THE COURAGE TO FORGIVE: EVEN WHEN IT STILL HURTS

The Courage to Forgive Even When It Still Hurts Dr. Samaria M. Colbert, PhD

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

Let’s be completely honest. When you have been deeply betrayed, devastated, and left bleeding by the people you trusted most, the absolute last thing you want to do is forgive. It feels insensitive to even talk about it. In true transparency, you don’t want to hand out grace—you want justice. You want revenge. You want them to feel the smoke of their own doing.
Dr. Samaria M. Colbert has been there. Writing on the heels of her book, The Courage to Be Hated, Dr. Colbert didn't plan to write this book, but in a moment of profound personal brokenness and baffling betrayal—inflicted by those who claimed the name of Christ—she heard God speak a clear directive: The Courage to Forgive.

Coming to you human-to-human rather than as a distant expert, Dr. Colbert strips away religious rhetoric to tackle the raw reality of a crushed heart. With deep empathy, she reminds us that making a decision to forgive does not instantly stop the bleeding, and that forgiving someone who doesn’t care that they hurt you is a different level of pain.

Yet, our path to true healing and complete redemption demands it. By looking into the mirror of Scripture, The Courage to Forgive gently shifts our perspective from our wounds to our Savior. It reminds us that we are all sinners saved by an unearned, radical grace—and that the same grace extended to us is the grace we must extend to others.

You don’t need an apology to find freedom. You don’t even need to reconcile the relationship. You just need the willingness to lay down your stones.

If your spirit has been crushed and you are struggling to find your way back to wholeness, this book is your guide. Discover how to unlock the joy waiting on the other side of your obedience, and watch as God prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies, turning your deepest pain into the ultimate testimony of His glory.

You can do this. It’s time to choose freedom. It’s time to forgive.