What does "intimacy" mean to you?

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Jullianna

Guest
#1
Intimacy is an incredibly important factor in a marriage. What does the word "intimacy" mean to you?
 
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simplyme_bekah

Guest
#2
kissing, holding hands, laughing together, taking showers together, making love as often as you can, being considerate towards the other by doing small things like picking a flower for her or leaving him the coffee pot prepared for his early morning before work, its snuggling up on the couch holding onto the other while you watch a movie, its kissing them hello and goodbye, its being kind to one another. Intimacy is way way more then making love.
 
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OFM

Guest
#3
totally total fully fully completely compelte oneness in spiritual spirit mind soul and body spiritually amen.
 
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OFM

Guest
#4
kissing, holding hands, laughing together, taking showers together, making love as often as you can, being considerate towards the other by doing small things like picking a flower for her or leaving him the coffee pot prepared for his early morning before work, its snuggling up on the couch holding onto the other while you watch a movie, its kissing them hello and goodbye, its being kind to one another. Intimacy is way way more then making love.
i agree with you
 

AsifinPassing

Senior Member
Jul 13, 2010
3,608
40
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#5
intimate

IN'TIMATE,a. [L. intimus, superl. of intus, or interus, within.]

1. Inmost; inward; internal; as intimate impulse.
2. Near; close.
He was honored with an intimate and immediate admission.
3. Close in friendship or acquaintance; familiar; as an intimate friend; intimate acquaintance.
IN'TIMATE, n. A familiar friend or associate; one to whom the thoughts of another are entrusted without reserve.

IN'TIMATE, v.i. To share together. [Not in use.]

IN'TIMATE, v.t. [Low L. intimo, to intimate, to register, to love entirely, to make one intimate, to enter, from intimus.]

To hint; to suggest obscurely, indirectly or not very plainly; to give slight notice of. He intimated his intention of resigning his office.

'Tis heaven itself that points out an hereafter,
And intimates eternity to man.
intimated

IN'TIMATED, pp. Hinted; slightly mentioned or signified.

intimately

IN'TIMATELY, adv. Closely; with close intermixture and union of parts; as two fluids intimately mixed.

1. Closely; with nearness of friendship or alliance; as two friends intimately united; two families intimately connected.
2. Familiarly; particularly; as, to be intimately acquainted with facts or with a subject.


Now for my personal summation, 'closest form of closeness' 'Becoming one'
 
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Strong1

Guest
#6
Asifin? come on now!
After you hit dictionary meanings, what in the world else are we supposed to say? :rolleyes:

So yeah, all of what he just said,......plus, complete HONESTY. ;)
 

AsifinPassing

Senior Member
Jul 13, 2010
3,608
40
48
#8
Asifin? come on now!
After you hit dictionary meanings, what in the world else are we supposed to say? :rolleyes:

So yeah, all of what he just said,......plus, complete HONESTY. ;)
Sorry! :p I just try to refer to the Noah Webster's Original 1828 Dictionary whenever the opportunity presents itself! :D

If you don't know, Noah Webster was a man who felt lead by God to create an index of words and their meanings, so that we may all understand and be of one accord. He was a wonderfully Godly man, and did write the first 'official' dictionary of the American English language. Huzzah for History, and Hallelujah for heroes of the faith!
 

Oncefallen

Idiot in Chief
Staff member
Jan 15, 2011
6,038
3,302
113
#9
The way I see it intimacy is dual faceted, there is the emotional intimacy and physical intimacy and both are equally important in a marriage.

To restate my comment from another recent thread, emotional intimacy is being "fully known and fully loved." Without the security that comes from knowing that you are loved in spite of your shortcomings and failures someone can really end up feeling insecure about their true standing with someone. Emotional intimacy means knowing that you are free to speak your mind and be yourself without fear of rejection.

Physical intimacy, well obviously sex falls into that, but also things like spending a quiet evening snuggled up on the couch just enjoying each others presence. For those of us who's primary love language is physical touch, a relationship missing the non sexual physical contact can leave us feeling empty inside.
 
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OFM

Guest
#10
nice commentary every one.
 

Oncefallen

Idiot in Chief
Staff member
Jan 15, 2011
6,038
3,302
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#11
I had to revisit this subject. In order to reach that point of being "fully known and fully loved" both people have to reach a point of absolute transparency and as a result absolute vulnerability which can be somewhat unnerving for a lot of people, but without it you miss out on the absolute security in that relationship.

