 “Love Them… and Let Them Go”
Verse:
Romans 12:18
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

Hey friend.

This one’s hard.

Because loving people who hurt you?
That already feels like too much.

But letting them go too?
That feels even heavier.

Maybe you’ve been holding onto someone—
not because everything is okay…
but because you don’t want to be the person who walks away.

You keep showing grace.
Keep giving chances.
Keep hoping things will change.

And maybe they do… for a moment.
But then it goes right back.

Same hurt.
Same patterns.
Same weight on your chest.

And now you’re stuck in this place of:
“I love them… but this is hurting me.”

Can I tell you something gently?

Love doesn’t always mean access.

You can love someone…
and still choose distance.
You can forgive someone…
and still not let them keep wounding you.

Because love isn’t the same as staying in something that’s breaking you.

Jesus even said:

Matthew 5:44
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…”

He didn’t say:

trust them again immediately
put yourself back in harm’s way
pretend it didn’t hurt

He said love.
And sometimes love looks like this:

Praying for them from a distance
Wanting healing for them… without staying in the chaos
Releasing them instead of resenting them

And that verse we started with?

Romans 12:18
“As far as it depends on you…”

That means you did your part.

You tried.
You showed up.
You gave what you could.

But peace takes two people.
And if they’re not meeting you there…
it’s okay to step back.

Letting go doesn’t mean you stopped loving them.
It means you stopped losing yourself trying to keep them.

And I know…
there’s a part of you that feels guilty for even thinking about walking away.

But hear this:
God didn’t call you to carry relationships that constantly tear you down.

He called you to love—
but also to walk in peace.
So maybe today looks like this:
You forgive them.
You release them.
You stop replaying it.
And you let God handle the rest.