This is your season to build some strong discipline and disciple someone to grow faithfully in Christ. Who trains or coaches you? Who simply speaks into your life? And, how do you decide who you’ll ‘block’ and who will feed you either words of life or death?
Now spin that to the other perspective: How do others decide to let you give them input AND what input do you give them? If you really want to talk about fitness then join in this conversation on what you need to do to be built up strong.
We asked four leaders to share about INPUT – both the getting and the giving. Each one describes who has been an influence in her or his life. Then they talk about how they have been obedient to God and active with their faith to give a listening ear, compassionate understanding, an earnest prayer, a word of wisdom or a practical act to someone.
Now it’s your turn to get input from all 4 of them. So, save this page and keep coming back to it to read their words of encouragement and instruction, listen to the conversations they have with us and visit their websites. Get input from:
- Pastor Samuel Rodriguez
- faith-based fitness blogger De Bolton
- fitness professional Clark Bartram
- group exercise instructor Winnie Evangeline S.
To really TALK fitness we need to have a conversation on how to be engaged, be more of who God wants us to be and be the life of Christ with others. God designed us for input – to get it and to give it.
Pastor Samuel Rodriguez
Reverend Samuel Rodriguez is the president of the National Hispanic Leadership Conference. He is involved in both film and television and the author of several books. He is the senior pastor of New Season Christian Worship Center in Sacramento, California where he resides with his wife and children.
Running is part of my spiritual discipline not just my physical. When I was 30 I realized it was time for my physical to line up with what I preach on Sundays.
I’ve been blessed by having mentors – people of faith. They have been very influential in the formation of what you now see as Samuel Rodriguez by the grace of God.
I learned, “Samuel – It’s not about you. Don’t pray for blessings. Instead, pray for you to become a blessing. Don’t pray for God to answer your prayers. Pray that you can become the answer to someone else’s prayer.”
We can’t survive without input. There is no such thing as a silo of self-created success. We need inspiration, information and impartation. The question is who do we trust?
We need to trust people that can handle the broken version of us and the blessed version of us. The me in the valley and the me on the mountaintop. Once we find these individuals that will help elevate God’s ordained purpose in us then we will live life without a lid.
We build firewalls [to protect ourselves from other’s input] for multi-generational reasons, cultural contexts, traumatic experiences or other reasons — it is that trust factor. But, input can come from the most unorthodox of wells. I truly do believe that the beauty of God’s tapestry and mosaic is that the good Lord is speaking to us continually. So, let’s not be so myopic and rigid.
Let’s be open to receiving input even from relationships or means that we would discard on a normal basis. That requires intentionality on our behalf. Without that input we really can’t thrive. We may survive but we will not thrive.
GOD’S MANDATE FOR YOU TO SPEAK INTO OTHERS
In terms of giving input I think of Tony. He went through a difficult time in his 30’s when he lost his wife to cancer and was raising 3 kids all by himself. He was an employee and I felt I had a compelling reason, if not a mandate, to speak into Tony and provide input to him at a higher level. We did that. By the grace of God Tony is now flourishing. His family is thriving. He married a wonderful woman.
We said yes to that assignment. There has to be a trust factor.
Once you know that you’re speaking [to someone] is of God then forget about messing up. We serve a good God who will bring clarity. The God of the process is the God of the outcome.
De Bolton
De Bolton De Bolton is a faith based personal trainer and fitness blogger that is providing healthy lifestyle skills with workouts, recipes and tips on how to live your best life. She has multiple certifications and a degree in fitness and exercise science. From her FaithFueled Mom website she offers podcasts, blogs, training and more both online and in person in New Jersey where she lives with her husband and three daughters.
As a personal trainer it’s not just about with me it is about a lifestyle. I’m not just focused with pounds on the scale, I’m focused with how you honor your temple. That’s not just about how you move your body and nourish your body but also the influences and people around you.
When I got into fitness I had 3 children and honestly just wanted to get skinny. I did a 30-day fast. I didn’t lose much weight, maybe about 6 pounds, but what I really gained was an intimate relationship with God. I clinged to God on the bad parts and celebrated with God on the good parts. My conviction changed from, “I want to get skinny” to “I want to honor my temple”. It was me being vulnerable with God. I started sharing that journey on Instagram and have helped a community of women who want to reclaim and honor their temple and create lifetime habits.
In today’s world there are so many ways to access health information and much of the time that information is contradictory. Often you just want to look like the person you clicked while on social media.
If you are in the Christian faith if you are working on your health goals people say you are idolizing your body. I had an online group of women in my life at that time who were moms, Christian and building their bodies. That gave me a comfort space and accountability. They helped make it acceptable. They were accepting and loving and wanted to share all the victories and grow. That community was good to have. That was the input I received.
FROM GETTING MOTIVATION TO GIVING DISCIPLINE
Eventually I moved beyond that group and got a personal trainer to ultimately lose 105 pounds. At that point I transitioned from receiving motivation to being challenged to have discipline. Now I get up early to read my Bible and have time with God. That is a discipline. I could easily keep sleeping but it feels better when I’m with God. We have to really ask God for the small things and he will meet you where you are.
My weight loss journey had ups and downs. There was a week where I did everything my trainer said, I got on the scale and it didn’t move. My surrender prayer was, “Lord take this scale number out of my heart and just use me Lord to help others.” That is when things changed. I surrendered all of my vain pursuits to serve and glorify God.
When God knows the intentions of your heart He will lead you and guide you. But you have to be obedient, open and vulnerable. Every tool, resource and opportunity for me has been presented by God.
