Foundations' Blog

Forgiveness is a profound concept that can lead to healing broken relationships, restoring peace, and promoting emotional growth. It can often reduce feelings of anxiety, anger, resentment, and depression as well. Forgiveness is a central theme that resonates throughout scripture too. It's not only an act of mercy and compassion but also a divine command that echoes God's love for humanity. In this post, I’d like to consider the significance of forgiveness for everyone (not just the Church), its impact on individuals and communities, and its transformative potential.

The Command of Forgiveness
God's Word repeatedly emphasizes forgiveness as a central aspect of the Christian faith. Jesus Christ, the embodiment of love and compassion, taught His disciples to forgive others as God forgives them. In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus specifically instructs believers to ask for forgiveness and to extend it to those who have wronged them. Then again, in Matthew 18:21-22, Jesus encourages His followers...

Charles arrived at the counseling appointment defeated. He could not hide his slumped shoulders or his downcast face. He didn’t look me in the eyes, nor could he wrestle a smile during his typical greeting. Charles sat slowly on the loveseat facing me while looking down and wondered why he kept coming back. He admitted he often feels better when he leaves, but yesterday’s wounds are today’s ghosts. His past sins haunt him and hound him until he feels utterly worthless and undeserving of any good thing. He stated, “I just can’t forgive myself.” Charles was living in self-condemnation, and he had some choices regarding how he would like to resolve his dilemma: Will he accept God’s grace, or will he live in self-condemnation?

If you watch movies, you are probably familiar with alternate endings. Writers and producers develop several endings to a movie to see which one would go over best for the test audience, and then they decide which ending will be released. They hope their final decis...