This is a hard decision and hard to give advice about. The easiest advice would perhaps be to tell you to turn away from this. To tell you that you shouldn’t have anything to do with a company that basically screams materialism, that in its own way preaches that what you wear and what you have and how much you have is of the utmost importance.
And yet, would it be so terrible to work with them and make some much needed money? Certainly if they asked you to pose in a provocative way, or in revealing clothing, that would be different and i imagine you would balk at that. But this situation doesn’t seem to be so clear cut as that.
Perhaps it really comes down to the question of how strictly we should adhere to our principles when we are in doubt. That is what is hard to say. Or rather, it would be easy to say you should be unyielding. To say that if you have any qualms about something then you should steer clear.
For ideally, yes, we should all strive to be strongly principled in all instances. Ideally, we should all be saints. The hardest part is knowing when it is called upon us to be strong and to take a stand and when we are simply taking a stand for the sake of being strong.
And it probably isn’t my place to say whether you should take a strong stand or whether you should compromise somewhat.
Let me put it this way (and i don’t mean this as a parallel to your situation, but rather about the potential pitfalls of giving what may be the most technically correct advice): if someone concerned about his health asks whether it would really be so bad to eat a few cookies if offered and whether he should reject everything that may not be 100% healthy, then what is the correct answer? Strictly speaking, the
most correct answer is to tell this person to turn down the offer and to turn away from similar offers. Yet while perhaps technically correct, that probably isn’t going to be the
best answer. It’ll probably just end up making him desire cookies (and other unhealthy foods) all the more and eventually he’ll cave in and probably in a big way too. So that instead of, say, just eating a few cookies now and then, he’ll suddenly break and end up eating a whole boxful. And then some brownies too. And then a piece of cake. And then why stop there? And so he’ll get down on himself and think what’s the use, i’m just not strong enough and so bother trying to be so health conscious when it’ll just make me fall apart and lose all self control and make me indulge myself in a way i never even used to do?
So sometimes what seems the most technically correct (or perhaps the safest) advice may not be the best or the most practical advice to give for it may be pushing someone to go to an extreme that may not be particularly helpful in their particular situation or that might not even be necessary to begin with.
Understandably you are uncertain about this company. You don’t want to advertise something you believe promotes values that are unhealthy. Yet you need the money and what you would be doing isn’t something that is shameful. Perhaps it isn’t the most principled path to take, the 100% healthy path (ie, not taking the job) but there are worse paths you could choose. Not that you would ever consider this but we have all heard stories of attractive students that become strippers or even resort to worse things to help them make their way through college. So this may not be the very highest road but it doesn’t strike me as a particularly bad road either.
However, if you do take the job and if it turns out that it is the wrong choice for you then i firmly believe that as long as you keep praying and keep yourself alert to the guidance of the Holy Spirit that the Holy Spirit will let you know and will guide you in a different direction. Perhaps not right away. Perhaps only after you’ve gone down this path a while and thus allowing you to more fully understand why it wasn’t the best way to go and why you should turn from it. Then that way in the future when a similar situation arises you’ll know for certain what to do and to take a firm stand if needed.
I know this probably wasn’t a clear answer but i hope it may be of some use. Whatever path you choose, though, i pray that it will work out for the best. And know this, most people your age (and much older too) would have jumped at an opportunity like this without a second thought. To wrestle with such a decision to me shows much maturity and puts to shame my muddled morality and rash ways when i was younger.
Hope you’re having a Merry Christmas
).