Can everything you want – all of the time be surrendered to God? Musician Sean Rodriguez believes so. In fact he and his wife have found that when we have faith and invite God into every area of our lives, God then invites us into a greater purpose – one that only He can create.
Sean says, “This is where the hope lies… [God] gives purpose to every single thing we’ve been through, the bad, the good, all of that. You can stand in front of the world and say, ‘look at all that I’ve been through and look at what God has done through me, all because I surrendered my life to Him’. When you’re able to do that your story becomes not just about you anymore, your story becomes the saving grace to somebody that’s in your same situation. Your story becomes a light in the darkness. It becomes hope to somebody.”
All photos on this page by Sean Rodriguez. This article presents just a few highlights from our conversation with Sean and his family. Watch the full video below for much more.
WHEN FITNESS ISN’T ABOUT ME ANYMORE
You see it everywhere all the time. Fitness too often quickly shifts from good desires for better health and strength to being an excuse for more me-time and an obsessive fixation with self and our bodies. Think that’s an exaggeration? Multiple studies and reports detail just how serious this is:
- 7 Ways You’re Wasting Time In The Gym
- When Fitness Turns Obsessive: Social Media and Vigorexia
- Fit or Fanatic: When Does Exercise Become an Unhealthy Obsession?
- Exercise Addiction: 7 Signs Your Workout Is Controlling You
Going to the gym with all the wrong reasons and achieving few or even questionable outcomes isn’t something any of us intentionally set out to do BUT it’s happening – a lot.
DO IT ON PURPOSE
That’s one reason that makes Sean’s and Marina’s workouts with their daughter Angelina such a simple yet rich example to model. They feel 2 of the most pressing challenges families face these days are the need to be intentional and to communicate. Sean says, “Whatever you’re doing together – do it on purpose. You spend a lot of time at work … on the road. You’re tired. When you are present, be present. Be intentional with that time and spend that time together. Be intentional about speaking each other’s love language. And – be intentional about making sure that your family feels loved.”
Communication, not just talking together but more importantly paying attention, results from putting away the distractions (music, podcasts, videos, emails, texts, stresses, others, goals, frustrations, misunderstandings, agendas, etc.) and wholeheartedly doing family time together. Marina explains, “Even though we do have such a short amount of time [together] during the summertime [when Sean’s concert schedule is more busy] that little bit of time that we do have we include each other and her. When working out we can take her to a place that can take care of here, but [instead] we [choose to] include her in it. On Saturdays we workout together because that’s when it works out for us. This is our family time. I’m paying attention to him. We’re paying attention to her.”
MAKING MUSIC – TOGETHER
Watch Sean’s music videos and go to a Sean Rodriguez concert if you want to see how fitness can energize your life. We’re not just talking physical fitness. You’ll see how living life together as family with Christ in the center really fuels the mindset and passion of this ministry. You’ll experience how music is more than music – it is a God-drenched encounter.
Sean enthusiastically describes it this way, “Oh man, I love it… the energy just comes from the passion! It takes a lot of cardio to keep it up. I’m so excited to do this. The jumping, the moving, you’re seeing the excitement that I’m feeling in real time.”
Marina’s personal cardio is every bit as praise filled as Sean’s concerts. She explains that her me-time on the elliptical is in fact her time with God, “You have to listen to my workout playlist. It is a lot of worship. I have those moments while working out that I just pause and cry – I feel God. I came home [from working out] and said that I want to be a better wife, I want to be a better mom, I want to be better.”
GET WANTING GOD TO STEP INTO YOUR STORY
Your “I want…” isn’t intended to be the incessant selfishness we see all around us. It’s put into you by God’s Spirit to take you further in all of Christ’s ways. Sean, Marina and Angelina are an example of just 1 family who actively ‘wants’ on a daily basis for God to step clearly and fully into their story. You and your family can do the same and see God show you how to more fully step into your story.
