St Patrick’s Day and the Great Commission

As March comes in, many of us are focused on Easter, as we should be! However, St Patrick's Day is a great day to teach your kids about the importance of the Great Commission – because that is what St Patrick's Day is really all about!

Many people think that St Patrick's Day is all about catching gold at the end of the rainbow. About catching leprechauns. Sadly, our world has changed it into a holiday that is all about getting intoxicated and having a party. Oh, and don't forget to wear your Irish Kelly Green or you just might get pinched! However, that isn't what the holiday was ever intended to be.

When Patrick was 16, he was captured from Great Britain and taken to be a slave in Ireland. Six years later he escaped, but as a Christian, he chose to return to Ireland to bring the gospel to an otherwise superstitious and ungodly country. Legend has it that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), using the three leaves of the native Irish clover, the shamrock. It is believed that he died on March 17 – and so this is the reason we celebrate St Patrick's Day on this date.

St Patrick's Day can be a lot of fun to celebrate with your children. But, just like St Patrick used the Clover to explain the Trinity, we can use St Patrick's Day to remind our children of how important the Great Commission is.

In Matthew 28:19-20 we are commanded to go and teach all nations. It is a command, not a suggestion. Too many people want to pray about sharing the gospel when, in fact, there isn't much to pray about. God has told us to go and share the good news with whomever we come in contact. So – all we need to do now is go and be obedient!

My children have memorized the Great Commission from an early age! I felt like it was important to inscribe these words on their hearts so that they will know them, and hold tight to them as they go out in our world.

One of the best ways to memorize a verse is to write it. There is a copywork printable at the end of this post just for that! Another great way is to put it together like a puzzle. I write the words in groups on sentence strips and then have the children put it together. Laminate these so you will have them for years to come!

Not only do our kids need to be reminded of the Great Commission – so do we! Just last night we were in the drive-thru line at a local hamburger restaurant. The lady who was taking my order was very rude, and my flesh kicked into high gear. My response was less than graceful, and we drove off. As we did, my oldest said “Mama, you should have told her that Jesus loved her.”

Well, my heart stopped and tears flooded my eyes. She was right. I could have used my moment to show love, but instead, I showed anger. Instead of kindness, I gave back the same rude behavior I was given. Instead of sharing the gospel, I turned my back.

We have teachable moments with our kids and we need to be sure we take them. This St Patrick's Day, go ahead and wear your green. Have something fun to eat – nothing is wrong with having a little holiday fun! But while you are at it, look for moments to teach your kids about sharing the gospel. Be an example of sharing the gospel. Just go!

Request the free printable using the form at the end of this post.