Anger

Anger is an emotion kids struggle with, and some experience intense anger outbursts. In this week’s Brite lesson, kids learn about Jesus’ righteous anger in the temple and how He turned over the tables. You can help your kids learn that anger itself is not wrong—it is a God-given emotion. However, the way we react in anger can be sinful. Help kids brainstorm healthy ways to deal with anger, such as taking a break from a situation, yelling into a pillow, talking it out with someone or taking some deep breaths.

Here’s how we discussed this topic and how you can discuss it at home: 

Discuss: What are some things that make you angry?

Discuss: What do you do when you get angry?

Discuss: What do you think God has to say about that?

Say: We all get angry sometimes! Anger is an emotion that God gave us. In our story today, even Jesus was angry about sin. Ephesians 4:26 says: Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. It is not a sin to feel anger, but sometimes the things we do because we are angry are wrong. If we hurt someone physically or emotionally or hurt ourselves, we are not handling our anger God’s way. When we feel angry, we can talk to a trusted adult or friend. We can get in the habit of taking a “timeout” from situations that are upsetting us. We can pause to take deep breaths. Even yelling into a pillow is better than yelling at a person! Most importantly, we can talk to God and ask for His help in dealing with our anger.