Relationship Corner by Dr. Gary Chapman - Physical Intimacy in Marriage Part 2 of 2

Men and women are similar, yet vastly different. That was God’s design. In the sexual area of life, God also made us different.

The Desire For Intimacy
Men are stimulated by sight. The female is far more stimulated by tender touch, affirming words, and acts of thoughtfulness. That is why many wives have said, “Sex doesn’t begin in the bedroom. It begins in the kitchen. It doesn’t start at night. It starts in the morning.” The way she is treated and spoken to throughout the day will have a profound effect upon her desire for sexual intimacy.

I’m convinced that if husbands would follow the Biblical admonition to “dwell with their wives according to knowledge” (I Peter 3:7), they would discover the sexual intimacy which God designed marriage to provide.

The Effect On Family
Intimacy between the husband and wife spills over into the rest of family life. If intimacy is missing in the marital relationship, it will likely be distorted in parent-child relationships and in sibling relationships. In healthy families, husbands and wives make their marriage top priority. Intimacy between a husband and wife not only serves their own needs, but provides the highest level of emotional security for children.

It is my own commitment to this principle that has led me to invest the bulk of my time and energy in the field of marriage enrichment. Both my writing and my seminars focus on the marital relationship.

I am fully convinced that my greatest contribution to the children of this generation lies in helping their mothers and fathers build intimate marriages. It was God who said the two are to become “one flesh." In this reality, marriage finds its highest purpose.

There are five love languages. What's yours? Take the 30-second quiz.

Excerpt taken from The Family You've Always Wanted: Five Ways You Can Make it Happen by Dr. Gary Chapman. To find out more about Gary Chapman's resources, visit www.fivelovelanguages.com.