Lessons From St. Patrick

The man that we call St. Patrick returned to Ireland to begin his mission to establish the church of Jesus Christ in 432 AD.  He was returning to the hostile land that kept him as a slave for six years of his youth.  When he writes his confession near the end of his life, Patrick speaks of the constant dangers and threats to his life he had to endure. Though Ireland was a barbarian land, this man planted churches and trained hundreds of priests to establish the Church.  His leadership was extraordinary and there are many leadership lessons we could glean from what we know about him. 

To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, I submit to you my list of seven leadership lessons from this 5^th century leader.    

Teaching with Physical Illustrations

The shamrock grows in Ireland in many places.  It became a great way for this bishop to describe the concept of the trinity.  The shamrock has three distinct leaves, while the three leaves are connected as one.  Patrick was a master teacher, taking what the people already were familiar with (elements of nature) and explaining what they didn’t yet know.  (Jesus uses a mustard seed for illustration in Matthew 17.) 

It’s easy to think using physical illustrations like this should only be relegated to teaching school children, but as a leader, it is our job to take complex things and make them simple when possible.  The more concrete an object lesson is, it increases the probability for others to understand a subjective concept.  

Do you use physical symbols and things in your teaching, training or equipping?

Engage All of Society

Patrick certainly was generous and one who had a heart for those who were poor.  His message of healing, power and love appealed to many without using fear as a motivator.  While the majority of the those in Ireland were not rich or powerful, Patrick would often start with the tribal king or chieftain of an area.  He didn’t shy away from trying to convert the king, knowing that if those in authority came to faith in Christ, many others under their influence would investigate more about Jesus.   (Proverbs 22:29 talks about standing before kings.) Which end of the social spectrum do you need to grow in reaching?  

Openness

Patrick encouraged anyone to come and have candid dialogue, while listening attentively and explaining what he had learned about God.  It seems that there was no forcing of ideas but rather a philosophy of helping others understand the messages wrapped up with love.  Celtic Christianity is marked by an emphasis on the command of Jesus to love one another (John 13:34-35). 

As leaders who manage people, we can imitate this posture by encouraging open, two-way feedback which earns the trust of the team you lead.  What questions do you ask those you lead that make them feel safe to give you honest feedback?  What statements do you need to make to those who follow you to ensure they feel comfortable telling you something that might be hard to say with no fear of negative impact to them?   

Listening to the Holy Spirit

As a slave on the slopes of Slemish in Ireland, Patrick learned to pray.  He said he would pray 100 times a day and even more times at night.  This man made it his habit to have an ongoing conversation with God that never stopped.  1 Thessalonians 5:16 commands us to pray in this way, without stopping. 

When we lead others, we need to be constantly asking for wisdom and direction from the Holy Spirit (James 1:5).  As you think about your leadership today, where do you need more clarity and wisdom from heaven?

Working Through the Pain of Betrayal

When Patrick was a young man, he did something sinful that he confessed to another young student of the clergy named Felix.  We don’t know what it was, whether it was worshiping an idol, a sexual sin or taking something that wasn’t his.  He trusted Felix not to share his sin, but later in life Patrick is betrayed when Felix shares it with church leaders in England.  After learning the “dirt” on Patrick, they tell him to cease his mission in Ireland and return.  Patrick has a difficult decision to make in choosing to obey church leaders or remain under the authority of God, refusing to obey the leaders in England.  The pain of this betrayal must have been intense, but as he chooses to remain in Ireland, he writes that he is praying that God won’t look on Felix and the church leaders as sinful for their acts.  The graciousness of Patrick in refusing to pick up an offense is beautiful.

As leaders, we will be wronged by others.  We will be tempted to take the “bait of satan” and hold onto an offense.  What leadership offense are you holding onto that you need to lay down, forgive, and move on?   

Know When to Cry Out to Jesus

After he escapes from Ireland, Patrick finds himself pinned to the ground by a demonic power one night.  He can’t move his arms or legs and all he can do is yell out for Jesus’ help.  The Lord chases the dark presence away and he wakes up to the sun coming up over the horizon.  I’ve heard way too many stories like this from real people like you who have had a scary encounter with dark spirits holding them down or choking them at night.  If you find yourself in a place like this, you need to call out for Jesus, and tell whatever dark presence that has arrived to torment you to “Go away in the name of Jesus!” 

As leaders we often lean on our own wisdom and understanding (Prov. 3:5-6).   If you are influencing others to follow Jesus in any way, there is a target on your back for the enemy of your soul to oppose you.  It’s important that you know how to stand up and fight in situations like this.  You don’t have to be scared at night to call out to Jesus for help – it should be a regular part of your leadership lifestyle.   

Unafraid to Engage in Spiritual Battle

Druids were the ruling spiritual leaders in Ireland in the fifth century when Patrick arrived.  They were very threatened by the light that he carried and worked to discredit him at every turn.  These spiritual leaders worshiped things in nature but were able to do powerful things through spells and prayers to the demons behind these false Gods.  When Patrick engaged them, he prayed and trusted that the power of God was greater.  His duels with this group of spiritual leaders were much like Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18.  The legend is that Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland, but there never had been snakes.  I believe that the druid priests were the “snakes” that he drove out.  These priests had serpents tattooed on their forearms. 

As a leader, are you praying for protection from the enemy of your soul for the people you lead?  Are you praying blessing through your home, and place of work?  As spiritual leaders we need to be aware of satan’s schemes, put on the full armor of God, and come in the opposite spirit against them (Ephesians 6:10-19) 

I bless you by saying in Gaelic:  Rath Dé ort (pronounced: rah day urt) which means, “May the Grace of God be on you.”

I look forward to seeing all of you who choose to worship with us in the Dome this Sunday at either 9:00 a.m. or 11:00 a.m. 

You can also live stream our 11:00 a.m. service on Facebook and YouTube

I encourage you to tune in and follow along in our series, “Lessons from Three Kings”  by clicking here.

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