Stephen Arterburn - 100 Days to Freedom from Anger: Daily Devotional

100 Days to Freedom from Anger

Copyright 2021 Stephen Arterburn
Published by Aspire Press
An imprint of Tyndale House Ministries
Carol Stream, Illinois
www.hendricksonrose.com

ISBN: 978-162862-998-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

The views and opinions expressed in this book are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily express the views of Tyndale House Ministries or Aspire Press, nor is this book intended to be a substitute for mental health treatment or professional counseling. The information in this resource is intended as guidelines for healthy living. Please consult qualified medical, legal, pastoral, and psychological professionals regarding individual concerns.

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, NLT. Copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked GNT, are from the Good News Translation in Todays English Version Second Edition Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked TLB, are taken from The Living Bible copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked or referenced as AMP are taken from the Amplified Bible (AMP), Copyright 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Written with Becky Brown

Book design by Sergio Urquiza

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Introduction

P eace can be a scarce commodity in these turbulent times. Jesus said, I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33). So how can you find the genuine peace that Jesus described? By making God a full partner in every aspect of your life, thats how.

On the pages that follow, youll be asked to spend a few minutes each day thinking about ways that you and God, working together, can overcome your challenges, organize your life, prioritize your duties, redirect your thoughts, and follow the path that your heavenly Father intends for you to take. When you do these things, youll receive the peace and the spiritual abundance that can, and should, be yours. So for the next 100 days, please try this experiment: read a chapter a day and internalize the ideas that you find here.

This text contains biblically based prescriptions for the inevitable challenges of tough times. As you consider your own circumstances, remember this: whatever the size of your problems, God is bigger. Much bigger. He will instruct you, protect you, energize you, and heal you, if you let him. So let him. Pray fervently, listen carefully, work diligently, and treat every single day as an exercise in spiritual growth because thats precisely what every day can beand will beif you learn how to let God help you rise above the challenges of these turbulent times and experience true peace.

Day 1

Quit It!

Stop being angry! Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temperit only leads to harm.

Psalm 37:8 NLT

I f it were only so easy to not be angry. Usually, that requires everything in your life to cooperate in the way you expect and for the people in your life to be agreeable to your demands. That sounds a bit much when you say it out loud, but in your mind that is pretty much what is expected.

Anger is a reaction to a circumstance that is unexpected. It is an expression of our internal pain, fear, sorrow, anxiety, weakness, and many other emotions. Anger gives the illusion of control or power in a situation in which we dont feel we have either.

Think about the last time you lost your temper. What was happening? Was the circumstance something you had either control or power over? Were you surprised by your expression of angerlike it was a bit over the top? When you start seeing the negative impact of your anger, you can take the opportunity to replace the reaction with positive and helpful responses.

The idea that you should never be angry is not realistic. You cannot quit angerrather, you can stop the force that unhealthy anger can create in your life.

How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.

Marcus Aurelius

A wise man looks for everything inside of himself; a madman seeks for everything in others.

Confucius

We all have negative urges, but we dont have to act out those urges.

Fred Rogers

For Further Reflection

James 1:1425; Psalm 37:313; Colossians 3:111

Todays Prayer

Heavenly Father, help me as I seek to understand the anger within me. Reveal what I need to heal and what needs to be removed. I need your help to resolve this and to use my life for your will. Thank you for your grace! Amen.

Day 2

People with understanding control their anger;
a hot temper shows great foolishness.

Proverbs 14:29 NLT

Y ou may have heard the phrase anger management before. The phrase is somewhat of a misnomer, because the goal is not simply managing anger when the feelings arise but dealing with what is creating the anger. That is where control comes in.

Many people think that the idea that we have control in our lives is an illusion. However, you do control many things in your life. For example, you probably arent lashing out at your boss or your pastor (hopefully!). We can stop rage almost instantly depending on the target. We might lash out at the driver in the next lane, and then pull into the church parking lot with a smile on our face.

Scripture indicates that the evidence of great foolishness is a hot temper. Learning to control anger isnt about suppressing the emotion, which can actually fuel the flames. Understanding what drives your anger is the key to controlling your anger. There are ways to express anger without creating more problems. Understanding where the emotional reaction is coming from can also provide insight to a solution.

Remember, the goal isnt to manage anger; it is to understand and control what drives the powerful emotion, using it for good. After all, does anyone want to be viewed as a fool?

Hot heads and cold hearts never solved anything.

Billy Graham

Do not say, I cannot help having a bad temper. Friend, you must help it. Pray to God to help you overcome it at once, for either you must kill it, or it will kill you. You cannot carry a bad temper into heaven.

Charles Spurgeon

Make no mistake: Satans specialty is psychological warfare. If he can turn us on God (Its not fair!) or turn us on others (Its their fault!) or turn us on ourselves (Im so stupid!), we wont turn on him. If we keep fighting within ourselves and losing our own inner battles, well never have the strength to stand up and fight our true enemy.