Cherish by Gary Thomas
Week 6: Chapter 5 — Cherishing Your Spouse's Body
Read Chapter 5 of Cherish by Gary Thomas. Key passages: 1 Corinthians 7:3–5; Song of Solomon 4:1–7.
Previewing Week 6 of Cherish
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 13-week guide when you’re ready.
Thomas brings his characteristic honesty to one of the most personal dimensions of marriage — our physical relationship with our spouses and the way we regard their bodies — inviting us to see physical intimacy as an expression of cherishing, not just desire.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Thomas argues that the way we regard our spouse's body — with delight, indifference, or criticism — is one of the most direct expressions of whether we truly cherish them. How does this frame physical intimacy differently from how our culture typically talks about it?
2.He draws on the Song of Solomon's unabashedly celebratory language about the spouse's body to make the point that delight in one's spouse is biblical and even spiritually meaningful. Does this surprise you? How does the existence of Song of Solomon shape your theology of physical intimacy in marriage?
3.Thomas is also honest about the pain that many spouses — particularly women — feel when they sense that their bodies are being criticized, compared, or found lacking. If you are in a mixed group, this may be a question for private reflection: Have you ever communicated, even subtly, that your spouse's body disappointed you? What effect do you think that has had?
a.How might cultural standards of beauty shape the way you see and respond to your spouse's body?
b.What would it mean to deliberately reject those standards and choose to see your spouse through the eyes of delight?