Jesus once asked a man who’d been ill for 38 years, 'Do you want to get well?' (Jn 5:6). That’s because not everybody does. Some folks would rather have sympathy than solutions, because solutions mean taking responsibility, being willing to change and committing yourself to work on it. The worst thing you could have done for the Prodigal Son was bring him a meal and make him more comfortable in his pigsty. He knows the way home. Just give him a push in that direction. That’s showing love, tough love! Take another look at the people in your life today. How do they make you feel? Do you respect them? Share their values? By deciding not to have a relationship with somebody, you’re not judging them or putting them down, you’re just deciding to use your life, the only life you’ve got, for better purposes. Face it: some people are truly victims, others are just losers. This second group is like a car battery with a bad cell; no matter how much you pour into them, you can’t mend them, use them, or jump-start them. If somebody was draining off your bank account, you’d stop them in a heartbeat, wouldn’t you? Sympathy wouldn’t even be a consideration. Well, unhealthy relationships rob you of something even more valuable than your money, your time. Listen: ‘Live purposefully, Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity]' (Eph 5:15-16). Ask God to show you who really belongs in your life, then start making some changes!  Even Jesus practiced “tough love”.  One warning however – don’t practice “Tough Love” before you have tried “Love with Grace and Mercy”!  Jesus always modeled that also!