Love Is Not Enough

My youngest grandchild is almost three years old. It has been pure joy being with him and enjoying his growth and development. But recently he has begun to be defiant, saying "No" and ignoring the requests of his parents and grandparents. It's not all joy now to care for him. Often he needs to be disciplined.
  He is a much-loved only child, also the only grandchild of his other grandparents. His mother and father love each other very much and have made a lovely home for him to grow up in. He wants for nothing. His parents are loving to him, but he is not spoiled.
  So where does the rebellion come from? What does he need to rebel against? The answer lies in our human weakness; our inherent rebelliousness and self-centeredness. The Bible says, All men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
  And this is why loving our children and grandchildren is not enough--they need discipline as well. And not just talking with them or trying to reason with them (children are not reasonable nor are they mature enough to be reasonable). They need consequences applied by a loving adult--negative experiences that occur as a result of their bad behavior to help them make the right choices. Parents and grandparents need to love a child enough to discipline them; just as God disciplines us. God's Word says:
  At the time it is administered, all discipline seems a cause for grief and not for joy, but later it brings forth the fruit of peace and justice to those who are trained in its school. Hebrews 12:11
  Scripture also says: Train a child in the way he should go; even when he is old, he will not swerve from it. (Proverbs 22:6)  If we put in the time and effort it takes to discipline our children and grandchildren now we will reap the reward of well-balanced, responsible adults when they are grown.