Carolina QuotesIn every case, here's the challenging bottom line: practicing tough love is- without question- toughest on the man who loves the most.
William G. Boykin Carolinian
Source
p. 99
- work
- Man to Man: Rediscovering Masculinity in a Challenging World (2020)
- year
- 2020
- locator
- p. 99
Cite this record
“In every case, here's the challenging bottom line: practicin…” William G. Boykin. Carolina Quotes, record CQ-F077927465. https://carolinaquotes.com/quote/f077927465
More from William G. Boykin
We also need to be encouragers to our friends. Some of them have hopes and dreams, yet although they've prayed and watched and waited, there's been no answer from above. I think most of us want instant gratification. We even want it in our walk with Christ. Sometimes we get quick and miraculous answers to our prayers. The more typical story is one of persistence and steadfastness; pray, watch, and wait. Do you remember the story of Elijah? He was up on Mount Carmel waiting for God to send the rain He'd promised. Elijah told his servant, "Go look. Do you see any rain clouds?" His servant came back to him six times and said, "Nope." Elijah sent him out yet again. That time the servant came back and said, "Well, yeah. I did see a cloud the size of a man's fist..." After seven tries, the rain was finally on its way.
I knew my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol.
Some men can become increasingly self-indulgent and you notice over time they're spending more and more money on personal pastimes. They always want the very best gear available to enhance their hobby. Fishing. Golf. Hunting. Photography. Collecting fossils. Whatever it is, once they've bought every gadget or artifact they can possibly find, they move on to the next diversion, and on it goes. Before long, your friend- or your friend's wife- is trying to figure out how to pay the bills by month's end. Of course, you can't always stop somebody from making foolish mistakes and choices, but as a friend, you really do have a responsibility to try. You may be able to protect a very good friend from making a very bad life decision, and you've got to hope someday he'll find the courage to do the same for you.