Katie, Tonia and Breeann were playing with their new beach balls in Katie’s yard. Katie’s ball was yellow, Tonia’s was blue, and Breeann’s was red. They tossed them and chased them and chased each other. It was lots of fun.
Suddenly Katie noticed her ball had disappeared. The girls searched in bushes and behind trees, but no yellow ball could be found. Soon it was time for Katie’s friends to go. Tonia took her ball and went home. Breeann went home, too, but forgot to take her red ball with her.
Katie went in and asked Mother if she could get a new ball since hers was lost. Mother said, “No, you play with the red one for now.”
Katie was angry. She wanted a yellow ball to play with, not a red one. Besides, the red one was Breeann’s, and Katie did not feel very friendly toward Breeann right now.
Then Katie did something very wrong. She went outside, picked up the red ball and bit a hole in it—on purpose! It went flat. As soon as she did it, she knew it was wrong—it was her temper again. Now she really felt unhappy! As she thought about what she had done, a Bible verse she had memorized for Sunday school came to her mind. “Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 19:1919Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (Matthew 19:19)). Katie had not done either of these things. Her anger at not getting another yellow ball certainly would not please or honor her parents. And what she had done to Breeann’s ball certainly was not loving her friend. Katie was a Christian, and she also knew that how she was acting and what she had done was sin and did not please the Lord Jesus either.
We all have times when we feel angry because we don’t get our own way. Here is a verse to think about at such times: “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil” (Psalm 37:88Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. (Psalm 37:8)).
The next time her mother went to the store, she let Katie buy a new ball. Katie chose a blue one this time. The yellow and red ones made her conscience bother her.
A few days later something yellow at the end of the driveway caught her eye—her yellow ball! But then Katie felt bad again when she remembered what she had done to Breeann’s ball. Her conscience was still bothering her because she had not confessed to anyone what she had done.
The next time Katie saw Breeann, she knew what she should do. She told Breeann how she had ruined her ball, then asked her if she would like to have the new blue ball. Breeann said, “Yes.”
But that only took care of part of her problem. Katie still did not feel very good about her temper. Finally she told her mother what she had done, and then she confessed it to the Lord Jesus too. Now Katie’s conscience was clear, and she felt happy again.
Have you ever confessed to the Lord Jesus that you are a sinner? Would you like to have all your sins forgiven and have a clear conscience? The Bible tells us this is possible: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:1313He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)). The Lord Jesus loves you enough that He died for you. Won’t you let Him forgive you?
ML-08/13/2017