Tough Love

I just learnt this term from a friend recently. Two definitions from the internet are as follows.

Answers.com
tough love
n.
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.

Wikipedia.org
Tough love is an expression used when someone must treat another person harshly in order to help them in the long run. For example, parents refusing to support their drug-addicted child financially until the he or she entered drug rehabilitation would be said to be practicing tough love.

This term seems to be used very widely in helping parents with troubled teens, families with problems where a member of the family is a drug abuser or alcoholic and such. It involves parents or family members coming together to set strict rules or ultimatums for the troubled person. This often drives the individual to be forced to improve or take measures in the right direction. Of course, from the individual's point of view it is the pits and will probably feel like very harsh treatment. However, it has to be done for his/her end good.
Only problem with this is that it may backfire and the family/parents may never see their loved one again. So, there is much debate if tough love is the right step to take.

Which brings me to think about how God treats us. He often allows us to get ourselves into such a rut that we have no choice but to look to Him and learn that lessons that we need to learn. This is proven when we read how time and time again, the children of Israel had to be put into trouble before they cried out to Him. Sigh, how pathetic we humans are. The good thing is that with God, He knows what the outcome is. His plans never backfire.

I love to repeat this. God KNOWS what is best for us, God has the POWER to do what is best for us and God WANTS what is best for us. If He was missing any one of the three points, it would be just too bad...