People really just need to be satisfied with who they are themselves. If they're not, then they need to find ways to improve themselves.
Overweight? Then go exercise and eat right and slim down.
Not as educated as you'd like? Take some classes, or get some books and read them.
Dissatisfied with your marriage? Get together with your spouse and examine what's wrong, and make the decision to change that/those thing(s).
Don't like your job? Try to find a new one, or even strike out on your own and be your own boss (harder to do in the Obamaconomy, I realise).
Anything is better than just making up stories about yourself, setting yourself up for a fall, embarrassment, having nobody ever trust you again. "Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour." (Eccl. 10:1)
I think a lot of it has to do with the predominance and type of entertainment in our culture. Instead of valuing the things of life that could enrich us every day, we are wowwed by the big action movies with muscle-bound hulks toting massive guns and doing deeds of derring-do. We start to think that that is what manhood and goodness and self-worth are all about.
Then, people like this pastor start transferring that over to the military in general, and special forces in particular. They love the Steven Seagal movies, and want people to think of them as they would the people in those movies, and the way to do that is to claim to be what they're not.
They never stop to think about why, really, should they value what a military man does over their own lives. Even here on FR, we see people who think that those in the military are some kind of gods among men, when they're not. They're just guys who wear a uniform and sometimes have to do dangerous, heroic things. We should honour them for their sacrifices, but we should not idolise them as if they, and only they, do anything that is worthwhile. I'd hate to live in a world where only military action and fighting are worthwhile. It'd be like living among Attila's Huns or Genghis' Mongols. No thanks.
Real manhood is meeting your responsibilities, to your family, to your God. Real manhood doesn't mean putting on some camoflauge and playing with guns - or falsely telling people that you used to do that at one point. Real manhood involves having your priorities straight, having eternity's values in view. Everything else needs to be subordinate to that, else something is out of whack in your life.
So true.
I though, am slim and trim, have three PhD’s and am more interesting than that old dude selling Mexican beer. Besides...just a minute...my mom says the President has called back (again) so I suppose I should go see what he wants!