Photo by thephotographymuse at Flickr.com
To all you engaged women, newlywed wives or women that have been married for many years. If you will just follow some simple principles, and accept some simple truths about men, I promise that in 99% of cases the passion in your marriage will never die.
I believe as Christians we must speak bluntly about sexuality and I hope you will bear with me as some of the statements I make here might be offensive to some Christian readers, although that is not my intention. I don’t mean to be crude either, but there are some things that must be said.
If sex is so important to having a passionate relationship in marriage then how do Christian couples have passion before they are married?
Many Christian women ask this question, since as Christians we believe sex is reserved for marriage. The answer is that a Christian man’s passion for his girlfriend and then his fiancé is still fueled by his sexuality even before marriage. I do not mean to say a man marries his wife only for sex. Hopefully he is marrying her for what they share in common, that he believes she will make a good wife and a good mother to his children. But make no mistake, his passion for his wife to be is no less fueled by his sexual feelings toward her before marriage, then it will be after marriage.
The three attitudes of Wives toward to their husband’s sexuality
The first wife, is a religious woman who sees sexuality as “base” and a necessary biological function of marriage and reproduction. She will do her “duty”, and give her husband what he needs, what the Bible requires of her, no more, no less. Another name for this type of woman is a “prude”.
The second type of wife is a feminist, who believes that the way a woman gives and receives love, through emotional and verbal connection is a superior form of love. She looks down on her husband’s need for sexual variety, or the fact that he may want to have sex the moment he comes in the door without saying a word. This to her is the very definition of shallowness.
The third type of wife, may be religious or not. But she knows something about men that many women have known since the beginning of creation.
She understands the way to a man’s heart is through his penis.
This third type of wife also knows this truth about men, can be abused. Women have manipulated and controlled men through this powerful knowledge. Women have turned empires against one another through the power of sex. So when it comes to men this power can be used for good, or for evil.
I see some books say men need to be more “emotionally intelligent” toward their wives. But I would argue that women need to be more “sexually intelligent” toward their husbands.
It is easier to be “sexually intelligent” than “emotionally intelligent”
Sexual intelligence requires a certain attitude, and certain actions that follow that attitude. It does not require feelings. This is a foreign concept to most women, because women are typically much more emotional than men. God designed women with a more emotional nature, but he did not intend for every action a woman takes to governed by her feelings.
God wants women to do the right thing in spite of their feelings. God wants a woman to channel the beautiful gift of empathy he has given her into caring for her children, her husband and those around her in need. He wants her to weep with those weep, mourn with those who mourn and laugh with those who laugh. But God does not want a woman saying – “Since I don’t feel like doing this or that for my husband, whether it is in the sexual arena or otherwise, then I should not have to do it.”
Women do things all the time they don’t feel like doing. It is part of being an adult. Women go to work when they don’t feel like it. Women cook dinner for their husbands and families when they don’t feel like it. Women get up in the middle of the night to rock a crying baby to sleep when they don’t feel like it. The point is, women are capable of doing things when their feelings are not in it, because they know it is the right thing to do.
So what does it mean for a wife to be “sexually intelligent” toward her husband?
When I say the way to a man’s heart is through his penis I don’t literally mean a wife just needs to have her hands on her husband’s penis whenever she is not otherwise occupied. In fact I agree with what some have said that the brain is the most important sex organ, as opposed to the penis. However, a man’s penis is the symbol of his sexuality. So another way to phrase this truth is “the way to a man’s heart is through his sexuality”.
Here are a list of actions (and attitudes) a wife should have toward her husband’s sexuality (OK it turned out to be 20 and not 10 because of formatting issues):
- Don’t make your husband feel shallow because of his sexual nature. As a wife you need to erase this type of thinking from your mind. His sexuality is a gift from God, and you should treat it as such.
- Recognize your husband’s need to be visually aroused. Men are visual creatures, it is how God designed us. This does not mean you have to dress like a whore or a prostitute. But you can dress in a more sexy way that extenuates the body that God gave you that was part of what drew your husband to you in the first place. Here are some practical ways you can meet this need of your husband to be visually aroused:
- Wear shirts that show some cleavage. This does not mean you have your breasts hanging completely out. It just means not wearing shirts all the time that go all the way up to your neckline.
- Baggy clothes are a big no-no. You don’t have to wear skin tight jeans and daisy duke shorts, but you should wear clothes that show your figure and your beauty. Obviously there is also age appropriate clothing. I am not saying a 40 year old woman needs to dress like a 20 year old woman, but a 40 year old woman can still dress in a sexy, yet age appropriate way for her husband.
- Show some leg. Women may disagree on where the line is, but most men like to see some leg on their wife. Wear dresses and shorts that show your legs.
- If the barn needs painting, then paint it. This is an old expression a pastor of my church from many years ago used to say. Not all women need makeup, but some do. If makeup enhances your beauty, then use it.
- Listen to your husband’s opinion about your appearance. Especially when it comes to how you keep your hair and how you dress. Maybe he like’s your hair shorter, maybe he likes it longer, or maybe he likes it a different color. Maybe he likes a certain dress on you, or certain shirts. Unless what he is asking you to do something with your appearance that feels blatantly immoral, then you should do it. Learn to break out of your comfort zone.
