Because of Jesus, I Can Show Self-Control (Kids' Bible Lesson on Anger)
As Catholics, we are called and encouraged to demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit as told in Galatians: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The last two traits are particularly remarkable, especially in this world where gentleness is commonly regarded as weakness, and instant gratification is promoted everywhere.
The truth is that gentleness is the opposite of weakness – it takes extraordinary courage, determination, and resilience to be gentle. Moreover, self-control is an essential trait that will help your child patiently and diligently work towards their dreams.
Because of this, you need to instill in your children these traits at a young age so that they grow up to be successful individuals that are rooted in the Spirit. Here are four interesting Bible stories that you can use to get started:
1. King David’s psalm (Psalm 23)
The first step to teaching your child about gentleness is to show who first demonstrated it. Sharing Psalm 23 with your child is a great way to introduce God as the Lord, who is all-powerful and gentle with those He loves. It is among the most popular passages in the Bible, and it also paints a beautiful picture of how God gently takes care of us!
2. The story of Nehemiah and the walls of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 4)
Nehemiah was a Jewish leader who led the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exodus. Building the wall was not an easy task in itself, and armies from nearby lands even came and started to attack them.
As you read this story to your child, emphasize to them how Nehemiah reacted to the armies approaching them. He did not fight back; instead, he remained calm and showed self-control. He assigned some men to be guards while the others continued to work on the walls. Nehemiah was able to do this because he believed that God would protect them, even when the times were tough.
3. Casting the First Stone (John 8)
This is another popular and interesting Bible story that you can use to teach your child about gentleness. In this story, Jesus was teaching the crowd when the Pharisees brought to him a woman who had been caught committing adultery.
The story helps to explain to your child about the way of living of the olden Jews, that criminals were stoned to death as a punishment for their offense. However, when the Pharisees wanted to stone the woman, Jesus responded with gentleness by saying, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”
As you finish reading the chapter to your child, help them understand that everyone is guilty of sinning and making mistakes, and that gentleness and compassion will always be the best response to any situation.
4. Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4)
This story shows your child that even Jesus faced temptation when He was on earth. After He was baptized, He went to the wilderness and fasted for 40 days. During that time, Satan came to tempt Him by offering fame and other earthly pleasures.
As you read this chapter to your child, help them realize that Jesus has set an example for us to follow. Practicing self-control and discipline can be difficult, but teach him that they can always pray to Jesus to help them overcome temptations.
Conclusions
Instilling Catholic traits into your child and grounding them in principles based on the Bible at an early age will mold their personality and the way they interact with other people. As a parent, it’s important that you not only focus on your children’s academic development but also foster their emotional intelligence and spiritual development so that they will grow to be competent and compassionate achievers.
If you’re looking for a distinguished Catholic school for your little ones, consider enrolling them with us at St. Aloysius School in New York! We offer Montessori Pre-Kindergarten Program to support early childhood development. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help!
