Daily Benefits

Daily Benefits TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits… Psalm 68:19, NKJV. TODAY'S WORD: When you live a life that honors God, when you obey His Word and you’re a person of excellence and integrity, the scripture says that God’s blessings will chase you down and overtake you. You won’t be able to outrun the good things of God. He daily loads us with benefits! People get confused sometimes and think they have to go chasing after the blessings. But really, when you chase after God each and every day, when you make Him your highest priority, the blessings will automatically follow. Today, make pleasing the Lord your top priority. Let go of anything that would hold you back or weigh you down. Be willing to deal with issues as God brings them to light. Don’t give in to compromise and temptation that will keep you from God’s best. Then get ready because His blessings will chase you down as He daily loads you with benefits! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father, today I dedicate every area of my life to You. Help me to live a life of integrity and honor. Thank You for daily loading me with benefits as I put You first in everything that I do in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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The Cost of Anger

by Rick Warren

“The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left.” Proverbs 11:29a (LB)

When you remember the cost of uncontrolled anger, you will be more motivated to manage it. You’re less likely to get angry if you realize that there’s always a price to anger.

How many of the verses below can you relate to?

“Hot tempers cause arguments.” (Proverbs 15:18a GN).

“Anger causes mistakes.” (Proverbs 14:29b LB).

“A hot-tempered man starts fights and gets into all kinds of trouble.” (Proverbs 29:22).

How about this one?

“The fool who provokes his family to anger and resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left.” Proverbs 11:29a (LB).

You always lose when you lose your temper. You may lose your reputation, the respect of others, your job, a sale, or the love of your family. You can even lose your health. Your body was not designed to handle anger. God didn’t mean for you to carry it around inside of you. When you do, you get sick. There are plenty of people who could leave the hospital today if they weren’t carrying around in their hearts guilt, resentment, or anger.

There is always a cost to anger.

We often use anger to get people to do something. Why? Because it works — in the short term. Parents in particular learn pretty quickly that you can scare kids into doing something by getting angry with them. But the long-term effects are devastating. In the long run, there are always three price tags for anger: more anger, apathy, and alienation.

That’s what’s happened with a lot of our kids, particularly teenagers. They think, “I can’t please my parents; they’re always angry,” so they become apathetic.

And if you keep getting angry, pretty soon they’ll move toward alienation to protect themselves. Then, the relationship is broken.

Nothing destroys relationships faster than anger. You have the choice whether you’re going to get angry with someone. Before you choose, consider the cost. Is it worth it?

Talk It Over

• What do you think people hope to gain by getting angry?
• How has anger affected your relationships? What has it cost you?
• How has anger affected your health? How is resentment or unresolved anger taking a toll on you mentally, emotionally, and physically?