DARE TO BE DIFFERENT

The Meaning of “Dare to Be Different”

Bulus has three friends –Emeka, Sule and Adams.  Bulus’ friends have girls friends and usually sneak out of the school to attend party with them.  Bulus was worried about his friends who return to tell him the story of their parties and how they enjoy sex with their girlfriends.  His friends keep persuading him to have a girlfriend but he refuses because he wants to keep himself pure until he marries.

One day, Bulus was alone meditating over what his friends used to tell him.  Patrick his schoolmate came to him and asked why he was alone looking worried.   He could not hide his feeling and so told him all his worries.  “I want to keep myself pure and preserve my virginity until I marry,” Bulus told Patrick.

Patrick also told him that he has not had sex either, and that abstinence is his own decision too.

Hints: The statement, “Dare to be different”, is a call to be bold or confident to maintain your belief when others differ in opinion.  It is a call for courage to say ‘No’ based on personal conviction when others say ‘Yes’.  Bulus was different because he wanted to maintain his virginity until he got married. You too can choose to be different. Sometimes the deception is that you are made to believe “You are the only one who is not …” But from Patrick’s response, Bulus is not alone. Most of the time, there are others who have the same values as we do.

2. How to say ‘No’ and ‘Yes’

Sometimes people try to persuade us to do what they are doing or to go where they are going.  It is not always easy to say ‘No’, especially if those people are stronger or more popular.  It is even harder to say ‘No’ if the people we love tell us to do something that we are not sure about.

How do we say ‘No’ without losing our friends?

Be confident

Stand up for your rights without putting down the right of others.

Say something positive e.g. “I am glad you’re my friend, but…”

Say No and mean it. “I’m NOT going there today, maybe next time.”

Suggest doing something else instead e.g. “Let’s go and play soccer”.

When you stand up for your personal rights without putting down the rights of others, then you will be able to say ‘No’ without feeling guilty; disagree without becoming angry; ask for help when you need it.  As a result, you will feel better about yourself and have more honest friends and relationships.

God is your helper and friend.  He can help you to stand up for what is right and to be different.  If you ‘Sandwich’ your “No” between two positives, you can keep the friendship without doing something that you feel is not right.  Lets’ practice saying “No” to what is wrong and ‘Yes’ to what is righ

Score Point:

Deut. 23:2, Prov. 1:10, Tit. 2:11

Do not follow the multitude to do evil.

When sinners entice you, consent not. 

You have the power within you to say NO.

Culled from FCS Life skills Training Manual.

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