There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the fence.
The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.
The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said “you have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.”
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It is important that we care and love one another just as God loves us. When we speak words of hatred and discouragement toward others, we are in fact hurting them from the inside out. It matters so much how a person feels on the inside, which will in essence show on their outward appearance.
There are many people who look great on the outside but deep down they are depressed or discouraged. Image what a simple word of “God loves you” or “You are doing a great job” can do to their self-esteem.
Bless others even if you really don’t feel like it and you will see the Lord pour out His blessings on you just the same. This is a good story that shows what happens when we lose our temper or say things to others that bring forth pain or heartache. I hope this message will speak to your heart to always be kind and sensitive to those around you.
You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.
Make sure you control your temper the next time you are tempted to say something you will regret later.
Our words and actions are very powerful. They can either build someone up or break them down. A word of encouragement can mean the world to a person that is feeling down or discouraged, but the opposite of this is also true. A person that is already feeling terrible will only feel worse if criticized or made fun of, so I encourage you to be sensitive to those around you and be quick to praise your friend or family member when they are feeling discouraged.
— Author Unknown —
