What does God say?
A fool gives full vent to anger, but a wise person quietly holds it back.—Proverbs 29:11
If you looked at a hippopotamus yawning in a slow-moving African river, you might think it is a friendly and lazy animal. But you would be mistaken! Armed with long, razor-sharp teeth, the hippo is actually one of the most dangerous African animals. What makes it so dangerous is its temper.
If a boat comes too close, the hippopotamus will lunge out with a loud roar and slash at it. The boat may be overturned and any riders bitten or dragged under water and drowned. When hippos fight with one another, they may battle for an hour or more, leaving each other gashed and bleeding! These animals may look peaceful, but don’t make them mad!
Sometimes people can have nasty tempers just like the hippo. They are just fine until someone bothers them. Then they use angry words or even fists to fight. They hurt other people and lose friends. No one likes to be around someone who gets mad and always wants to fight. God tells us to be friends and to settle our differences peacefully. He knows that when we lose our tempers, we hurt others and ourselves too.
What do you say?
• Where does the hippo live?
• What kinds of things make you angry? What can you do with your angry feelings so that you don’t hurt others?
• What makes the hippo such a dangerous animal?
• Why do you think God wants us to control our tempers?
