Here Comes FAT Tom!

I sometimes see myself as "FAT Tom". But God doesn't. Neither do the people who know and love me. I often look at myself through the worst possible eyes. Do you do the same thing? This podcast episode will help.  [Scroll down for complete SHOW NOTES!]

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24 TODAY SHOW NOTES for "Here Comes FAT Tom" - Episode 91

NOTE: The 24TODAY podcast transcripts are generated using speech recognition software, and may contain errors. 

Hello again. It's pastor Tom and this particular podcast is called "Here comes FAT Tom"

There's a passage of scripture that's an interesting statement in First Samuel 16:7 that says that God doesn't look at our physical stature and He doesn't judge us by our outward appearance. God doesn't care about our physical stature. It says on the other hand, man man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart and that's First Samuel 16:7, and that is a very good reminder of the way God views us.

He (God) views the heart... and it's also a very true statement about people... and about you and I... because we look too much (especially really about when it comes to our own self), we are far too critical of ourselves and we see what in our mind our physical imperfections and we blow that way out of proportion. And we we kind of view ourselves through through those eyes of only seeing our worst possible self.

So the title of this again is "Here Comes FAT Tom".

I did a video recording just yesterday of myself and another pastor. We were talking about a particular cause that we're we're promoting in the community that is going to help people and so we're doing this video to explain that... and I I looked at myself on that video and immediately my eyes went toward my stomach and how fat I am on that video because... that's just something that I've kind of picked on myself about for years... and so in my mind it's "FAT Tom.

And you know, I had to I had to remind myself of the truth that... yeah, I am heavier than I should be, and my stomach is too big. By the way, I'm trying to eat better and trying to lose weight you know, remind myself of that.

But also remind myself of the truth that other people don't see me as "FAT Tom". Now if, if they were to be asked, you know, is is Tom heavier than it should be? Does Tom have a belly? They would say, Yes. Yeah, I guess so.

But yet they see me as Tom, or they see me as Pastor Tom. They see me as what they love about me or like in me and they see the relationship that they have with me.

They just see me as Tom, not FAT Tom...

I mean, how cruel would would that be? By the way, you don't do that with other people. If somebody might be overweight, or somebody has a big nose or someone you know, is losing their hair or someone walks pigeon-toed or whatever else they might have. You don't see them as "Pigeon-toed Pam". You don't see them as "Bald Barry".

You just see them as Barry or you see them as Pam. Do you see what i'm saying?

Barry probably sees himself as "Bald Barry". And Pam probably sees herself as "Pigeon-toed". She probably criticizes herself or he does... and maybe, maybe he sometimes (like me), even feels intimidated about that or even allows the day to be ruined. Because they think "everyone's looking at my bald head" or "everyone just sees me as imperfect in the way that I walk."

And...and yet other people just see them as someone that they love and someone that they know.

So I could... I can... if I allow this to get out of control being that I'm on stage a lot... I could, I could feel like everyone's looking at my stomach or everyone's (you know), thinking I'm fat and allow that to, to hurt my effectiveness as a pastor or speaker or allow that certainly to ruin my experience at that moment.

Instead of just saying, Hey, you know, I do have a problem with my weight. I am working on it. I do have a problem with my weight. But it's just, it's just who I am and where I'm at right now in life. But that doesn't have to mean that I have to project myself like that, or even put myself self down or see myself as "FAT Pastor Tom".

And just as a reminder, God doesn't look at me that way either. And for you and for myself, it's good to remember that God doesn't see us as (you know), the the sin that most embarrasses us, or most trips us up.

God doesn't see us as you know... whatever that sin is, and then put your name behind it. You know, instead of "FAT Tom", you know, whatever that whatever that sin as and then label you as is that sin and then put your name. You know what I'm saying?

God doesn't see you that way. God just sees you as someone that he loves. As someone that he has a relationship with someone that he cares about, who happens to have the struggle here and there in his or her life. But God doesn't see you or see me as "FAT Tom". He sees me as someone that he cares about, and loves very deeply.

So, I know that when you look at me, you're not saying "Here comes FAT Tom"... you're just saying... "Here comes Tom. We love Tom. We care about Tom. And yeah, I suppose if you were to really think about it. Yeah, he does have a big belly. He has a little overweight, but that's not how I view him."

So the encouragement for you is to not view yourself from your own bad vision, you know, in your own way of distorting the reality of who you are. Stop viewing yourself in the worst possible light. Stop viewing yourself from whatever it is that you most hate about yourself... that you're most embarrassed about yourself... that you wish that you didn't look this way or you could change. Stop viewing yourself from that lens and blowing that way out of proportion. Just see yourself as Tom... or put your name in there. Whatever your name is. Just see yourself as who you are.

Because that's the way God does.

And by the way, that's the way the people who love you do as well..................

Thanks for listening. We'll talk again next time.

I'd like to thank a friend of mine Kendra Dahlstrom... for sponsoring this episode. Kendra and I provide content for our free Facebook group which you are invited to join. Just go to Facebook, look for the groups tab on the left search for Live Into Your Calling Membership Group, and asked to join. That's it. You can also find Kendra at KendraDahlstrom.com ... that's KendraDahlstrom.com..........

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