Being One Heart and Mind By Gary Grooms

"As a Clay Jar" welcomes guest writer, Gary Grooms, for today's blog post. Gary is currently serving as a missionary in Kyrgyzstan. I met Gary while in Haiti last summer on a mission trip. He is an amazing person with a genuine heart for living out God's will to the best of his ability. He is humble, thoughtful, and inspiring. Gary is the author of the book "Rise Up, Be the Man God Seeks," which can be found on Amazon.  Today's devotion is an excerpt from one of the email updates I received from him as he and his family serve across the globe. I hope you enjoy reading about the God-inspired adventure Gary is living out today. Perhaps his story will be the inspiration you need to ... well, rise up!

Source: Unknown

James 4:14

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

Our family finally made it to the international church in Bishkek this last Sunday. It might seem a little strange that we are serving in an area recognized as one of many countries where evangelism represents less that 3% of the total population, and yet we attend a Christian church. The government allows registered churches, but proselytizing is prohibited outside of the church. When we pray as a small group or meet for small group Bible study, we are breaking the law. But here in church, we are singing and praising God.

Sometimes when I travel and serve in different countries, songs and scripture jump out at me, such as, “shout to the Lord,” or verses that say, “the enemy flees at the sound of your name.”  These cause me to stop and realize the meaning of the words more vividly. It saddens me to think that when I am back home, I sometimes lose my focus. It also becomes more apparent that as hard as governments try, they are never going to stop God's Word. When Jesus was told by the Pharisees to rebuke his disciples he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Luke 19:40)

Another story in the Bible that has always made me ask, "How did they do that?" comes to mind. In Matthew 4:20,22 Jesus had just begun his ministry, and he sees Simon (Peter) and his brother Andrew. Jesus says, “Come and follow me......At 'once' they left their and nets and followed him.” Then, Jesus sees James and John, and Jesus called, “and 'immediately' they left....and followed him.” I always wonder would I have the courage, the conviction, the belief, and the faith that these disciples demonstrated at those times? I look at these families here serving in Bishkek and see examples of the early disciples. I also see what the early church might have looked like in the beginning: united together, worshiping together, fellowship together, going, baptizing, carrying their cross, and spreading the gospel throughout the world. Even the students are unique in their attitude as they make Central Asia their home. I teach a group of 8th graders in Physical Science, and I asked them if they see themselves staying in Bishkek until they finish High School. Everyone acknowledged that they will graduate from Hope Academy (the school here). They have chosen to forgo all the traditions and expectations of their classmates back home, miss proms and homecoming, relinquish nice cars, sports, TV, movies, and all that other stuff that we have come to expect in the United States. Sometimes I wonder (especially about myself) if we really need to examine our attitude regarding, “not my will but yours.” 

This is my challenge to myself as we continue to serve here in Kyrgyzstan. I am encouraged by these disciples serving in Bishkek. I know that most of us will not make these kinds of commitments, but we are called to be His hands and His feet wherever we serve. So I pray for the Church to be united, to seek His will in our lives, to be eager in meeting together, “of being one heart and mind,” to be united as followers so deeply that the world would recognize us as His disciples. I pray that we humble ourselves and open our hearts and actively seek God's will. I know I have fallen short of His calling, but I know prayer can change me when I make God the center of my life. 

As James said in verse 4:14, “we are a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes.” We only pass this way one time in our lives, so I pray that we will make a difference wherever we are called with the time that God has given each one of us. If one person is saved it is worth it.

Your servant in Christ, 

Gary