The Parable of the Fat Guy

There was this fat guy who realized that he had become really obese, so he determined to join a gym and get in better shape. The next morning he got up and ate a cookie and went to work and forgot all about losing weight. Later in life he developed type 2 diabetes, had to have one leg amputated and went blind from retinal microangiopathy.

There was another fat guy, he determined to join a gym and get in better shape and the next morning scheduled an appointment, joined the gym and went through his first workout. He got all out of breath and felt embarrassed at the way he looked and got really sore the next day and never went back. He too developed type 2 diabetes with all its complications.

There was a third fat guy. He joined the gym and started getting in better shape but didn’t do it consistently and although he got in better shape eventually he developed cardiovascular disease and lived the rest of his days in poor health.

There was a fourth fat guy. He joined the gym and consistently worked the program. While there he made friends with more experienced members who gave him advice not only about exercise but also about nutrition. These friends were very encouraging and he felt good about his new improved health and his new friendships. One day he saw some fat guys coming into the gym and he determined to help them just like others had helped him. He led a long, healthy and fulfilling life.

The meaning of the parable is this. The fat guy is a guy whose life is filled with sin. The gym is the church where God’s word is taught and where Christians help each other to grow.

The first fat guy determined to visit a church to get better but never did.

The second fat guy visited a church but didn’t feel comfortable there so he never went back.

The third fat guy joined a church but never really got involved… he was just there every once in awhile. He learned some of God’s Word but never really eliminated sin in his life and never got involved in helping others.

The fourth fat guy joined a church, loved the teachings from God’s Word and allowed it to change his life. God gave him many blessings and he inherited a home in heaven for eternity.