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What Would Patrick Say?

Sunday, March 17th is St. Patrick's Day. So why am I bothering telling you so? For several reasons:

  1. I'm Irish
  2. I'm a Christian
  3. I'm tired of the misconceptions and lack of knowledge surrounding this awesome guy

Let's start with what St. Patrick's day has become: an immensely huge party day where people wear green, drink green beverages, and end up looking green by the end of the night. If St. Patrick were here today, he'd have more than a wee bit of wisdom to share with the merrymaking masses.

Who was this man, and why all the Celtic commotion? Here's a brief synopsis:

Patrick was born near the end of the 4th Century in Britain. Irish raiders captured him at age 16 and enslaved him for over six years. During that time he became a devout Christian. At age 22 he escaped from Ireland, returned home and received clear direction from God to go back and further the Kingdom of God among the pagan Irish people. He trained for more than 15 years, then went back and completely changed the religious landscape of an almost completely unbelieving nation.

March 17 marks the approximate day of his death, so why do we celebrate? Not because he died, but because of his incredible accomplishments. He was an amazingly bold witness in a place where his life was constantly on the line.

So what would Patrick say? Let me throw a few ideas your way:

Remember

Recall that God has been using ordinary people to do extraordinary things for thousands of years. Keep in mind that He didn't stop raising up great men and women for His purposes at the end of the Bible. You can be the person God uses in our pagan nation!

Reflect

Contemplate where your life has taken you, and how God could use all the events of your past to change the world around you. There are no accidents in God's book; we may think so- but that is only because we have a very limited perspective.

Respond

Decide this week that you will be obedient to whatever God is calling you. It may seem crazy at the time, but trust in the One who holds the future securely in His hands. Where God directs, He protects. Where God guides, He provides.

Go mbeannaí Dia duit ! (May God Bless You)

Questions:

  1. What would St. Patrick say about my walk with Christ?
  2. What is one bold action I could take in serving Christ?
  3. How will people remember me when I am gone?

Digging Deeper:

On St. Patrick's Day, ask your friends and family what they think is the history behind the holiday. Use that as an opportunity to share your faith.