Tough Love

Mondays Encouragement for Living
Tough Love
by Anthony Walker of Anthony's Desk

We have all heard of the practice or discipline called "tough love." I struggled with understanding this term as a child because it doesn't sound like it makes sense. Tough being harsh. Love being kind, patient, gentle. I just couldn't get the concept of "harsh gentleness". You won't find anything in the Bible that resembles that. 

Upon further research, I found the term to mean "The use of strict disciplinary measures and limitations on freedoms or privileges, as by a parent or guardian, as a means of fostering responsibility and expressing care or concern." Most times when we hear about "tough love" it involves someone who has an addiction problem or disciplinary problem. The parents or friends have to say no to a person they often said yes to. I could find the principles of this in scripture. 

In Matthew 16:24-26 Jesus says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?". The love that we have for Jesus isn't tough. His love for us isn't tough. 

So what's the tough part? The tough part is coming to the conclusion that we desire to come after him verses going after everything else. The tough part is denying ourselves. We say "yes" to the flesh so much that we often feed it even when it isn't hungry. So it is tough for us to deny ourselves. The tough part is taking up our cross which means that we accept the reality that we will have to suffer for Christ's sake. 

Even with the concept of tough love that we understand, the love is fine. The tough part is when the addict has to say no to himself. The tough part is when the enablers say no. 

Say "no" to the flesh, say "yes" to Jesus.