The Fence and Nails
There was once a young boy who had a terrible temper. The boy’s dad decided to teach him a lesson, hoping this would help with his son’s temper outbursts.
He gave his son a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the wooden fence in their garden. On the same day of this initial lesson, the little boy had already driven 37 nails into the fence. He was really mad!
Over the course of the next few weeks, the boy began to control his anger, so that the number of nails that he hammered into the fence dramatically decreased. And it wasn’t long before he discovered that it was easier to hold his temper tantrums than it was to drive those nails into the fence.
Then the day finally came when the boy didn’t lose his temper even once, and he was so proud of himself, that he couldn’t wait to tell his dad.
Well of course his dad was pleased with him. So his dad suggested that he now pull out one nail each day, that he could hold his temper, and after several weeks had gone by the day finally came when the young boy was able to tell his dad that all the nails were gone.
Then, very gently, the father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence, and said: “You have done very well son, and continued “but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same”.
The little boy listened carefully as his dad continued to speak. “When you say things in anger, they leave permanent scars just like these holes left in the fence. And no matter how many times you say sorry, those wounds will still be there.”
There is a righteous anger that stands against evil and injustice, but even with this the Bible adds a warning for the sake of our own peace, when it says:
“Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26)
And in Psalm 4:4 it says “Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.”
Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross at Calvary for our sin and He still bears the scars in His nail-pierced hands and feet to this day. They remain as a constant reminder that He has paid the price for our sin and that He still offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who will repent of sin and trust Him for their salvation.