A Small Book about a Big Problem: Meditations on Anger, Patience, and Peace

I've been told by my wife a number of times over the years that I have an "anger problem". I would acknowledge it to a degree, but defend myself. We got some counseling, which was very helpful, but this powerful book is really helping me to understand and repent of anger in a deeper way. Because it's a collection of short devotions that you do over 50 days, it hasn't hit me like a ton of bricks at the beginning. Rather, as I absorb it little by little, I am discovering along the way that God arranges my life circumstances (or opens my eyes to the circumstances I was already in) to show me how "big" the problem really is, and how big God's solution is as well.

Even if you don't have this "big problem", you probably know somebody who does. I'd suggest buying the book first, and trying it out for a few days. Who knows, you may even discover the problem in yourself...and the solution in Christ.

This is a great book! The genius of it is how Ed Welch crams 50 pungent meditations into such a small space and at a perfect pace. Welch hasn't written a bunch of "devotional nuggets" with flowery, mystical, syrupy thoughts. He has distilled the dynamics of human anger and found 50 helpful ways to approach the problem biblically. Reading it is like having a really good, purposeful conversation with a really good, wise counselor. He doesn't waste time or words to get to the heart of things. For example, Day 41 begins, "If you want to know what you really think about the Lord, watch how you live." And he ends most of the short chapters with a searching question or two for application. It's really powerful stuff.

And it's funny, too. Day 36 begins, "You usually don't want to mess with raccoons, but this one was extreme." You know you want to read that chapter! The humor is often self-deprecatingly disarming and, before you know it, you see yourself (and your own hang-ups) in the mirror. I expect that this small book will have big impact in people's lives.

I have been a fan of Ed Welch for years. And this book continues a trend of his, that is writing relevant works that bring us closer to the Lord. Who among us has never been angry? I am not talking upset like you burnt dinner, I mean straight up angry to where you felt you might hurt another person or thing? So I am the only one, thats good to know.

Dr. Welch does an excellent job in helping us to see anger as it really is. When he is talking about anger he means the type that leads to sin and partnership with the Devil!

I found day six to be one of the most powerful interactions of the book. In how it breaks down the different faces of anger. I never realized what an angry person I was until I read his descriptions of anger on those few pages. He not only defines anger and what it looks like but he provides the remedy in Christ. In the book he speaks of having a plan like the AA program and working it, seeking forgiveness and being specific with God and people.

I really like this book, I would almost dare say love it. It has opened my eyes to areas where I am/have fallen short. It is my hope that it will do the same for you. If you struggle with frustrations (it may be under-layed by anger) or if you’ve been hurt by anger this work will show ways to possibly restore.

I recommend this book to EVERYONE!! If you do any kind of counseling this is a great tool for the toolkit.

A Small Book About a Big Problem is the first book by Edward T. Welch and it is fantastic. This book deals with Anger and how instead of anger, finding patience and peace. I personally know that I was never taught how to deal with anger and am excited to have this new perspective, a way to turn it around. Edward T. Welch is a Biblical Counselor who writes with authority on dealing with about anger, the Bible, how to deal with everyday issues that impact all of us, and how to use the scriptures to find peace. I found that with it being broken up into 50 days, taking it day by day really made it easier to implement into my life. This book may be small but in 192 pages it really packs a punch. I enjoyed the fact that this book size is a little bigger than my cell phone so it was light and compact enough to fit into my purse or bag. I have been rereading this book, finding more insight that I missed in my original reading of this book. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to read this book, it has really opened my eyes to how anger has controlled so many parts of my life. I am excited to read read more books by Edward T. Welch, his books are on my must read list. I highly recommend this book to everyone, it is something that anyone can pick up and relate to. I give this book 5 STARS.

It's a teeny thing, just a little bigger than the size of a smartphone. But as they say, "Dynamite comes in small packages!" Ed Welch, licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation (CCEF), has compiled 50 short daily devotions into a small, 186 page hardcover with this intriguing title, "A Small Book about a Big Problem: Meditations on Anger, Patience, and Peace." Each day's easy to comprehend reflection runs between 300 to 350 words, or two to three small pages, all of which are bite-sized and focused on one topic per day.

Like a good physician of the soul, Welch works the reader through the various angles and aspects of anger: causes, catalysts, and catastrophic results. The author also examines the whys and ways of change by looking into new routines, remedies and the Redeemer. This tiny volume is not afraid to address the seriousness of anger and the big value of it's alternative. For example, "Control and power are heady matters, and anger is the drug that seems to give access to them...Real strength is used to rule our spirit rather than to rule others" (92).

