God Created Human Beings to Have Intimacy
Running head: MARITAL INTIMACY SKILLS 1
Defining and Training Marital Intimacy Skills
Liberty University
MARITAL INTIMACY SKILLS 2
Abstract
God created human beings to have intimacy. From the beginning He said it is no good for man to be alone. (Genesis 2:18, NIV) As amazing as this may seem, even though Adam had a close and intimate relationship with God, God knew that Adam needed other types of intimacy; the kind of intimacy another human being can only offer. Not saying that God is not enough or sufficient to fill and satisfy any heart, but God has placed within our hearts the need of intimacy with other human beings. This report will focused on four aspects of intimacy, which include emotional, spiritual, intellectual and sexual intimacy. The report will define each area of intimacy, give examples and practical advice on how to train marital intimacy skills. It is designed to help couples understand the basic needs of their spouse and the different ways they may contribute to their partner’s fulfillment and satisfaction in marriage.
MARITAL INTIMACY SKILLS 3
Defining and Training Marital Intimacy Skills Emotional intimacy refers to the emotional closeness two people are able to feel or develop over certain time period. It is the place where a couple is able to share and be transparent about their feelings and emotions. Sadly many couples do not experience this type of intimacy, this lack of intimacy is clearly seen our society today. The Americans for Divorce Reform estimates that “It is estimated that 40% of all marriages have ended in divorce as of 2008” (Wikipedia, 2011) But what can we do to change this? What can we do to experience emotional intimacy with the people we love the most, especially our spouse? First of all, we need to understand the basic emotional needs of our spouse, which are different between men and women. According to an investigation Dr. Rosberg (2003) and his wife realized there are
Defining and Training Marital Intimacy Skills
Liberty University
MARITAL INTIMACY SKILLS 2
Abstract
God created human beings to have intimacy. From the beginning He said it is no good for man to be alone. (Genesis 2:18, NIV) As amazing as this may seem, even though Adam had a close and intimate relationship with God, God knew that Adam needed other types of intimacy; the kind of intimacy another human being can only offer. Not saying that God is not enough or sufficient to fill and satisfy any heart, but God has placed within our hearts the need of intimacy with other human beings. This report will focused on four aspects of intimacy, which include emotional, spiritual, intellectual and sexual intimacy. The report will define each area of intimacy, give examples and practical advice on how to train marital intimacy skills. It is designed to help couples understand the basic needs of their spouse and the different ways they may contribute to their partner’s fulfillment and satisfaction in marriage.
MARITAL INTIMACY SKILLS 3
Defining and Training Marital Intimacy Skills Emotional intimacy refers to the emotional closeness two people are able to feel or develop over certain time period. It is the place where a couple is able to share and be transparent about their feelings and emotions. Sadly many couples do not experience this type of intimacy, this lack of intimacy is clearly seen our society today. The Americans for Divorce Reform estimates that “It is estimated that 40% of all marriages have ended in divorce as of 2008” (Wikipedia, 2011) But what can we do to change this? What can we do to experience emotional intimacy with the people we love the most, especially our spouse? First of all, we need to understand the basic emotional needs of our spouse, which are different between men and women. According to an investigation Dr. Rosberg (2003) and his wife realized there are