The levels of communication that develop that transparency brings a deeper understanding of both yourself and your partner that is vital to a healthy relationship because it brings with it the ability to understand their little quirks, mood changes, etc.
 
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oracle2world

Guest
#12
Shared bodily warmth.
 

lil_christian

Senior Member
Mar 14, 2010
7,489
73
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#13
I had to revisit this subject. In order to reach that point of being "fully known and fully loved" both people have to reach a point of absolute transparency and as a result absolute vulnerability which can be somewhat unnerving for a lot of people, but without it you miss out on the absolute security in that relationship.

The levels of communication that develop that transparency brings a deeper understanding of both yourself and your partner that is vital to a healthy relationship because it brings with it the ability to understand their little quirks, mood changes, etc.

Yeah I kinda was referring to that earlier...and unfortunately I probably won't ever be able to get married because of that point right there. I RARELY let my guard down around ANYBODY. The only one I am totally transparent to is God. Because I know He already knows. So no use hiding anything from God lol but people are a totally different story. (I've been like this for pretty much all my life, so I doubt much will change in 5, 10, or even 15 years when you say I can date Oncefallen! :p)
 
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nw2u

Guest
#14
I had to revisit this subject. In order to reach that point of being "fully known and fully loved" both people have to reach a point of absolute transparency and as a result absolute vulnerability which can be somewhat unnerving for a lot of people, but without it you miss out on the absolute security in that relationship.

The levels of communication that develop that transparency brings a deeper understanding of both yourself and your partner that is vital to a healthy relationship because it brings with it the ability to understand their little quirks, mood changes, etc.

Yes. This is it. Through God, this can be achieved. I have not found this in anyone, not even myself. Believe me, I have tried. It is much easier to share than to open up alone in a relationship. It is partly why my separation hurt so badly. I was intimate enough that I became horribly vulnerable.

The problem is, God says guard your heart. You cannot do this and guard your heart at the same time. It is a dilemma. Do I misunderstand the message? I suppose Paul is suggesting, with love, the past does not matter?

Used against someone, the information provided by intimacy can be devastating. Is it worth the risk? Is it biblical to be that intimate? Is it simply human nature to desire that kind of closeness?
 

Oncefallen

Idiot in Chief
Staff member
Jan 15, 2011
6,038
3,302
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#15
Lil, that kind of transparency rarely comes naturally, it is something that has to be practiced at. For some of us that learned from experience at a young age that other people aren't safe, it is considerably more difficult. Believe me, being able to sit around and talk about my deepest darkest moments in life people didn't come easily or naturally, and it is few people that get to see that side of me.

nw2u, I wholeheartedly agree that complete transparency and the vulnerability that comes with it can end up being used against us in the hands of the wrong people. Wisdom is absolutely necessary as to who to develop that kind of intimacy with, male or female. The Hebrew word Yada that is translated as knew (as in Adam knew Eve and she conceived) in the tense that is used encompasses not only the physical knowledge, but the emotional knowledge.
 
F

flight316

Guest
#16
To connect spiritually under the jurusdiction of God and walk together as one.
 
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keep_on_smiling

Guest
#17
Great responses so far, I agree with a lot of them. :) When I think of intimacy, I think of that strong connection/bond between two people that when they look at one another they know how the other is feeling, what they are thinking, and have that feeling of fulfillment and peace.
 
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Jullianna

Guest
#18
Yeah I kinda was referring to that earlier...and unfortunately I probably won't ever be able to get married because of that point right there. I RARELY let my guard down around ANYBODY. The only one I am totally transparent to is God. Because I know He already knows. So no use hiding anything from God lol but people are a totally different story. (I've been like this for pretty much all my life, so I doubt much will change in 5, 10, or even 15 years when you say I can date Oncefallen! :p)
The right guy can change all of that ;) But not for a looooooooooooong time young lady! :p
 

Oncefallen

Idiot in Chief
Staff member
Jan 15, 2011
6,038
3,302
113
#19
The right guy can change all of that ;) But not for a looooooooooooong time young lady! :p
Yep, 15 years. :D

Absolutely Jullianna, it takes the right person to open the doors to our heart.
 
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#20
and when your wife decides that is no longer important and is an afterthought you might as well kiss your marriage goodbye