"A Small Book about a Big Problem" could be used in support and recovery groups, churches, counseling sessions, by chaplains in military or prison units, or personal soul-care. There are questions sprinkled throughout, and blank spaces that can be used for written reflections. This is an important book that is friendly and serious. I found myself stopping at places, praying, confessing my own sins, and thinking about my actions and attitudes throughout the past years and the present. I strongly recommend that if at all possible you run out immediately and snatch up a copy!

The contents of this book has been a tremendous help to me. I'm challenged to confront the truth about my anger. If you are ready to deal with your anger in the manner that God wants you, read this book.

If we are honest all of us struggles with anger. Whether we blow up, or shut down there are moments when we do not handle our circumstances in a biblical manner. Thankfully, by God's grace we can come to Him, confess our sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us. But that does not mean that we should just become complacent in out sin. Scripture also calls us to fight our sin by the power and working of the Holy Spirit in us, and so we are to fight against the anger that can easily ensnare us. In A Small Book About a Big Problem: Meditations on Anger, Patience, and Peace Ed Welch has written a very manageable 50 day devotion to focus on anger. Ed Welch has written much in the Christian Counseling world, and these thoughts on anger draw from years of experience and are biblically saturated.

On Day 1 Welch lays out the plan for book calling it a "slow fifty-day walk." His goal is to have the reader think through anger biblically over the course of 50 days rather than burning through a book and not taking time to meditate on the truths that it contains. I like this approach for a couple of reasons: 1) I read a lot and have often found myself finishing a book without really thinking deeply about its contents and 2) Often times small devotional books lack much depth or substance. It is nice to have options to read and recommend of solid short devotionals that will cause the reader to think and draw them closer to Christ, not just a short pick me up or self help talk. I really appreciated the layout, with most devotions being between 2-3 pages and only taking 3-5 minutes to read at the most. Almost anyone can find the time to fit this short book into their schedule. I also appreciated that Welch ends many chapters with a challenge question based on what he just covered in the previous pages. The thought here is to have the reader pause and meditate on what they just read and how it applies to there life.

I was greatly blessed by this book and will probably visit it again in the future as it contains great truths rooted in Scripture.

Slows you down to chew carefully on one main insight per day and give yourself time to take it in. Like taking a slow walk with a trusted mentor, it's a book that encourages you to make space for change rather than a lot of research and information. Well worth taking the time to reflect and pray through these daily meditations.

I don’t consider myself an “angry” person, I’ve never been told I have anger issues or felt that I needed help to control my anger but this book impacted me and spoke to my heart so much. The presentation of the material is fantastic. The scripture references were on point and I appreciated the fact that the book didn’t only focus on why anger is wrong but how to replace anger with peace and contentment. I loved that this book was broken up in 50 daily meditation segments. It is more like a devotional than a full text book and that was a pleasant surprise. The size of the book made it so easy to throw into my bag and take with me for convenient reading on the train, etc. I appreciated the blank page at the end of most of the chapters: I wrote notes and prayers on them and was able to use the book like a journal too. A great book for any Christian who wants to exercise better control over their anger emotions

This book is profoundly life changing. It rearranged the way I look at life's irritations and seemingly unfairness. It has exposed my angry heart that I was unaware of. It has made me look inward rather than outward. I love that it is broken into 50 days, with each day giving some profound principle in living without anger. I plan to re-read it when the 50 days are up, and refresh my memory of this Biblical way of responding to anger. I am so grateful to Edward Welch for sharing God's truths in such a powerful way.

This book provides the reader the opportunity on a daily basis for two months to look at his or her anger in the light of the Scriptures, prayerfully consider his or her anger issues, and move toward considerably better anger management. This has been an incredibly helpful book for me.

I learned that I was extremely naive about the destructiveness of anger not only on myself, and others but on my relationship with God. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who has been trapped by anger in their lives.

'A Small Book about a Big Problem' by Edward T. Welch is 50 days worth of meditations on anger, patience and peace. Do you struggle with anger or know someone who does? Are you a lay-leader in your church who infrequently deals with problems you aren’t trained to handle? This valuable book will help you take your own anger captive and prepare you to better deal with the outbursts of others.

On day one, the destructive nature of anger is brought to light, revealing the importance of such a book. Many of us haven’t been taught to properly deal with our anger, so it becomes anxiety or violence or outbursts. The author calls this book a slow walk – one meditation per day. This book is interactive. It poses questions. It refers to Scripture. It leads the reader to pray. This can transform us and our thinking. The most difficult part of reading this book was keeping the slow pace. But this is a topic that really needs to be chewed on and digested one tiny bite at a time. Do you want to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry? Take a slow walk with Edward T. Welch.

