What is Intimacy?

Intimacy is taking an introspective look into your partner’s soul. It’s the experience of emotional closeness that lights up the human spirit. It occurs when two people are emotionally open with one another, and reveal their true feelings, thoughts, fears, and desires. It’s only when you can see the deepest parts of your spouse, and accept him or her unconditionally, with an extreme delight, that you can be fully intimate. This is why Proverbs 5:18 says, “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.”Looking for a deeper level of intimacy in a mate is a normal part of healthy relationship building, but there is a deeper connection that the human spirit cries out for: God’s love. For us to experience a close relationship with our partner, we first need to experience the unconditional love from our Heavenly Father. We can't consistently demonstrate this kind of affection toward someone if we've never experienced being loved by God. Getting to know another person more deeply through experiences, sexually, emotionally, spiritually, or intellectually can be exciting. However, pre-marrieds often are looking to fulfill an unmet need, deal with loneliness, escape an abusive family life, or believe that marriage will help them heal a deep emotional wound. What I’ve learned is that marriage can certainly help a person deal with life’s traumas, but it’s dangerous to only rely on your partner. God has put a marriage partner there to offer help, but it is through a relationship with God that a couple musters the strength to handle life’s challenges. What does intimacy mean to you?