Give and Take Action
Lesson Objective: Understand how to have healthy relationships with God and others through common bases and give and take action.
Divine Principle Reading
Through the agency of universal prime energy, the subject and object elements of every entity form a common base and enter into interaction. This interaction, in turn, generates all the forces the entity needs for existence, multiplication and action. The interaction generating these forces through this process is called give and take action. Universal prime energy and the forces generated by give and take action are in a reciprocal relationship of cause and result, internal and external, and subject partner and object partner. Universal prime energy is a vertical force, while the forces generated by give and take action are horizontal forces.
Activity: Forming Common Bases
1. Play the game “would you rather?” Shout out a series of questions with two choices such as “would you rather eat vanilla or chocolate ice cream?” After each question designate one side of the room as the “vanilla side” and the other as the “chocolate side.” Once the youth have relocated to their preferred side, have them tell each other what they like about chocolate or vanilla. Play several rounds.
- Chocolate or Vanilla Ice Cream?
- Read the book or see the movie?
- Own a cat or a dog?
- Eat Mexican food or Chinese food?
- Be rich or famous?
- Be in 120 degree weather or -20 degree weather?
2. Explain that these are examples of common bases and we use common bases as a method for interaction. We do this with people as well as with God.
3. Write these words on a piece of paper and pre-cut them so that they can be easily ripped off of the paper (like an advertisement/phone number at school). Have the youth reflect on the question of “when do I relate with God” and collect the strips of paper that relate to them.
- Blank (they can write their own)
4. Pair Share:
- Share about a time where you related with God when you were feeling one of these emotions.
- What type of interaction with God did you experience? Did you feel like God understood what you were going through?
Concluding Point: We relate to God through a vast amount of common bases. God experiences all of these emotions; He can always relate with us no matter what we are going through.
Activity: Positive & Negative Give & Take
1. Visit Masaru Emoto’s website which shows photos of the impact of positive and negative experiences on water crystals: http://www.masaru-emoto.net/english/water-crystal.html
- Water & Prayer Section: Show the before and after photos of prayers over water
- Water & Words: Show the difference in crystals of positive and negative words
2. Explain: Think about the idea that our body is made of 70% water. How do negative and positive interactions impact our physical body?
3. Pair Share:
- Share an experience where you a song, movie, conversation, etc. had a negative impact on you. What did you interact with, and what was its’ impact on you?
- Share an experience where a song, move, conversation, etc. had a positive impact on you. What did you interact with, and what was its’ impact on you?
4. Reflect in a notebook: What is something/someone you would like to have more interaction and give and take with because of their positive impact on you?
Concluding Point: The exchange of give and take happens in every level of our being, and we need to be mindful of what type of give and take we are having.
Divine Principle Reading
If the function of the conscience were absent in fallen people, God’s providence of restoration would be impossible. How is this force of conscience generated? Since all forces are produced by give and take action, the conscience cannot generate the force needed for its operation all by itself. That is to say, the conscience can operate only when it forms a common base with some subject partner and engages in give and take action with it. The ultimate subject partner of our conscience is God.
Activity: Conscience & Restoration
1. Have everyone reflect on a time in their life in which they felt like they were in a difficult spot. How did they feel? What were they going through?
2. Discuss together: How did you get out of that spot? Who or what pulled you out of that rut?
3. Explain: We are all given our conscience. And God is able to have give and take with our conscience through truth and goodness in the world. When our conscience has that give and take, it pushes us to reconnect with God and our true self.
- Option 1: Have everyone make a collage or banner to display in their room that can be a reminder of the truth and goodness in their life. Encourage them to use this as a resource to have give and take with God on a regular basis.
- Option 2: Have everyone look up inspirational quotes online and write those quotes out on index cards. Have everyone decorate an envelope to put those quotes in. Encourage them to pull these quotes out when they need inspiration so that their conscience can have good give and take.
Concluding Point: When we have give and take with truth and goodness, our conscience grows stronger. When our conscience grows stronger we are able to become closer to God and our true selves.