I Forgive You

I found this book really helpful; it places forgiveness, “I forgive you”, within a context, not merely a phrase that can be so emotive. It follows the journey of Joseph in Genesis, wronged by family and others he experienced his own dark times, for over two decades, before seeing breakthrough, starting with seeing a repentant Judah.

It doesn’t answer all my questions, anyone who knows me will know I always have more questions than answers. But it does give a ...useful perspective about what forgiving might mean. I was motivated, so managed to read the book in a day, unusual for me, but it’s language is easily accessible.

It doesn't matter if you're male, female, believer, unbeliever, young, old. Every single person on this earth struggles with forgiveness. It is unnatural for us to forgive and our society has ingrained in us that forgiveness is weakness. So this book by Alsup is a refreshing point of view with a biblical foundation.
The book is structured with eight chapters, including an introduction and a conclusion:

- Joseph Wept

- Our Greatest Need

- In The Middle

- The Reckoning

- Judah's Turn

- Amazing Grace

- Foundation Work

- Cracks of Gold

The book covers the entire process of forgiveness: repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation. It uses the story of Joseph in Genesis as a support.

I appreciate Alsup's vulnerability in sharing her personal experiences and struggles with unforgiveness, journey to forgiveness, and practical steps to reconciliation. I also appreciate that she does not claim that forgiveness is a 5-step process but rather a unique, challenging, and rewarding journey for each person. Forgiveness would be an easy task if it were anything but and thus we would fail to learn anything of our Lord or others. She also doesn't sugar coat the seriousness of unforgiveness. There is deep conviction but also intense hope in each chapter.

Forgiveness is often a very difficult challenge, but Alsup helps us to realize the hope and reward we have in Christ.

I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.

It almost seems inevitable that at some stage in our lives we will experience the pain of broken relationships. In some cases, we are the source of the hurt while in others we are on the receiving end. This theme of broken relationships is all the more tragic when we see it as a consequence of the rift that now exists between God and man because of our sin. The Gospel, however, shows us that forgiveness and restoration are not only possible in our spiritual lives, but also in hopelessly strained personal conflicts.

In “I Forgive You”, Wendy Alsup provides an insightful look into the Biblical understanding of forgiveness by examining a very familiar Genesis narrative – the story of Joseph. By spotlighting key relational moments that many of us have overlooked, Wendy helps us to identify the source of division, the importance of identifying and repenting of sin, and the pathway to reconciliation.

It is rightly acknowledged that the road to forgiveness is a tough one and this book is careful not to provide overly simplistic solutions or glib remarks. From her personal accounts of navigating emotionally charged division in her church life, it is clear that she has a deep sympathy and care for those who yearn for things to return to how they once were.

I’m not entirely sure I align with every perspective presented in “I Forgive You”, but I do believe that for many it will be a welcome source of refreshment in current turmoil. For others, it will greatly help to reframe how they approach conflicts in the future.