Tough Love.

When I was a little person and would get into trouble (which happened quite often), my parents would always tell me "I'm doing this because I love you" when they would disciple me, whether it was a time out, a loss of privileges, or a forced apology to one of my siblings.  Many a times I found myself wondering that if they really loved me, why wouldn't they just let me off the hook?  But alas, my parents knew they had a responsibility to not only tell me what I was doing wrong but to correct me and have me learn from my mistakes as well...even if it meant momentary unhappiness on my part. 

In essence, I think we all have a responsibility to hold each other accountable, give a little tough love if you will.  I'm not  saying we need to run around and point out everyone else's faults; who are we to judge when we are just as guilty?  But there are appropriate times when a best friend or maybe a sibling needs a good kick in the pants to realize how much their actions or attitudes are destructive to themselves or others around them.  And it shouldn't be easy, because the last thing you want to see is your best friend hurting and conflicted.  But just leaving them in their filth will ultimately lead to more hurting in the end; their habits will become a part of them.

The beauty of this phenomenon that I am referring to as "tough love" is that someone cares for me so much that they are willing to put our relationship on hold to help me realize and fix my self-destructive behaviors that I'm either oblivious to, or more likely, that I'm choosing to avoid or make excuses for.  It sucks to be sat down and have yourself thrown in your face.  It's pride; admitting that I'm wrong and need to make a change of heart.  But what’s the point of saying honesty is everything if we don't really mean it?  It's never easy to break a habit or change an attitude...but we have self control.  Yes.

Be thankful for the people in your life who are willing to hold a mirror in front of your face to show you where the real problem is.  They're doing it because they love you, because they want to see you succeed in every aspect of your life.

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

-John 8:38