Defender of the faith

“I think it necessary to exhort you in my letter to fight for the faith which has been entrusted to the saints once and for all” (Jude 3).

Recently I was looking at one of the coins I received while changing in England and noticed an inscription around the portrait of the Queen: “Elisabeth II DG REG. FD.” That means: “Elisabeth II The Gratia Regina Fidei Defensor”. It is a Latin phrase that can be found on all coins of England and means translated: "Elisabeth II, by the grace of God, Queen, Defender of the Faith." For our Queen, this is not just one title among many others, but a responsibility and an appeal that she has not only taken seriously, but has faithfully carried out throughout the years she has been on the throne.

In recent years, the messages of the Queen at Christmas have been kept in an overtly Christian tone, with the name of Christ and quotes of the Holy Scriptures at the center of their message. The Message of the Year 2015 was considered by many to be the most Christian because it spoke about the darkness of the past year and about the light one finds in Christ. These messages are seen by hundreds of millions of people around the world, and the Queen takes this opportunity to share her faith with this large audience.

We may never be able to reach out to millions of people, but there are opportunities for us to share some of our faith. Opportunities arise at work or school, in our families, or with a neighbor. Do we make the most of opportunities as they arise? While we do not bear the title of defenders of the faith, by God's grace each of us can be defenders of the faith as we share the good news of what God has done for the world through Jesus Christ. Each of us has a story to tell about how God has worked in our lives and how He can work in the lives of others. This world desperately needs to hear these stories.

We really live in a dark world and we want to emulate the Queen's example and spread the light of Jesus, defending our faith. We too have this responsibility, one we have to take seriously. It is an important message that can not be left to the Queen of England alone.

Prayer:

Father, thank you for our Queen and many years of dedicated service. May we learn from their example and become defenders of the faith in our ministry. Amen.

by Barry Robinson


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