Tough Love part 5
It's tough to love someone when they are acting in a way we don't approve of. That, to me, is tough love. But this idea of being mean to someone and calling it "tough love" doesn't really wash with me. One of the basic foundations of love is that it (He) does not demand its (His) own way. There's a song in which the singer rattles off a bunch of things he's done wrong, and then the chorus is: But you love me anyway. That's what love IS. And that's WHO God is. God doesn't just love. He IS love. He loved us when we were in no position to do anything for Him. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). When we were at the end of our rope, and couldn't hold on anymore, what we found is that it has always been God holding on to us! God is a stalker, as one preacher put it. He swore He would never leave us nor forsake us. And I gotta tell you, that kind of devotion is rare. Because its tough to commit to someone like that. Its tough to give everything you have and everything you are without expecting anything in return. But, again, that's what REAL love IS! "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). When we didn't have anything, and couldn't do anything, God gave us everything. And He didn't do it in order to GET something. He did it in order to GIVE us something. For God so loved the world He GAVE His only Son. Christ loved us so much He gave His life FOR us, and He gave His life TO us. Not because of anything we could do for Him, or give to Him. We were yet sinners. DEAD in our trespasses and sins. He gave His life for us and He gave His life to us simply because He wanted us to have it. Jesus came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly. And what makes life abundant... is love. What makes life worth living... is love. What makes it POSSIBLE to live... is love. Because to live IS TO love. And to love is to live. Tough love isn't about hanging on too long and hurting instead of helping. And its not about crushing people with heavy expectations. Tough love is loving when its tough. Loving those who seem "unloveable." Giving all you have and all you are. Gladly. Even when it seems like the more you love someone the less they love you. Because getting someone to love you back isn't the goal. That's where we get messed up so many times. We do things for the approval of others. What's that old saying? We buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, in order to impress people who don't care. I'm convinced that the best--the only?--reason you should do something is because its in your heart to do it. Live from the inside out. Because you already are, whether you know it or not. Seek the Kingdom and find out what's in there. What's inside. What in your heart. And then, when you know and believe that the love of God is in there, you can let it out. It will come out. Naturally. And then even when its tough, it'll still be your nature. When the going gets tough the tough get going, right? Well, in our case, when the going gets tough the tough get LOVING! That's what its all about. Being loved by God and loving others with that same love!