Let’s be honest for a minute. No matter how much you love your spouse and children, there are just moments when you want to run away to Tahiti without them – permanently! Fortunately, God frowns on such things or Tahiti would be over run with runaway moms (and dads, and kids!).
Many of those days are a result of people living together in a confined space day after day. No matter how much alike you are, there are differences. Those differences can cause misunderstandings. Actually at times, even similarities can also cause conflict.
Most of us are totally unaware of this and honestly believe everyone else is somehow fatally flawed because they think and act differently than we do. While in some cases that may be true, the vast majority of those differences are perfectly godly and acceptable.
Unfortunately, those differences can cause us to pull away and create emotional distance – creating shadow marriages and families – not the deep intimate, beautiful relationships God designed them to be. John Ortberg’s book I’d Like You If You Were More Like Me is one of the very best books I have ever read for helping people recapture the intimate relationships God designed for them to have in their lives.
This book is so great, I personally think it is worth purchasing if you and everyone you know only read the first chapter – understood it and practiced the principles and tips in it. The book is just that good. Ortberg is practical and so honest he perhaps borders on blunt – but personally, it’s reached the point where directness is desperately needed in our world.
I don’t want to give away all of his points and tips, but he addresses every intimacy issue you can image from defining what true intimacy really looks like to commitment, vulnerability and more. His examples are easy to understand and the tips are very practical – although probably not very easy for some to do. Perhaps the hardest hitting chapter after the first chapter is one towards the end titled “Who Will Cry at Your Funeral”. If that doesn’t wake you up to your need for intimacy and doing your part of the equation, I don’t know what will.
I love that Ortberg doesn’t focus only on marital intimacy, but talks about parents and children, friends and even having an intimate relationship with God. I personally believe most people lead shadow lives that aren’t nearly as rich and full as they could be because they aren’t living life the way God designed it to be lived. Intimacy is a big part of that equation for a full, rich, godly life.
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know there are only a very few books over the years where I tell you at the end of the review to “Run, don’t walk to the bookstore or library and get this book.” I believe this book could be so helpful to your marriage and your family (especially if you can get everyone to read it and work on it together), your friendships and your relationship with God – I think it may be time to try out that drone, same-day delivery system some retailers have! I really don’t think you will regret the investment of your money or time on this book.
This book was given to me for free in exchange for my honest review. An affiliate link is included for your convenience.