Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. From this truth, you and I can know that faith responds to our believing. The moment we hear the truth of God’s Word and believe it, faith is set in motion. This piece of information is very helpful to us, because it stresses the importance of filtering what we hear. Our quest to receive what God has in store should motivate us to disconnect from the wrong information, and only open our ear-gates to God’s Word. This builds our faith exponentially.
For the single Christian woman that is praying to cross paths with her future spouse, if you haven’t met him yet, then you’re still in preparation mode. You still have the awesome privilege to continue receiving the Holy Spirit’s aide and guidance, as he prepares you to be the wife that God wants you to be. Oneness as it relates to physical intimacy is an area where we may need to develop more of the Spirit’s fruit. Patience, compassion, and thoughtfulness are a must. It’s important to give this subject some forethought because expectations between a couple can be very different.
We are required to first consider what God says about it. In 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 (NLT), He tells us, “3 The husband should fulfill his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should fulfill her husband’s needs. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
We need to pray and talk with God often about His standard in this passage. He doesn’t change, neither does His Word. Our goal should be to have faith in the area of marital fulfillment and unity. Faith requires that we hear, believe, and obey God’s Word. Then we can have peace regarding this aspect of marriage prior to even meeting our future spouses. 1Corinthians 7:3-5 is sometimes glossed over for some believers, even those that are married. It could be because many find the subject matter uncomfortable, and quite frankly, it takes a great deal of spiritual and emotional maturity to approach it. Some men are not as sensitive and compassionate as the women in their lives would like, and this is more of a reason for the single woman to be patient as the Lord leads her to cross paths with the right person.
Heavenly Father has created us in such a way that physical intimacy helps a married couple to preserve the unity in their relationship. His standard is such that a marital couple should fulfill each other’s sexual needs, that they give each other authority over each other’s bodies, and not deprive one another. We can fall beautifully in line with God’s standard in 1Corinthians 7:3-5 when we allow Him to lead us through His Holy Spirit.
There are some women who withhold sex from their husbands when the couple has had a disagreement or argument. There are also men who may be sympathetic when their wives don’t feel well, but still want physical intimacy and feel severely slighted when the wife doesn’t comply. Persistent issues like these can cause significant and long-lasting riffs in the relationship. God doesn’t want us to be ignorant about this subject and has warned that this is an area in marriage where the devil will pounce if given opportunity. We need to be wise, contemplative, and most importantly, be prayerful. Use this time wisely to build the temperament that will prepare you for sexual intimacy that honors God’s standard for the marriage covenant. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“When Saying ‘Yes’ Is A Challenge”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2018. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.