What do you do when a friendship breaks your heart?
In Part 3 of the "Christian Friendships" series, Fr. Paul Girguis goes deep into the hard side of friendship, when people wound us, betray us, or simply let us down. Drawing from Matthew 18 and the parable of the unforgiving servant, he contrasts the way of revenge with the way of forgiveness, and shows how the Gospel calls us to something much higher than canceling people.
In this talk Fr. Paul explores:
Why true friendship is a covenant, not a casual connection
How our hearts get broken when trust is betrayed
The "law of Lamech" (revenge 77 times) versus Christ’s call to forgive 70 times 7
The only force strong enough to heal relationships that are marked by hurt and betrayal
What forgiveness is and what it is not
Not excusing
Not forgetting
Not the same as instant reconciliation
The stages of forgiveness
Letting go of revenge
Seeing the person beyond the wound
Beginning to genuinely wish them well
How refusing to forgive keeps us chained in bitterness while forgiving sets our own heart free
If you have lost a close friend, struggle with resentment, or feel stuck in hurt from someone you trusted, this message will gently confront and invite you into the freedom of Christlike forgiveness.