As a parent we show our love to our children not only by giving them what they want but also by giving them what they need. What they need may not always feel good to them but is necessary for growth. My husband and I have been trying to work with our youngest child on exercising self-control in two areas of his life. It has been a challenging road but I know that he will overcome these areas because the Bible says that he is an “overcomer” and “more than a conqueror.”
This last week has been the hardest for me as a parent because the challenges have caused us to exercise tough love. We have decided to allow our son to feel the consequences of his actions so that he will fully understand the reason why self-control is needed. As I carried out the tough love this morning it caused me to take a look at my own life and reflect on my relationship with God. How he kept keeping me safe even after warning after warning to stop doing this and that and I decided to keep doing it my way. God gave me some tough love, too. It hurt in the process but I survived to tell others not to walk the same path that I chose.
God’s love is so amazing that even though I had turned my back on Him and did my thing my way He still loved me. When I decided that I was not going to listen to His warnings and actually said at a certain point, “I got this,” He still loved me. He never withdrew His love or protection from me. I was able to walk away from the thing that challenged me the most at that time and He allowed me to learn why being in the safety of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1) is better than being in my prideful perception of safety. I am so grateful for God’s tough love that allowed me to see truly see myself.
Because of my experience with tough love from God the Father, I am comforted in knowing that I survived. My youngest will survive this tough love, too.
Just another day’s journey to carrying out some necessary tough love. Peace.
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Just Another Day's Journey 
This is actually something that provoked me to ponder, how often the Lord God in Heaven has had to show me tough love. All because I chose to do me to not listen, to not follow his instruction. It reminds me of the test. How you will be tested and if you fail the test then you will have to take it again. It may be a harder test with different questions or in life’s case different situations, but it is a test on the same subject matter. The fact that he never withdraws his love shows his character is perfect and his love for us is as you say “So Amazing”!