Paul was a respectful and obedient son, but he had one problem; when he got angry and upset at his best friend Luke, he would make some hurtful remarks.

One day Paul’s father handed his son a bag of nails and said, “See that post outside; every time you get upset and say something in anger I want you to drive one of these nails in it.” The son looked at his father with a puzzled face but was willing to try the exercise because he also wanted to master his anger. For the next week, every time he got upset he did as his father advised.

At the end of the week his father called him over to the post and said, “Every time you get upset and have to say you are sorry, pull out a nail.” Again the son was wondering what his father was doing, but he followed along. At the end of another week his father called him over to the post.  The father asked him “Tell me son, what do you see?”  Paul replied, “I see a weak post riddled with nail holes just about to fall apart.”

The father explained the meaning of the exercise saying, “The post represents your relationship with Luke and the nails are the hurtful words you speak when you are angry. Pulling them out is like apologizing to him; however the holes are still left from the hurt these (nails) words caused, too many hurtful words, and the relationship may fall apart like the weakened post.

After Paul’s father was finished, he went to his friend Luke and apologized for all the things he said in the past. He told him he knew he could not make up for all the hurts but that after today he was making a commitment to never speak another hurtful word to him again.

Make A Commitment