- Use what your God gave you! Once you are wearing more attractive clothing for your husband, come over by him sometimes and give him a good angle on that cleavage. If you look good in those jeans, bend over nice and slow to pick up that pen you dropped in front him. Tease him with your beauty.
- Lingerie. One of the nicest ways to please your husband is with lingerie and it is a great surprise to him when he comes into the room thinking you are just going to sleep and he sees you there in some sexy lingerie, this is a huge thing to most men.
- Nudity is good too! Make sure to let your husband see you getting undressed for bed or changing to go someplace for dinner. Invite your husband to take a shower with you from time to time. I remember years back reading a book on romance from Dennis and Barbara Rainy (don’t remember the title). In it they mention the story of a young Pastor’s wife who asked her husband what she could do to help him be a more a spiritual man. He said “surprise me some time by meeting me at the door naked when I come home”. What he was saying is –if you meet my sexual needs to be visually aroused by your body, I will be less likely to be tempted by other women and it will help make me a more spiritual man. Women need to understand this vital truth!
- Don’t get mad at your husband when he looks at other women. As long as your husband is not gawking or acting perverted about it, when your husband sees a nice woman walking by don’t shame him. God has made men as creatures of variety, and by “variety” I mean that men are naturally wired to appreciate a variety of different women. Realize that just because he looks at other women this does not mean he does not think you are beautiful too, it is just his wiring. If you really want to be courageous and show your security with your husband’s visual wiring, ask him from time to time if he thinks a certain woman is pretty, or who his favorite actresses are. I wrote a whole series on this important topic – click here to read it.
- Moans and Groans. Yep as husbands we like to hear that we are pleasing our wives. Obviously anything can be overdone, but most women don’t error on the side of overdoing this.
- Initiate sex. I completely recognize the fact that most women like to be pursued when it comes to sex and this normal. I agree that 80 percent of the time men need to be doing the initiating and the pursing (this actually is part of the process that turns women on). But if you as a wife rarely initiate sex, you need to change that.
- Rain checks. A rain check when it comes to sex is when you as a wife have to gently turn your husband down when he tries to initiate foreplay. Perhaps you are sick to your stomach, or maybe your period is extra heavy at that particular time. While he needs to show patience and understanding during these times, you also need to make good on your sexual “rain check”. That means it now becomes your responsibility to initiate the next sexual encounter with your husband, to let him know you are re-opened for “business”.
- Oral sex. Yep I said it. It’s the truth. Learn it, do it. There are few sexual acts that make a man feel more loved by his wife, or evoke more passion in a man toward his wife than when she performs oral sex on him.
- Groping is usually OK for most men. This is one where a few rare men would disagree. But unlike most women, most guys do not mind at all having being groped by their wives. This can be a great type of foreplay when a couple is out on a romantic date, or when they are driving home from some place, letting him know what is soon to follow.
- Legs spread. A lot of women think this kind of thing is un-lady like. In marriage nothing could be further from the truth. There are few things sexier to a man than when his wife pulls up her skirt to reveal no underwear and invites her husband into his favorite garden to enjoy his choice fruits (there is a reference to this in the Song of Solomon).
- Variety of positions and places. Try to make sure you have variety in your sexual positions, don’t get dogged down in one position, many couples get stuck on the missionary style. Try having sex in different rooms of your house.
- Recognize when sex is not happening. If your husband has not initiated sex in some time, or you seem to have to be initiating all the time, talk to him about it. Ask him if there any problems. Sometimes men take work stress or other stresses home with them when they should not. Gently and respectfully talk to him.
- Fake it till you make it! This old saying (not original to me) applies to many areas of life and it certainly applies to being a sexually intelligent wife. Realize that sometimes your feelings will match your sexual actions towards your husband, and sometimes they will not. But what many women come to realize is, once they break out of their sexual comfort zone and start doing these things with their husbands, they soon come to like it! They love the passion it creates in their husband toward them outside of the bedroom and clearly see the rewards of adding these actions and attitudes to their marriage.
Are you saying wives don’t care about sex?
I am sure there are some women reading this that are taking away from this that I believe all women care nothing for sex. That could not be further from the truth. Most women want sex too. They may not want it as often or in the same ways, but they definitely want it. In some rare instances, some wives want sex more than their husbands do.
But for the vast majority of women, even those with higher libidos, their passion comes from being emotionally and verbally connected with first, and from tender touch. For men their passion starts from and is fueled by their sexuality, and then their emotional connection can come as a result of that passion.
Conclusion
So as a wife you have a choice. Do you want a more passionate marriage? Perhaps if you are a newlywed wife you are wondering how you can keep the passion you are currently experiencing. Then follow these 10 actions (attitudes) and principles, regardless of how you feel at different times and I promise that in 99% of cases the passion in your marriage will never die.
If however you as a wife come to reject most of what I have said here, be sure that sooner or later the passion in your marriage will die. If you say as I have seen some Christian women in Christian forums say, “this makes a Christian wife no more than a glorified prostitute” then you have completely missed what I have said, and again, eventually the passion in your marriage will fade.
Yes if you are married to a Christian man, he may remain faithful to you (as he should), but don’t be surprised when the romantic things he used to do towards you dry up and go away. Don’t be surprised when he gets more involved in his hobbies and his job and does not seem to want to spend as much time with you as he once did. Be prepared for little to no emotional attachment on his part toward you.
Wives – the choice is yours.
