The joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment

[crisipicada]

Being close to someone is what someone desire in life. We become dependent and feeling vulnerable and open to someone. It is giving to and receiving from another person the deepest parts of who we are and we are willing to give the live to someone for a life time.This moment of intimacy of relationship has in common is TRUST. In the long run of knowing each other, two people has proven their faithfulness, people who have shown over time that they will be careful to guard what we have given of ourselves. We become intimate with people who are committed to us. Do you desire that?

Yes, indeed, I do desire that. I do believe that it is gift from God. The gift of having an intimate relationship to other person with which we long for is one of the most fulfilling and precious parts of life. Different kinds of intimate relationships in life - can be to a friend, to family members, with our coworker, but the most meaningful of intimate relationship is the one between a husband and wife who share not only hearts but also their bodies in sexual intimacy wherein two people know each other in a profound way.

If we only committed to be true and honest with someone in life, the joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment, without commitment for a life time, is like icing on a cake, sweet but make us sick.

[Edwin]

Genesis 2:23; "And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. 24; Thereforee shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 25; "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."

This is natural, and God planned it, so it is not only desirable, but beneficial. Any who forbid to marry for whatever reason are going against the plan of God. The couple is to help each other during their good times and during their bad times. They are to be company to each other and support. They are to avoid loneliness, and to comfort each other. It is all good to have a wife and to have intimacy. There are great rewards and blessings in it. It is blissful.

Love is God. He ordained it, and one person's love for another is of God.

Lust is something else. Proverbs 6:25; "Lust not after her beauty in thing heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids." 27; "Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?" 29: "So he that goeth in to his neighbor's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent." 32; "But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul."

I think lust is a strong desire for something that is not to be yours and is not right. Lust is always wrong and does not satify the cravings.

"Like icing on the cake, sweet, but it makes us sick" Sin always has a sting. Ezekiel 18:20; "The soul that sinneth, it shall die...." 23; "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and notd that he should return from his ways, and live?"

Romans 14:17; "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

Champagne has pain afterwards but God's gifts and blessings have no pain afterwards!

Just because it feels good that does not make it right. What feels good and is not right feels really bad later. Just because the frosting tastes good, that does not mean it is good for us. It is always best to do things right and to do them God's way.

[Edwin]

Commitment is important. People in our world don't want to commit. People don't want to be commited to each other, and so they might live together which in God's sight is sin and brings His judgement on them. Commitment is part of life. We must be commited to our studies if we want to be successful in school. We must be commited to a church if we want to be a successful church member. We are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together, and so much the more as you see the day of the Lord approaching. There are rewards to assembling together. We recieve admonishments which benefit our souls. We recevie comfort which we all need. We have blessings in worship which lifts our spirits. We have comradery in which we encourage each other. It is good to commit to each other. I have heard of people who team up with each other to keep each other accountable. They get together and question each other of their daily lives with the Lord. They confess to each other their failings, and then attempts to do better. I have never been into that myself, but I know many people do practice it with benefits from the efforts made. I think we live in a world of broken commitments, and as Christians we are to be commited to our Lord Jesus Christ, and commited to each other.

[crisipicada]

It is important to have commitment since it is what God wants us to any relationships. Commitment in the sense that it is for a life time. Relationships are not always bed of roses. There are thorns of roses, too. Some relationships are motivated by feelings, and if feelings are gone, then also ends the relationship.

What I am talking about is that, relationship in any kind - family, friends, romantic - will not always smooth. Along the way, there are trials and hardships. There are bad things will happen. Sometimes you do not understand why is this like that. And why what I am expecting is not what is happening. This is because it is of a testing period of time. Sometimes, we need to widen our horizon to understand someone. Let us have commitment for this is the only thing that holds a relationship - a commitment to stay together and hold together despite of everything. Just take time to listen and understand and you will see the beauty of commitment.

[Edwin]

Yes, Crisi, God wants commitment from us to Him, to our family, to our friends, to our neighbors, to our spouses. You are right that many times people team up/get married for the wrong reasons, and when those reasons are gone, so is the marriage. Some enter into marriage thinking if it doesn't work, we will end it, and that attitude doesn't help keep the marriage working. Carol and I have had tough times in various ways, but when we got married, it was for better for worse for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do we part. Both of us believe that and are commited to it, and even at that temptations come when things get hard, but we must do the right and not the wrong as followers of Jesus. So, we are together as long as we are both alive.

[crisipicada]

Some people would get into marriage with no intention of committing themselves for a life time. This is the sad fact that is happening in world today. Thus, it becomes the standard. Being Christian, we must live above the worlds standard. We must change our attitude about dating and courting. If we cannot commitment at all, whey date then? Short term dating makes your heart hurt all over again. Why not try to meditate that it is a serious thing to deal with, for the joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment.

[Edwin]

Yes, Crisi, as Christians we are called to a higher standard. The standards of even worldly people have dropped in recent years. What used to be wrong people don't consider wrong anymore. The standards of people even in the churches have dropped also. What used to be considered sin, is no longer considered sin, although in God's eyes it is still sin. Just because everyone is doing it, that does not make it right. We are to live above reproach, so that no one can say anything bad about our lives and make the church or Christianity look bad. Yes, the reward of committment is intimacy. The only right way is to do it God's way!