TOUGH LOVE

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Better is open rebuke than hidden love.

Proverbs 27:5   

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I had to do something terribly difficult recently. Someone I care about deeply was struggling with an issue that needed intervention. The matter was such that the person I cared about was in complete denial and as anyone who has dealt with addictive behaviors will attest, the first step to a person beginning recovery begins when they admit that they have a problem and need help. This wasn’t happening and the issue at hand was worsening.

I prayed and prayed over the matter but things didn’t change. Finally, it got to the point where I was convicted to take action and bring the matter to light in the eyes of people who could intercede and stop the downward spiral this person was in. I could no longer in good conscience stand by and allow the person I cared for to destroy their life and the lives of others around them.

And so I reported the matter, fully aware of the repercussions this would bring. For I knew that as soon as the matter was brought into the light, I would face the consternation of the one I cared about, their anger blinding them to the love I felt, the love that led me to do something instead of standing by.

I was reminded about this as I read today’s proverb as we continue to study from the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 27. There, Solomon shares the following simple words of wisdom that helped me validate what I did. Look at the verse again:

Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Proverbs 27:5

When I was raising my two girls, there were more than a few times when my wife and I had to initiate disciplinary actions when they violated the rules we set for them, rules that we could always justify through the scriptures. That was one of our precepts of parenting.

I know my girls didn’t understand what we were doing at the time. Hiding our love by remaining silent would have done them a disservice and an injustice and so we took initiative and discipline for we loved them both too much to act like unrighteous behavior was permissible. We didn’t hide our love but rather expressed it through needed rebuke.

Now, no one likes open rebuke and correction at the time. But I hope today that my girls can look back and see that we disciplined not because we loved them less but rather because we loved them more. My added hope is that the person I love dearly will one day understand why I chose to intervene in his situation and realize that I did it because I cared and was unwilling to hide my love for him rather than choose open rebuke.

Friends, this is the nature of tough love. It’s a love that says I am willing to do whatever it takes to help you, even if it means reprimand and censure. Sometimes, the Lord will use us as His instruments of discipline and we need to be ready to respond in obedience when He gives us the task, even if we know it will bring the displeasure of the person we’re trying to aid. We have to trust the word of God from 1 Corinthians 13, verse 8, that simply reminds us that “love never fails” and will lead to victorious outcomes when we apply it in accordance with the will of the Lord, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com