March 17, 2024 — Episode #11

Content note: discussion of domestic/physical abuse in marriage, including guidance on safety planning.

Jerry and Becky Drace open their series on marriage-strengthening principles with what may be the hardest one to practice: forgiveness.

They share stories gathered from decades of marriage conferences — a husband who “buried the hatchet but not the handle,” a wife who confronted her ex-husband face-to-face years after his affair, and another who forgave a deceased spouse using an empty chair as a stand-in — illustrating that forgiveness is a choice, not just a feeling, and that offering it doesn’t guarantee it will be accepted. The conversation also turns candidly to physical abuse in marriage, addressing why victims often stay in dangerous situations and urging anyone in danger to make a safety plan and seek help. They close with five benefits of forgiveness drawn from Scripture, including Micah 7:18-19, Psalm 103:12, Isaiah 43:24, Psalm 86:5, and Romans 12:19.

Topics discussed:

• Forgiveness as a choice rather than an emotion
• “Burying the hatchet” versus truly letting go
• Recognizing and responding to physical abuse in marriage
• Extending forgiveness even when it isn’t received
• The connection between mercy, compassion, and justice
• Five biblical benefits of forgiveness
• Forgiving a spouse who has already died
• Scripture on God’s complete forgiveness of sin

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