Forgiveness, Part 1 (Episode 4 - Archive)Forgiveness, Part 1 (Episode 4 - Archive)
Relational Recovery
Wes Thompson and Austin Hill talk about what forgiveness really is, contrasting justice with vengeance and punishment. They link self-forgiveness and recovery to accepting God’s love instead of living in false humility and shame.
5:29•29 Sept 2026
Forgiveness, False Humility and the Love That Changes Everything
Episode Overview
- Forgiveness is incompatible with punishing others or trying to make them feel the pain they caused.
- Justice means making things right, not seeking vengeance or cutting people off in retaliation.
- Appropriate consequences should stay within a person’s genuine responsibility and not become harm-inflicting behaviour.
- Viewing yourself as unforgivable can be a form of pride and false humility that denies Jesus’ sacrifice.
- Knowing and accepting God’s love, rather than grovelling in shame, is presented as central to real change in recovery.
“If we could tolerate the love of God, that changes everything.”
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This archive episode of Relational Recovery takes a close look at forgiveness, especially for those wrestling with addictive or unwanted behaviours and the relational fallout that often comes with them. Wes Thompson and Austin Hill chat through the messy, everyday questions many people avoid: what happens when you secretly want the person who hurt you to "feel the way they made me feel"?
They point out how easy it is to confuse consequences with punishment, and how that keeps you stuck in a cycle of hurt instead of moving towards healing and justice. From a Christian perspective, they talk about why "vengeance is mine" isn’t about God being harsh, but about freeing people from the exhausting job of trying to even every score.
Justice, as they describe it, is "putting things the way they should be", not getting payback or cutting people off just because they lied or failed. You’ll also hear a challenging take on self-forgiveness. Seeing yourself as "not forgivable" might sound humble, but Wes and Austin call it "false humility" and even pride, because it quietly says Jesus’ sacrifice applies to everyone except you.
Wes shares a tender story about his nine-year-old daughter saying "nobody loves me" and uses it to show how a loving parent wants their child to know they’re cherished, not grovelling. That image expands into a bigger picture of God’s care for people caught in addiction and shame.
The heart of the conversation lands on one simple but stretching idea: "If we could tolerate the love of God, that changes everything." For anyone who’s harsh on themselves, stuck in resentment, or confused about what forgiveness should look like, this episode offers practical clarity and gentle challenge. Where might forgiveness—of others or yourself—be the next step in your recovery story?
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