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b"Today I'm tackling the question: Is sex a need or a want? \\xa0I've actually written about this in the past\\xa0but it\\xa0was about 3.5 years ago, and I have a lot of new readers since then and now new listeners who haven't heard my views on this subject. \\xa0So, here we go.\\n\\n\\nShow Notes\\nIntroduction\\n\\n \\tMany people exhibit side effects of a lack of sex, or a low frequency of sex.\\n \\tThese side effects can be physical, they can be psychological,\\xa0they can be emotional and they can be relational\\n \\tOften one spouse experiences the effects more than the other. \\xa0But, does this mean they need\\xa0sex more often, or just that they want sex more often?\\n\\nThe conflict\\n\\n \\tUsually it's the higher drive spouse who experiences the negative effects of a lack of sex.\\n \\tGenerally the lower drive spouse has other things they'd rather be doing. \\xa0Often, particularly when you have young children, and if the lower-drive spouse is the wife, the conflict is often between preferring sleep over sex, or visa-versa.\\n \\tWho's need is more important? \\xa0Well, if the low-drive spouse has veto power over sex, then they win by default, regardless of whether it's a need or a want.\\n\\nHow do we solve this?\\nUsing the example of sleep and sex:\\n\\n \\tIf sex is a need and sleep is a need, then you have a stalemate.\\n \\tIf sex is a want and sleep is a want, then again, you have a stalemate.\\n \\tIf sleep is a want and sex is a need, then sex should definitely be an option.\\n \\tIf sleep is a need and sex is a want, then the high-drive spouse is viewed as selfish. \\xa0As we talked about last week, often this is how the low-drive spouse feels, because they may not see sex as a need, and so their spouse is obviously flawed, broken, selfish or abusive for wanting sex above whatever they feel their need is.\\n\\nWhat does the Bible say?\\n\\n \\t1 Corinthians 7:3-5 says that sex is certainly a need, in fact we're commanded to be available to our spouses, to not deprive them.\\n \\tThat doesn't mean we can compel our spouses to have sex. \\xa0After all, Ephesians 5:25-28 says that we need to love in a sacrificial way.\\n \\tSo, what's the answer? \\xa0Ideally, we each love selflessly, seeing the needs of the relationship above our individual desires.\\n \\tSometimes that means individual desires need to be met so\\xa0that the relationship can\\xa0thrive.\\n\\nMy conclusion\\n\\n \\tSex is not an individual need, thought it may be an individual want.\\n \\tHowever, it is a relational need for marriage. \\xa0Without frequent sex, the relationship gets damaged. \\xa0How? \\xa0More on that next week.\\n\\nWhat's going on this week?\\nDon't forget to check out this week's marriage challenge."