What a life changer this book is. My husband and I have struggled with anger towards each other our entire marriage and after having a few sessions with a Biblical counselor who shared a Bible verse from James 4:1-6

"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions[a] are at war within you?[b] 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people![c] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 6 But he gives more grace."

That verse really spoke to me and i began to search for a devotion that my husband and I could read together, and I just happened to stumble upon this book. It has been perfect because the chapters, or I should say daily meditations, are short, but packed with life changing principles regarding anger. It has been a life changer for me, and I am now more resolved than ever to honor Christ with my words, and to choose the path of wisdom. I highly recommend this book to any Christian who struggles with this anger, really that is pretty much all of us to some degree.

Edward Welch has become somewhat of a household name in recent years, especially in circles that welcome biblical counseling. Dr. Welch’s new book, A Small Book About a Big Problem is written for everyday people who experience everyday problems. In this short and powerful little book, the author presents fifty meditations that address anger, patience, and peace.

Each chapter contains a central thought that educates, inspires, and challenges readers. The meditations are informed by Scripture and force readers to wrestle with motives, hidden sin, and temptations that are common to all.

The strength of this book is its brevity. The meditations are designed to be read on a daily basis and encourage deep thought and contemplation. Ultimately, the subject matter concerns sanctification and is written in such a way to attract both baby Christians and seasoned believers.

Anyone who desires short, readable and biblical encouragement should pick up a copy of this excellent book. Highly recommended!

I read this one chapter a day. It is simple truth, but highly convicting. I will be going through this booklet again and again. I gave it 4 stars because for such a short digital book it had a very high price tag. Would highly recommend this book to everyone.

Although the book is dealing with Anger, the best part about it is it actually targets both sides of the fence. Either the person who is angry or the person who is being hurt or mistreated by another person. I have been so convicted about my response to the person afflicting pain because the author shows you Jesus's response and I always come up short to His standard of correct responses and His unconditional love. This little book is carefully designed for you to only read 1 day at a time and the pages are very small, so it only takes a minute or 2 BUT the impact is indescribable. Usually the responses I get from those who are reading it is "WOW"! I shared it with a friend in S.C and the last count she told me was that she gave it to her supervisor and she ordered 10 to give away. It is now on my Christmas and Birthday list for my friends. It is better than a devotional and I will be reading it over and over for the rest of my life. I love this little book. Susan B

In a post-Fall world, there are no strangers when it comes to anger. Ed Welch's latest book, A Small Book About a Big Problem: Meditations on Anger, Patience, and Peace, seeks to address and tame this universal problem. I welcomed the idea of succinct meditations that could be read in under two minutes each. It was refreshing to drink deeply of the rich, Gospel-truths in which this book is rooted. I love that Welch didn't leave any stone unturned when it came to various manifestations of anger but included commonly overlooked habits including: sarcasm, grumbling, complaining, gossip, withdrawal, silence, indifference, envy, and jealousy. I appreciate that he didn't merely focus on outward behavior modifications but looked more deeply at the heart issues that drive anger, seeking to apply biblical truths.
Naturally, a short book with a limited word count presents certain limitations. Understanding these should help prevent disappointment and misunderstanding. This book is largely about addressing the reader's anger. When exploring a topic as volatile as anger, short meditations seem to fall short of sufficiently exploring the many questions raised. All in all, A Small Book About a Big Problem is a good start, but ideally, it would be paired with another resource to provide some needed balance.

This small book is a 50 day meditational book about anger. Each meditation is only a few pages long, so it's a good book for someone who is wanting to read something quick to help them get to the bottom of their anger problem. It provides a lot of Scripture too, to help you reflect on Jesus' attitude toward anger, peace, and patience. My only criticism is that it didn't provide as many practical steps as I would have liked. It provided a lot of information in a short space, but didn't give me as many specific take aways as I would have liked. Overall, it's a good, quick-read book, but because of how small it is, it doesn't go into as much detail as I personally would have liked.

Are you struggling with anger? Have you in the past? Have others told you that you come across as an angry person? Or do you know someone in your life that is struggling with anger but isn’t quite sure how to get a handle on it? Let me encourage you to get your hands on a copy (or two) of this book. Whether you are a reader or not, this book is written in such a readable and accessible way that it is sure to be a great help for everyone.

Short, small, and compact, you can be sure that if you give yourself to reading this book over the course of 50 days, together with a humble spirit and willingness to obey God in His Word, God will use His Word and His truth in your life to build Christlikeness in you, which includes giving you victory over your sinful anger. If you’ve been wanting to see victory over anger in your life, don’t wait another minute. Buy a copy of this book today.