and Keeping My Love Life Fresh and Alive.
The section I found most helpful was in the final chapter about letting go of the unresolved. Josh writes that there are some minor conflicts in marriage that must go unresolved because we are imperfect human beings. We come into marriage with emotional baggage and we have all experience some degree of dysfunction in our family of origin. To resolve these minor issues would take years of counselling, often it’s best to allow love to cover these issues (1 Peter 4:8). Of course, this isn’t the case for serious conflicts.
The book is well-written and easy to read.
