Go and Preach - The Story of Saint Patrick

“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation” - Mark 16:15

St. Patrick did what Jesus calls all of us to do: Say YES to what He calls us to do! This can involve a career move or simply giving some time to sharing your gifts and passion. Here is some of Patrick’s story and how God led him to share the Gospel in Ireland.As a young teenager living in England, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish pirates and taken to Ireland as a slave. He spent six hard years taking care of sheep and pigs—but during this time he grew in his awareness of God. He saw his circumstances as a punishment from God because of his lack of belief. Spending a lot of time in prayer, he had a vision that led him to stow away on a boat and get back to England.Once there, Patrick had another vision that called him to go back to Ireland to share the gospel. After 12 years of preparation, including studying in France and growing in his love of God, he eventually returned and became a powerful instrument in God’s hands.What can we learn from St. Patrick’s example of saying YES to God? Here are three insights gleaned from his life:

1. During his grueling experiences of being kidnapped and working as a slave, Patrick turned to God. When you face trials, turning away from God brings despair, but turning toward God brings hope, strength, and new direction.
2. Once he was safely back in England, Patrick could have carved out a life for himself. Instead, he came to see that those difficult years were God’s preparation for service. Your experiences are not wasted—God always uses them for your own good and the good of others. When you look back at a difficult (or pleasant) experience, why do you think God allowed it? What deeper purpose might it have as you explore opportunities?
3. Patrick said YES to God’s call to take the gospel to the Irish people. He invested twelve years in studying, learning, praying, and waiting on God—then he went across the sea to speak the gospel with power. When you respond with a YES to God’s drawing, be willing to learn, get trained, listen to Him, and bear fruit in the Holy Spirit’s power.

Not all of God’s plans are easy, but they are always fulfilling and fruitful.

What is He leading you toward? What’s your response?

Christ with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ within me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ at my right, Christ at my left.

-St. Patrick—God’s messenger to Ireland

Learn more about St. Patrick by clicking here.

This post is part of my Daring to DREAM series. Click here to view all the posts in this series.

Tweetables:"What can we learn from St. Patrick’s example of saying YES to God? Three insights from his life: http://wp.me/p2JdPr-QW via @Choose2Grow" - Click here to tweet this."Not all of God’s plans are easy, but they are always fulfilling and fruitful. Has your past shown this to be true? http://wp.me/p2JdPr-QW" - Click here to tweet this.This article originally appeared in March's issue of Thrive, my free monthly newsletter. If you liked this article, you may want to sign up for Thrive to receive future issues with more articles like this one! Click here to sign up for Thrive.Poppy SmithInternational speaker, multi-published author, Bible teacher, and spiritual coachInspiring Women to Thrive! Permission to use this article is granted provided the following credit is fully included.Poppy Smith is funny, warm, and passionate about helping women grow spiritually and personally so they experience the love and power of Christ in life’s ups and downs. A former teaching leader with Bible Study Fellowship, Poppy has a Masters in Spiritual Formation and ministers extensively as a retreat and conference speaker both in the US and around the world. For more information about Poppy’s heart, her books and ministry, please visit her website at www.poppysmith.com.