The Daily CHEW™
Chew on God’s Love. Live Transformed. Multiply Hope.
As a personal consultant, I sat in my chair across from a charismatic, highly successful Christian business founder and his wife—a couple whose lives and reputations carried weight in their community. In that moment, he admitted to her that he’d had an affair. Instantly, she let out a primal scream. Tears streamed down her face; intense sobs racked her body as she recoiled from comfort, her fists clenched in raw pain. Anger, shock, and devastation hurled through the room. He looked stunned, as if only now grasping the true consequence of his actions. Their agony filled the space, and I felt my own eyes blur, digging deep into every skill of emotional presence just to stay with them in their storm.
This is what high-stakes wounds look like—impossible, raw, and real. This blog is for Christians who want honest, actionable hope when the wounds in marriage, business, or life seem too much to bear. When forgiveness seems unreachable, the Gospel offers practical steps that anchor your faith in God’s relentless love.
Step 1: Name the Wound—Let Honesty Lead
Forgiveness starts with facing pain head-on, refusing to minimize or gloss over it. Wounds like betrayal, abuse, or rejection shake the foundations of security, significance, and identity. Write the details. Speak the grief and anger. Name every layer of what feels lost, broken, or beyond repair.
- What has been taken from me?
- What feels impossible to restore?
- How is this pain shaping what I believe about God or myself?
Choosing honesty isn’t weakness—it’s the first act of courage for healing.
Step 2: Confess—Bring Raw Truth Before God
Faith is not about pretending. Honest confession means, “God, I’m not ready to forgive. I’m overwhelmed. I struggle to trust.” The CHEW™ rhythm begins with vulnerable truth, not denial. God’s steadfast love can bear your deepest confusion, disappointment, and pain. Confession trusts that God meets you here—not in the polished version of your story, but in its mess.
Step 3: Hear the Gospel—God’s Love is Fierce and Unfailing
Forgiveness feels impossible until we receive it afresh. The Gospel is the story of God’s full, ongoing, undeserved forgiveness for us—a love manifest in the person and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. His love is unchanging, unbreakable, relentless.
“Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13)
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Rely on God’s power and rest in His work for you—He initiates, He sustains, He transforms.
Step 4: Exchange—CHEW on God’s Love and Untie Each Knot
Deep wounds untie slowly, knot by knot. Forgiveness is not achieved by our own effort, but grows as we return—again and again—to the reality of God’s love, CHEWing on it. Every time you recall, receive, and reflect on God’s love and mercy for you in concrete ways, the grip of anger or judgment softens.
Forgiveness is the exchange of our demand for justice with trust in God’s perfect love and justice. This isn’t theory—it’s a practice grounded in Gospel truth that grows stronger as you truly receive God’s love.
- What memory or story keeps me stuck?
- Where does God’s steadfast love speak to this pain?
- How can I CHEW on God’s love more deeply today?
- Each honest return to His love is a real step toward release, even if your emotions haven’t caught up.
Transformation happens as you rest in, rely on, and receive His love—moving from head to heart, until new beliefs and habits begin to shape your life.
Step 5: Walk—Small, Repeatable Steps Build Real Release
For high stakes wounds, forgiveness is lived out, not just spoken:
- Note each grievance and pray over it
- Share honestly with a trusted friend or support group
- Practice micro-releases—a prayer, a blessing, a conscious choice to stop replaying the offense today
Celebrate every movement toward healing, no matter how small. Progress is measured by persistence—a return to Gospel hope with every step, not by instant success.
Faith for the Journey—When Forgiveness Is Beyond You
Some wounds may feel impossible to forgive. Transformation is not about your willpower but about relying on God’s steadfast love. Trust His work, rest in His power, receive His wisdom and comfort—He walks through the layers of pain with you. Every vulnerable moment before God is a victory of hope over hurt.
High performers, couples, leaders—this is for you. Forgiveness comes as you surrender to God’s purpose, embrace His love, and entrust your heart, your wounds, and your relationships to His care—one day at a time.
CHEW On This™
“If I truly believed God’s love is patient enough to walk with me through each layer of a profound wound, how might it change how I pursue forgiveness—even when it feels unreachable?”
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Learn how to make CHEWing a daily rhythm at https://1stprinciplegroup.com/chew-on-this/
*The story shared in this blog is not from one couple, but an amalgamation of real moments from many courageous clients I’ve served during years of counseling, coaching, and consulting.
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