The Joy of Intimacy

At my conferences, when I teach on this subject of intimacy and sex, the auditorium goes suddenly still, or people begin to laugh and giggle. People get very uncomfortable when the subject of sex is mentioned, yet cultivating intimacy is one of the most important keys to enjoying a successful marriage.

Today, I love and enjoy my husband, and we have a good time together. But coming from an abusive background, I wasn’t always at ease with my own sexuality. When it was time to come together in an intimate way, I was tense and rigid. I refused to leave any of the lights on, and I couldn’t even open my eyes. I had real problems because of the way that I had been treated before I married Dave.

Buried in the back of my mind was the thought, This whole act is not right. As I prayed and sought God’s help, He slowly but surely began to help me view intimacy and sex for what He created it to be—a loving act between me and my husband that strengthens our relationship. And with time—and Dave’s incredible patience and kindness—God healed my emotional wounds from the past and brought me into a new place of freedom where I could truly enjoy my sex life.

You see, unless perverted outside of marriage, God designed sex to be holy, fun, and wholesome! It’s a stress reliever that brings two people into a closeness that cannot be found in any other way except through a right relationship in a marriage union.

Think about it: If Satan works so hard at perverting something, it’s because he knows how much power there is in cultivating a good sex life. He knows what the Word says. He heard Jesus say, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19 NIV).

Agreement is a powerful weapon of spiritual warfare against the enemy. Two people who are in agreement can cause miracles to happen. If a husband and wife are in agreement, Satan comprehends the damage they could do to his own plan to steal the blessings of God from them.

As the years go by in a marriage, I know this can be an area that gets put to the side. But I encourage you to take purposeful steps to increase intimacy with your spouse. Choose to view sex and intimacy as a gift from God to add more joy and fun into your marriage. As you do, it will strengthen your relationship, and you will enjoy a closer bond than ever before.

_{Adapted from the book Making Marriage Work by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2000 by Joyce Meyer. Published by FaithWords. All rights reserved.}