

{"id":28467,"date":"2018-10-16T10:34:09","date_gmt":"2018-10-16T10:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/?p=28467"},"modified":"2022-10-16T11:25:07","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T11:25:07","slug":"why-intimacy-is-more-than-just-sex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/intimacy\/why-intimacy-is-more-than-just-sex\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Intimacy Is More Than Just Sex"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-28469 size-full\" title=\"Why intimacy is more than just sex\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Why-intimacy-is-more-than-just-sex.jpg\" alt=\"Why intimacy is more than just sex\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We all long for intimacy, and physical contact can appear as intimacy, at least for a moment. And although sex is defined as an intimate act; without intimacy, we can&rsquo;t truly experience all that God intended for us to experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Don&rsquo;t miss understand us, we are all for the occasional &ldquo;Quickie&rdquo;. After all, the bible did say in the book of Ecclesiastes, &ldquo;To every<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">thing, there is<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:&rdquo;. So, when you don&rsquo;t have a lot of time, you&rsquo;ve got to do what you&rsquo;ve got to do.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sex-is-more-than-just-a-physical-act\"><\/span>Sex is more than just a physical act<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We don&rsquo;t want our sex life to degenerate into merely a physical act without intimacy and love. No matter how much sex we have, if we don&rsquo;t develop true love and intimacy before sex, then it won&rsquo;t be there after sex.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Real-intimacy-is-not-just-two-bodies-coming-together-in-sex\"><\/span>Real intimacy is not just two bodies coming together in sex<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ephesians 5:31 (KJV) For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two becoming one is more than just physical sex. How many married couples have sex, sharing their bodies but not their hearts? They may be married, sleeping together, having sex, and yet feel alone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why?<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sex-is-just-a-medium-of-intimacy\"><\/span>Sex is just a medium of intimacy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-28470 size-full\" title=\"Sex is not the source of intimacy, but an expression of it\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Sex-is-not-the-source-of-intimacy-but-merely-an-expression-of-it.jpg\" alt=\"Sex is not the source of intimacy, but an expression of it\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just as a garden hose is not the source of water, but only an expression or vehicle for it; so sex is not the source of intimacy, but merely an expression of it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there is no water in the reservoir, then there will be no water coming out of the garden hose. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, if there is no love and intimacy in our hearts, then there will be none coming out of the physical act of sex.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many couples will engage in sex before marriage because they feel that it is an expression of their love for each other. But in most cases, they truly have not developed an intimate relationship. As a matter of fact, many of these couples may continue to have sex but actually, impede their growth towards a more intimate relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sex-too-soon-in-a-relationship-is-not-good-for-a-relationship\"><\/span>Sex too soon in a relationship is not good for a relationship<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although these couples may stay together and even get married, their relationship simply becomes physical, and they stop sharing intimate knowledge. They become a couple or marriage that is going through the motions of love but have lost the emotions of love; intimacy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a matter of fact, couples who immediately enter into a sexual relationship may experience the joys of sex, but usually never become truly intimate because they stop sharing knowledge. The relationship becomes defined by the physical act of sex.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Real-intimacy-is-more-than-sex\"><\/span>Real intimacy is more than sex<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-28471 size-full\" title=\"Sex can be the most intimate and beautiful expression of love\" src=\"https:\/\/image.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Sex-can-be-the-most-intimate-and-beautiful-expression-of-love.jpg\" alt=\"Sex can be the most intimate and beautiful expression of love\" width=\"804\" height=\"350\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Granted, sex is a part of an intimate expression, but it is not intimacy. Sex can be the most intimate and beautiful expression of love, but we are only lying to ourselves when we act as if sex is the proof of love. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Too many men demand sex as proof of love; too many women have given sex in hopes of love.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We live in a world filled with users where we abuse each other in order to dull the pain of being alone. And unfortunately far too many people will use sex as a way to fulfil their self-interest rather than as an expression for their mate&rsquo;s best interest.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In our book <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&ldquo;First Love, True Love, Best Love&rdquo;<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, we discuss how the love that once was, is no longer. What used to be a very passionate and intimate relationship has been reduced to individuals just going through the motions of love at best, or has become outright hostile and destructive behaviour or even worse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Almost universally, these relationships start out with a commonality of an initial elation, ecstasy, excitement, jubilation, joy, and delight. They experience an extremely pleasant and emotional feeling of euphoria as they become more and more intimate.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Initial-excitement-will-fade-at-some-point-in-time\"><\/span>Initial excitement will fade at some point in time<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is also almost universally common with our relationships, is that at some point those initial feelings of elation, ecstasy, euphoria, excitement, jubilation, joy, and delight are no longer there.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most couples have a great story about how they first met and fell in love but usually cannot pinpoint when they began to fall out of love. They may remember the various points in which they were disappointed or hurt, but the moment that the love began to fade is generally elusive.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Revelation 2:4 (KJV) Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"So-when-does-the-love-stop\"><\/span>So when does the love stop?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No, we&rsquo;re not talking about sex; because many couples continue to have physical sex even though their love for each other has faded. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The love fades when we stop sharing intimate knowledge with each other, and when we stop doing the intimate things we use to do with each other.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Revelation 2:5 (KJV) Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.<\/span><\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What God wants us to do is to remember and repent. When we ask couples to tell us about when they first met, their first date, when they first fell in love, and the day they got married&mdash;they always smile as they reminisce with fond memories of the past. Even if minutes ago during the counseling they were at each other&rsquo;s throats. Someone once said, &ldquo;God gave us memory so that we could remember the smell and beauty of roses in December.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reminisce-the-good-times-when-things-go-sour\"><\/span>Reminisce the good times when things go sour<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When we are in the December (harsh, cruel, gloomy, and stormy) seasons of our relationships, we need to remember the times when everything was &ldquo;Coming Up Roses&rdquo;!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that we&rsquo;ve remembered how things use to be, why we first got together, the purpose and dreams we use to have&mdash;now it&rsquo;s time to repent. That is, return or go back to doing the things we use to do when we were happy.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":""},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We all long for intimacy, and physical contact can appear as intimacy, at least for a moment. And although sex is defined as an intimate act; without intimacy, we can&rsquo;t truly experience all that God intended for us to experience. Don&rsquo;t miss understand us, we are all for the occasional &ldquo;Quickie&rdquo;. After all, the bible did say in the book of Ecclesiastes, &ldquo;To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:&rdquo;. So, when you don&rsquo;t have a lot of time, you&rsquo;ve got to do what you&rsquo;ve got to do. Sex is more than just <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":489,"featured_media":28469,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[31],"tags":[2524],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28467"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/489"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28467"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28488,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28467\/revisions\/28488"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marriage.com\/advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}