I had the opportunity to be a BSF children's leader for several years. One training was to show the difference between what the world says and what God says. My favorite example is what cures a thief? the world says punish them in jail - do the crime, do the time. But the bible says, "...do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need. Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen..." Eph 4:27-29
I just discovered I missed this in my studies last year as I was doing User Acceptance Testing for BSFOnline.org
Truth |
Lie |
God is
beyond comprehension (Genesis 1:1) God is
incomprehensible. Even though we cannot comprehend the mechanisms by which
God created everything, we can understand God’s nature through His creation.
Rejecting Him as Creator is the same as rejecting Him as God. A man who depends on God and not himself can live with assurance, confidence, and peace,
knowing that God’s purposes will be served through his life. |
Men are to
master their universe Our world
tells men to be “masters of their own universe.” To get ahead in life, we are taught to take control, be self-reliant and work hard to realize our dreams.
As men, we often reject what we do not understand. |
God speaks
through His creation (Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25) God speaks to
all men through His creation. His creation is good and recognizing God’s hand in the beauty of the world inspires gratitude to the Creator of all. Seeking to see God in creation helps us keep a high view of God. |
Man must
be true to himself Many men have
been taught to look within themselves for wisdom and truth. They journey all over the world, seek all kinds of adventures, and try all kinds of activities to find themselves. A man who misses God as His Creator will never find himself
in any pursuit and can end up disappointed with life |
God’s love
is demonstrated through His Word (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26) God’s
powerful spoken Word brought shape and life to the world. His words created a
world that demonstrates His love for us in its beauty and complexity! A man whose identity is rooted in Jesus’ love for him uses his words to
intentionally build, comfort, and enrich others. |
“I just
say what needs to be said” Words can be
used to give or take life, to build up or tear down, to inspire others, or to justify our actions. A man who speaks without thinking can destroy others and barely even notice. Words are spoken without love, even those that “need to be
said” can be immensely harmful |
God
created differences in His creation (Genesis 1:9, 11, 24) Diversity is
an integral part of God’s creation. Examples include light and dark, sky and
earth, water and dry land, time (each minute is different than other
minutes), unique creatures that reproduce “according to their kind.” Seeing
God’s hand in intentional differences helps us appreciate and embrace them in all areas of life. |
Men use
differences to divide As men, we
often see our life circumstances only from our own point of view. Life can be a quest to bring others into alignment with us. Differences are often used to divide and separate instead of to unite and celebrate. |
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