Clark Bartram
Clark Bartram has become known as, America’s Most Trusted Fitness Professional. As a professional fitness model he has appeared on the cover of over 130 fitness publications. He is a former Marine and an ISAA Master Trainer. He is both a television personality and host. Clark has authored multiple books including Spiritually Fit. He works with several ministries and the men’s ministry at his own church. For over 30 years he has been married to his wife Anita. They have two children. Clark originally appeared in the February/March 2004 issue of Faith & Fitness Magazine, which was just our second issue.
I feel like I’m more focused than I’ve ever been in my life. I do coaching for men over 50 for free. As we go through life we have different influences that affect us in many ways: parents, teachers, pastors, counselors, coaches, friends — they all influence us in one way or another.
There are a few in my life who may have only been there for a brief time. One in particular really only said one thing that has impacted me in a great way that has led me to where I am today. His name is Henry McGee. He was working at the YMCA when I was a kid. I had a muscular build already and everyone thought I was deformed. He looked at me and said, “That [my bicep] could make you a champion someday.” That stuck in my mind forever.
Sally was a wardrobe consultant on my TV show back in the late 90’s. She wasn’t a fitness model at all, like the other women appearing on my show that day. But – what she said to me impacted my life. She said, “Clark, THIS is the body God gave me and I’m going to live in it healthy.” I’ve shared that so many times. It’s impactful. What resonated with me was the authenticity. It wasn’t a “thought-out” statement but the intention was pure and in the right moment it had impact.
INSPIRATION AND IMPACT GOES BOTH WAYS
What if Sally had not said that to me, just because in her mind she was the least person of influence or reputation there that day. There were 6 fitness models and a fitness host. She could have thought, “Who am I to talk here? I’m 4 feet 11 inches tall and 200 pounds. They’re all perfect and I’m nothing.” What if she would have believed all of that nonsense we tell ourselves? I wouldn’t have this beautiful example. I would not have written about it in several books or spoken about it on stage. I wouldn’t have people coming back and repeating it.
Your circle of influence (whoever is around you that day) is in need of your input. Your impact doesn’t need to be large. We never know what the need is of that guy or gal with whom we speak and actually take time to care. Have confidence to do it. You can’t afford to not say something. I truly believe it’s your obligation.
Winnie Evangeline S.
Evangeline is a group exercise instructor at Steve’s Gym, a Christian owned fitness ministry in Bengaluru, India. She has been hosting the Fit For Him training program both online and on Salvation TV.
VALUE INPUT AND GAIN STRONGER FAITH
One of the people who plays a major role in who I am today is my father. He has always taught me to dream bigger and be a person of faith. It’s easy to receive input but to internalize and practice it is another thing.
When I had finished my 12th year of education it was time to choose my professional career and work toward it. I always knew I wanted to be a doctor. I’d be the first doctor in the entire family line. Students usually go through coaching in order to write the NEET exam and thereby get into medical school. I hadn’t gone to any coaching and wasn’t doing that well at pre-university either. I did a crash course a month before the exam and attempted the exam. I attempted it with the mindset -I do not care what the result may be, I’ll take a year break to study for it again. The results were due in a month and I was sure that I would take a year off and joined a coaching center while completing all the government procedures.
Once the exam results were out, I fared as well as my friend who had received coaching. I was eligible to get into medical school and began to consider my college options. The fee was expensive and I knew we did not have the funds. We had to pay the fee within a week of accepting the admission.
I called my Dad, who had gone to another state doing some evangelism ministry. He said to accept the admission. I started questioning about the fee, and the amount of time given to pay. He said, “We’ll pay, just accept”. By the grace of God, we managed to pay the fee by the last date of payment. I am grateful for the goodness of God upon my life.
Sometimes we cannot understand the input people give us, but we realize in hindsight the value of what is spoken into our lives when we experience it. Ever since this experience, I have learned to lean on God even more than I have before.
MAKE AN IMPACT IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS
When it comes to the people I’ve given input to or have impacted, I believe that our actions speak louder than words. Christians are the Bible that the world is reading. When we have a healthy relationship with Jesus it flows into all the other relationships we maintain. I’ve experienced this first hand in my own life. One of my friends had a fall out with me, for no valid reason. The others in my friend group noticed how I reacted to the whole situation. One of them said that if she were in my position she would have left. Later reflecting on that statement, I realized that it would have been totally rational to react that way; but I chose to react with love and it doesn’t come easily.
One of my Father’s wishes has been to have a fitness devotional on television. He has been talking about this for years. The devotional program, Fit For Him, finally came to fruition in the year 2020, during the pandemic. The source of your input is also important, choose to get input from someone who walks the talk. I was to do the program for the ladies.
During the pandemic, many people lost their jobs. One such person was Jemimah, a kindergarten teacher. She came to the gym, to learn and set up another source of income. We both work on the project together. I was able to teach, encourage, and watch her grow, both in her fitness and spiritual journey. She is a blessing to many. The Bible says, ‘ As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another’. The ladies program of the fitness devotional-Fit For Him that airs on television, has been a blessing to many people.
When you workout at the gym, talking to someone, or even smiling at them, may make a small difference in their lives. It is the little things that open up opportunities to share the love of God with others. I’ve learened that going out of my way to ask someone how they are doing, opens me up to the difficulties that other people are experiencing. I’ve had people with depression, trauma, loneliness, open up to me. I am able to pray for them and be of comfort to them.
