Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Allowing Intimacy: Getting Close - Part 3

An early pioneer in the field of psychology observed two basic entities known as the pain and pleasure principle. I'm sure you would agree that most people try to avoid pain, and when it's felt, an all-out effort is exerted to find relief. Too much emotional pain caused by a significant other can lead to despair and often finds relief by creating distance.

What causes a couple to gravitate toward pain and despair? Differences in personalities, beliefs, and positions taken on issues are fertile grounds for hurt feelings, conflict, and misunderstanding. Ideally, pain caused by personal differences could lead to deeper closeness and intimacy when communication leads to understanding and is honored and accepted.

Positive change is possible when pain is viewed as a friendly messenger. Pain becomes the gateway to wisdom if permitted to do so. Job 6:25 proclaims: "How painful are honest words." If you can trust your inward pain to a loved one who hears and understands, a door opens to a deeper, more pleasurable intimate relationship.  

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