ManageYourEmotionsBook8.5x5.5_RevJULY.indd

Whereas these examples involved women, issues of inferiority are no respecter of genders. In this narcissistic, materialistic, and he- donistic society in which we live, there has never been a time when we have had so much yet enjoyed it so little. Getting bogged down in our negative emotions, with low self-esteem among the worst, is a primary cause. If you find yourself engaged in this conflict, which most us periodically do, there are steps that must be taken.The first is a call to minimize the standards of this world, a fallen, carnal sys- tem which places heavy emphasis on the following: Appearance. Who would dispute the fact we live in an ap- pearance obsessed world? “Our society holds up a standard of beauty that we can never attain. Much of it is communicated to us through photo-shopped pictures and images that aren’t even real themselves! Even the people in those images don’t really look like that! And even if they did, it is still a false measure.” 101 Actually, it’s always been that way.As God told Samuel when choosing Israel’s next king, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).Whereas David’s predecessor Saul was “choice and handsome” (see 1 Samuel 9:2), he turned out to be a poor king. As Solomon writes, “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain” (Proverbs 31:30) – which brings to mind these words in a NewYork Times interview from actress Caprice Benedetti, who was making $300,000 as a model in the early 1990’s:

This whole business is deception. It’s false advertising. It’s total fantasy. How can a 5-foot-5 woman with a pear-shaped body put on a pair of leather pants and a tight shirt and look 5-10, 120 pounds and not pear-shaped? It’s a shame.We give women false expectations and we make them feel worse about themselves. I feel guilty at times. I know I’m putting something on that most people can’t wear. I know this is just a game. 102

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