Roger's parents were always fighting and yelling at each other.   As a result he was a very angry boy.  He would shout and kick his parents when he couldn't get his own way, and was rude to everyone at school.  You needed to get quickly out of his way or else he would pick a fight with you in next to no time.  And so everybody hated him.

Near Christmas one year, Roger wrote a letter to Father Christmas at the North Pole:

Hey Father Christmas,
I want a Mountain Bicycle
I want a huge Play Station
I want a fancy DVD Player
I want a smart Skateboard
And lots and lots more!
You'd better make sure I get all this!
Or else I'll never write to you again!
Your friend Roger

Roger's parents found his letter before he posted it and were shocked.  Roger needed a lesson!  There would be no presents this year!

On Christmas eve, Roger placed a huge cardboard box in his room to hold all the extra presents he had ordered.  Early Christmas morning, he jumped out of bed and ran to the box, but it was empty!   There were no presents!  Not even one!  Roger screamed with anger and threw himself on his bed and cried and shouted and screamed and thumped his pillow until the feathers flew everywhere!

Wow!  Roger's parents suddenly realised their fighting was teaching Roger to be a monster!  They were so ashamed.  Later that week they all went to church and listened to the Pastor preaching about how we need the love of Jesus in our hearts.  Only then we can learn to love and care for others.  That night they determined that they were going to change.  Before going to sleep, they knelt down and asked God to make their hearts clean, take away all their anger and fill their hearts with the love of Jesus.

God heard their prayer and for the first time there was peace and calm in that house.  Roger started to change as well.  His teachers and children at school could hardly recognise this new boy who was so polite!  Never again did he demand things and shout and scream if he didn't get them.  And, oh yes, he never wrote a letter again to Father Christmas!

God wants us to look at the way we behave as well, and then do what Moses said:

"Be strong ... and see what the Lord your God requires.
Walk in His ways .... so that you may prosper in all you do"
(1 Kings 2:2-3)

If we do this then our lives will please God.  I want this in my life!  How about you?

God bless!