I must not conceal the gift of God...

  - Patrick, Confession (Irish, 5th century)

...fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you...

  - 2 Timothy 1.6

Patrick knew that he was a most undeserving young man. He had not worked hard in school. He had taken lightly the teaching of parents and priests. He had frittered away his youth. And God had allowed him to be enslaved and carried off to Ireland.

But there he found his faith in Christ and the beginnings of a burning desire to proclaim Him and His grace to as many people as he could. God had given Patrick the gift of salvation, the gift of life, the gift of a message to others. He would allow nothing to keep him from stirring up that gift and fanning it into flame for the Lord.

We could do with some of that stirring and fanning in our churches today, no?

God is so good to each one of us, lavishing upon us each day His steadfast love and faithfulness, bestowing blessings beyond counting and guarding us in all our ways. We are forgiven by Christ, indwelled by the Spirit, instructed in His Word, and given abundant opportunities to serve the Lord each day.

Oh, that we might have a measure of Patrick's determination not to conceal the gift of God which He has given to us!

We are stewards of the precious gift of eternal life, the amazing gift of the Gospel, and the powerful gift of a tongue which God can use to bring others to Himself. We must not conceal these gifts. Rather, like Patrick, let us put aside everything that holds us back, every fear or obstacle that keeps us from stirring up and fanning our gifts into flame, and let us go forward as he did, unafraid, to make the Good News of Jesus known.

Are you already planning for this today? Praying about it? Envisioning how you will start the conversation? Whom you will engage? When? This is what we must do each day if we would not conceal the gift that is within us.

This is what Patrick did, and three centuries of revival followed.

Who knows what God might do with the gifts He has given you?

Today at The Fellowship of Ailbe

ReVision - Postmodernism is dead! Quick! Tell the churches.

In the Gates - We continue our series on the worldview revealed in the Law of God.

Kingdom Civics  - What is the Gospel of the Kingdom? This series will help you to understand.

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.