Borrowing Time

1 Corinthians 7:1, 6 MSG

"Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations? Certainly—but only within a certain context. It's good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to "stand up for your rights." Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it's for the purposes of prayer and fasting—but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I'm not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence—only providing my best counsel if you should choose them."

Recently, Robin and I accepted a challenge put forth by colleagues of ours in marriage ministry. What was the challenge? It was marriage-strengthening, it was intimate, it was fun, it was satisfying,  it was incredible and it was - A CHALLENGE!

We were challenged to have sex, make love, be intimate, however you want to label it, at least once a day for seven days.

You might be thinking, "What's the challenge in that?" Try it! As good as it was, we discovered, within ourselves, a fact that we warn other couples about.

Life can be draining - emotionally, mentally, physically and relationally. We wind up borrowing energy that could be used for a intimate and sexual encounter to use to get through the day.

Priorities! It was amazing what the challenge did for our marriage. In honesty and transparency, we went through day six, when back injuries, treatments and borrowing took it's toll. However those six days transformed something in us - it re-ignited a holiness and an intimacy in our marriage.

Not surprisingly, many couples of varying ages are, simply put, not having sex on a regular basis, or regularly enough to be the spiritual warfare that it can be in a marriage.

Where are you borrowing time and energy in your life that is stealing from your sex life?

Good sex isn't the only thing in a successful marriage, but it is a important aspect. Want an increase in holiness? Want an increase in intimacy? Stop borrowing time and energy from your sexual potential.

Can you go 3, 5, 7 days straight to re-ignite your sexual lives. Regardless of the amount of time, you will be amazed at what it will for your marriage.

Are you battling for your marriage? Battle together in the bedroom.