During courtship, guarding each other's purity and refraining from intimacy are the acts of lovemaking.

Every relationship for a Christian is an opportunity to love another person like God has loved us.

And I think that's the story of our generation's pursuit of fulfillment in relationships. We wished for intimacy without obligation. We wished for sex with no strings attached. We wished for the pleasure of love with none of work, none of the vows, none of the sacrifice.

And we got it.

But the results aren't what we hoped for. And we're left feeling emptier than before. The intimacy is superficial. The sex leaves us dissatisfied and hungry for something real, something true.

Where is true joy? It's found in God's brand of love - love founded on faithfulness, rooted in commitment.

The joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment.

The joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment.

‎True love isn't expressed in passionately whispered words an intimate kiss or a embrace; before two people are married, love is expressed in self-control, patience, even words left unsaid.

We express true love in obedience to God and service to others- not reckless or selfish behavior- and we choose these behaviors.