Sexual Expression Within Marriage

 

 I was raised by parents who did not talk to me about the importance of sexual expression within marriage. The only time my parents talked to me about sex was to tell me that it was evil and bad and that I should not do it. Once I married and sexual expression was the expectation, I had a difficult time letting go of the idea that sex was bad. I had spent too many years telling myself that I was not supposed to have sex and that sex was bad. These ideas and feelings created a difficult hurdle for me and my marriage. My husband was patient with me as I learned to embrace sexuality in marriage but there were still too many tears, too much hurt, and too much sadness experienced over something that should have brought us both joy and happiness.

In the article Fulfilling the Sexual Stewardship in Marriage by Sean E. Brotherson he says,"As couples learn to communicate about sexual intimacy, they must learn to become comfortable with the topic and expressing their feelings and thoughts in specific ways. This is something that does not happen immediately, but over time as a couple trusts each other and learns to talk about a subject that may have been glossed over quickly or left undiscussed previously." My husband and I had to learn to communicate about our sexual expression and what we both wanted sex to be for us. It was an uncomfortable subject for us to discuss at first but it was a necessary part of creating a mutual understanding and appreciation for one another.

As a mother myself now, I have chosen to teach my children about sex differently than my parents taught me. I have taught my kids that sex is a gift from God and that He wants us to experience and enjoy sex with our spouse. I have taught them that sexual expression is a unique kind of love that God has allowed us to explore and enjoy as husband and wife. God does not want us to feel that our sexuality is evil or perverse. God gave us the sexual feelings because it is part of His plan for families. Satan is the one who wants us to be conflicted about sex and to view sex as dirty or filthy. I am thankful that my children and I have had an open and candid dialogue about sexual expression as a form of love and that they are willing and comfortable talking to me about any questions or concerns they have about this subject.





 We know that our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy as husbands and wives. We know that He has created a way for husbands and wives to enjoy and fulfill one another in a special way that strengthens marriage and is reserved only for the bonds of matrimony. What a blessing it is to be able to love one another and give to one another a satisfaction and joy that only a husband and wife should share! It took me a long time to truly understand sexual expression and see it as a form of love but I am thankful that I have been able to help my children view sex in a light that makes it important and special. Hopefully as they marry they will understand sexual expression better and recognize it as a blessing that God has given us as His children.