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Forgiveness in the Bible: Letting Go of Guilt and Shame
Tim Hayden
Co-Founder
Tim is passionate about serving others, leading people to Christ, and more specifically breaking the stigma of addiction and mental health in the Church and across the world. Tim merges his desire to further the Kingdom with 18 years of experience in the Corporate IT world where his background has ranged from working for small startups to leading national teams at global software companies. Tim graduated from Mount Vernon Nazarene University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, and Communications. Tim and his wife are active in their church community serving in the youth department, marriage mentoring, and life group mentoring. In his spare time, Tim enjoys spending time with his family in the great outdoors camping, mountain biking, and snowboarding.
“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” – John Wesley
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Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.—Ephesians 4:32
Forgiveness is a guiding theme in the Bible, representing God’s mercy, compassion, and the power to heal relationships. Verses on forgiveness consistently encourage Christians to pray for redemption, as it is a gift from God that releases us from our sins and calls us to forgive others as God has forgiven us. This plays a powerful role in addiction treatment, teaching individuals to forgive themselves for their actions, while also asking for forgiveness from others and making amends.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.— Matthew 6:12. Jesus teaches us that forgiveness can help release cycles of shame, guilt, and help rebuild self-worth.
What Does the Bible Say About Forgiveness?
Forgiveness is a constant theme throughout the Bible, especially in the New Testament. “Forgiveness” appears 117 times (48 in the Old Testament and 69 times in the New Testament). And many more verses point to forgiveness without directly saying it [1].
The bible calls on believers to forgive generously, reflecting the mercy often shown by God throughout many stories in the Bible. For example, Joseph’s act of forgiving his brothers despite betrayal shows us how releasing resentment and choosing compassion can help us heal and move forward.
Inspiring Examples of Forgiveness in the Bible
What does God say about forgiveness? Below are a few Bible verses that reflect God’s word on forgiveness that may offer hope to you or a loved one.
Bible Verses About Forgiveness
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.—Mark 11:25
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.—Matthew 6:14
Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.—Luke 6:37
The Role of Forgiveness in Recovery
Forgiveness is a foundation in addiction recovery, supporting both physical sobriety and emotional healing. Addiction often leads to broken trust and strained relationships. Individuals struggling with addiction may be more likely to lie, hurt, and steal, causing bitterness and anger in the home.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean enabling this behavior or allowing the cycle to continue. But it does mean letting go of the harmful emotions or thoughts about your character and viewing them from a perspective of sickness and compassion, in need of healing. It means honestly acknowledging the pain addiction is causing, setting healthy boundaries, and releasing feelings of resentment.
For individuals in treatment who practice forgiveness, it can help turn pain and shame into hope or freedom, and help strengthen relationships to reduce feelings of isolation, which can often lead to relapse [2].
How to Practice Forgiveness in Daily Recovery
In 12-step programs, forgiveness plays a powerful role in the journey of those in recovery. It involves learning how to make amends, repent, and offer compassion to both yourself and others who have caused harm. Healing from addiction involves accepting God’s unconditional forgiveness and also extending that grace to others.
Here are six ways to make amends and practice forgiveness in daily recovery:
- Acknowledge your pain. It’s important that if someone hurts us, or if we hurt others, we respond to this pain with understanding and compassion. Forgiveness isn’t about excusing your own behaviors or letting someone else off the hook, but it’s about releasing the pain surrounding the actions of yourself and others to move forward.
- Practice mindfulness. This helps you see things with more clarity, including your actions and how they can hurt others. Think about those who have caused you pain and observe what emotions come to the surface. Ask yourself if you’re willing to forgive and release those emotions so they no longer cause you distress.
- Take small steps. Forgiveness doesn’t happen overnight, and it’s important to focus on small actions towards the right direction.
- Write a letter explaining your pain. This can be sent to the person who caused you pain, or just kept for yourself as a tool to release how you are feeling.
- Pray for others. This is common advice in 12-step programs that when someone has harmed you, you pray for them to have everything you wish for yourself.
- Forgive yourself first. Studies show that when people practice self-forgiveness, it lowers levels of anxiety, depression, and self-hatred. Practicing self-forgiveness and self-compassion makes it easier to extend that to others [2].
Faith-Based Healing at AnchorPoint Arizona
Through a blend of evidence-based therapies, social supports, case management, integrated wellness, and faith-based services, we help individuals with addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders find hope and walk their path of recovery.
Our faith-integrated approach, NeuroFaith™, provides transformative addiction and mental health treatment through the power of clinical therapy, trauma-informed care, and Christ-centered principles. At AnchorPoint, faith is viewed as a resource to foster resilience and address the roots of addiction.
Contact our admissions team today and discover how we can support you or a loved one struggling with alcohol misuse.
Sources
[1] Suttles, D. 2024. What Do I Need To Know About Forgiveness? [2] Tracy, L. et al. (2022). Indirect Effects of Forgiveness on Psychological Health Through Anger and Hope: A Parallel Mediation Analysis. Journal of religion and health, 61(5), 3729–3746.
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