Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 20: Sharing My Faith”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Sharing Your Faith –
“I live for my God to teach unbelievers, if I am worthy, even if some people hate me.” St. Patrick.
Today green is the color of the day; shamrock lapels, dreams of rainbows, pots of gold and Irish luck permeate thoughts.
Much of St. Patrick’s Day is a secular celebration of Irish lore and tradition. But perhaps it’s a good day to let St. Patrick teach or model ways to share our faith.
History has it that Patrick (born Maewyn Succat, but took the name Patrick when he became a priest) was taken as a slave to Ireland when he was 14. For 6 years he worked as a herdsman until he escaped and convinced merchants sailing to England to let him pass with them and returned to his family. Shortly after he is to have had a dream of people in Ireland requesting that he would come and bring Christianity to them.
Ireland was a country of druids and pagans. But Patrick studied for the priesthood and ended up spending nearly 4 centuries bringing Christianity to the Irish.
- Never underestimate the power of the Gospel. Admittedly I don’t know all of St. Patrick’s theology, but the fact that Christianity took hold in a pagan country is credit to the power of God’s Spirit working through St. Patrick and others. At times we may be prompted by God’s Spirit to engage a non-believer in a spiritual conversation. We may resist the engagement. But remember it is the power of God that works – even in the hearts of pagans and druids!
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
- Find simple illustrations to explain the truths of God.
St. Patrick is said to have used the three leaf clover to explain the reality but mystery of the Trinity. The clover leaf may not have been a perfect example, but obviously it worked to explain the three persons of God, yet the unity of one plant, one person. Jesus loved to tell stories, or parables, based on life events to explain and help people understand the truths about his love and his kingdom. Perhaps you can find a story or two of your own or of Jesus that communicates the love, mercy and grace of God to another person.
Perhaps today you will wear green, put a four-leave clover in your hair, and dream about pots of gold at the end of the rainbow…but perhaps take time to thank God for the work of St. Patrick to bring Jesus to the Irish people and to encourage us from a distance to be sharers of our faith. May God use us to bring Christ to the nations!
Apply: Choose a Bible story or example that you can use to communicate Jesus to people. Sometimes just one or two key stories or examples can help you better share the love of Jesus.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for all the people of the centuries that you have used to boldly proclaim your love and grace to individuals and to nations. AMEN.