Forgiveness, Part 1 (Episode 1 - Archive)Forgiveness, Part 1 (Episode 1 - Archive)
Relational Recovery
Wes Thompson and Austin Hill talk about what forgiveness means in recovery, stressing the difference between forgiving someone and allowing harmful behaviour to continue. They link everyday relationship struggles with a Christian understanding of grace, consequences and healthy boundaries.
6:43•24 Sept 2026
Forgiveness, Consequences and Recovery: A Candid Talk with Wes and Austin
Episode Overview
- Forgiveness is described as showing grace, giving the benefit of the doubt and another chance to redeem, while still being honest about what happened.
- There is a clear distinction between forgiving someone and removing or adjusting trust as a consequence.
- Broken trust can lead to slower, more cautious trust in the future without cancelling forgiveness.
- A person can forgive an abuser yet choose to end the relationship as a necessary and healthy consequence.
- From a Christian viewpoint, God’s cosmic forgiveness is different from human forgiveness, which looks more like letting go of resentment and anger.
“You can choose to forgive, but sometimes the consequence is: I’m not going to be in a relationship with you anymore.”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying sober when relationships are messy and forgiveness feels impossible? This conversation between Wes Thompson and Austin Hill sits right in that tension, focusing on what forgiveness actually is and what it isn’t. Right from the start, they admit that “forgiveness is freaking hard,” especially in recovery where trust has often been broken many times.
Austin offers a simple but stretching definition: showing someone grace when they don’t deserve it, giving them the benefit of the doubt and “another opportunity to redeem themselves.” But he’s quick to point out that forgiveness always changes the relationship. A big theme here is the difference between forgiveness and consequences. You’ll hear examples that many people in addiction recovery will recognise: lying, deception, manipulation, and the slow rebuild of trust afterwards.
As they put it, you can forgive someone and still be “wary and slower to trust” them in the future. That doesn’t mean you’re bitter; it means you’re being wise. They also talk honestly about abusive situations, challenging the idea that forgiving someone means staying in harm’s way. A person can forgive and still decide, “we have to sever this relationship.” That’s not a lack of grace; it’s a necessary boundary.
From a Christian perspective, Wes reflects on the “cosmic” forgiveness from God, referencing John 3:16, and contrasts that with human forgiveness, which looks more like letting go of resentment and anger without pretending to be God over someone’s soul. This episode will resonate with anyone in recovery who feels torn between wanting to forgive and needing to protect themselves. It asks tough questions: How do you let go of resentment while still honouring your safety and dignity?
And what might forgiveness look like for you today?
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