A Difficult Decision

Tuesday of Week 21 – 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10,16-18; Psalm 127(128):1-2,4-5; Matthew 23:27-32

Admonishment doesn’t have to be a kamikaze act, if done as God commands, with love.

“We command you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.” 2 Thessalonians 3:6

When relationships pull us away from God, the heart is torn. Should a wife remain with an alcoholic husband? Should someone keep a job that demands dishonesty just to stay employed? Should a young woman stay with a boyfriend who pressures and blackmails her into sin? Should I stay close to someone who constantly manipulates me for attention or advantage?

What’s the measure in all this? The key question is: Does this relationship help me live as a child of God, or does it slowly destroy my dignity and faith?

If a relationship is wounding my humanity, pushing me away from Christ, I must honestly discern whether God is calling me to step back, or even to leave. This isn’t only about extreme cases; it can apply to any bond that steadily distances me from the Lord – especially when the other person repeatedly refuses to change.

Sometimes love means creating distance, even when it hurts, even when it feels risky. Not always forever – because we also believe in conversion and new beginnings. But setting a boundary can itself be an act of love: love for God, for the other person, and for myself. It may be the shock that opens the door to their transformation and helps me remain faithful to Christ.

Later in the same letter, Paul adds:

“If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”

So even when we step away, we never cease to see the other as a brother or sister, never stop desiring their salvation. The goal is not revenge, but conversion; not condemnation, but truth in love.

Lord God, thank you for the clear and challenging teaching of Saint Paul. In a time when honest correction feels almost impossible, give us courage to speak and act in love, wisdom to know when to stay and when to step back, and gentle words that call others, and ourselves, closer to You.

May every decision we make in relationships protect our faith, respect our dignity, and open a path to true conversion. Amen.