Have you ever been so angry that you couldn’t think and felt like you would explode?  The Bible tells us that we need to control anger correctly, or we can sin.  This lesson will help you manage anger the way God wants you to. 

Before reading the Bible verses, we'll begin reading the "Fence Story."

After you have read the story and the Bible verses, challenge yourself by answering the questions on the next page.    

  We pray that God will bless you with understanding as you read and study His Holy Word.

There once was a young boy with a very bad temper.  The boy's father wanted to teach him a lesson, so he gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into their wooden fence.

On the first day of this lesson, the little boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.  He was mad!

Over the course of the next few weeks, the little boy began to control his anger, so the number of nails that were hammered into the fence dramatically decreased.

It wasn't long before the little boy discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Then, the day finally came when the little boy didn't lose his temper even once, and he became so proud of himself, he couldn't wait to tell his father.

Pleased, his father suggested that he now pull out one nail for each day that he could hold his temper.

Several weeks went by and the day finally came when the young boy was able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.

Very gently, the father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.

"You have done very well, my son," he smiled, "but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same."

The little boy listened carefully as his father continued to speak.

"When you say things in anger, they leave permanent scars just like these. And no matter how many times you say you're sorry, the wounds will still be there." 

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Anger can explode into something that causes destruction and sin.  When we focus on God, the anger will evaporate.  Here are some Bible verses that can be used to control anger.

Ephesians 4:26-27

26 “In your anger do not sin”:  Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 

27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 

Proverbs 29:11

Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.

                                                                                               James 1:19-20                                                                                                  

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to

speak, and slow to become angry

20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Luke 6:45

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Colossians 3:8

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.

The Kingdom Lesson in This Story 

Anger is not a sin.  It is important not to let the anger turn to sin or allow you to sin.

  We can stop the anger from turning into sin by not allowing it to lead us to revenge or to have a hard heart. Don’t let anger dictate what we say, think, and react. 

 Lean on God to guide your steps.