People can suffer from a poor self-image and not even know it! I did, and when I finally turned to God in prayer, I was led to Christian Science and gained a new view of myself based on God as creator and man as His flawless likeness. This changed my life.
Unwittingly, as a youngster I had accepted a fatalistic view that man was a victim of circumstances. A boating mishap had claimed my father's life, and two siblings had become disabled. With little else to explain these devastating events, I concluded that the universe must operate on the basis of random evil. My thinking became confused, and I found it difficult to fit into the norm. Anger, defiance, and risk-taking characterized my actions, and I led an increasingly immoral lifestyle.
One day, years later, I woke up to the fact that I was at the bottom of the barrel. There was no further I could sink. I couldn't break the cycle of violence in my marriage, the family business was failing, and I was tempted to commit adultery as a way escaping my troubles. I really did not want to add this sin to the list. I wanted to be true to my marriage vows, so I resisted taking this degrading step with every fiber of my being.
