When God Tells His Servant “It Is Enough!”
Ever heard of red card? The mention of a red card quickly brings to mind the most popular sport game-football. One aspect of football that makes the game very exciting is the rules governing foul play. There are several punitive measures against any active player who commits foul play depending on the gravity of the offense or foul as it is being called in the game of football. These measures include verbal or non-verbal caution, direct kick; penalty kick, indirect kick, sending off and disciplinary sanctions.
Among all these disciplinary measures, my concern in this article for a warning and life application is the sending off discipline. Sending off of any player is usually communicated by the showing of the red card to the player who has committed a deserving offense on the field of play. When a match referee shows the red card to any player, the implication is that you will have to leave the field of play immediately. And no amount of plea or argument will suffice to reverse the consequence, it is always an irreversible reaction. The recipient of red card is not even allowed to stay on his team’s bench, such will have to go straight to the locker room. Subsequent to the dismissal of any player via the red card, his team will have to continue playing with one player less. Such a player will also be banned from the next game and, possibly, for more games to come. Receiving the red card attracts grave consequences to its recipient; it is tantamount to a colossal loss to any player! However, the red card is not usually issued except any player has committed a serious and grave foul play.
PRIOR TO THE RED CARD…
While a single serious offence is strong enough to earn any player the red card, often times, the red card is usually preceded by a yellow card. A yellow card is used to caution players, while a red card results in a player’s dismissal. Yellow card gives a warning signal to any player to be very careful in the field of play lest such be shown the way out of the field of play. Yellow card gives a warning signal to any player to be very careful in the field of play as any other act of serious foul will earn him the red card. Yellow card simply says, “Look! To before warned is to before armed, be careful!” So any player who once received the red card was first shown the yellow card as a warning precursor to the red card. A player who receives the yellow card may continue to play in the match. But if such later commits any foul play that shows that he neglected warning, the player receives the red card!
Every game has rules that guides it. By being clear on the rules of any game, you are sure to maximize your fun at all times! Even life has rules. The Book of the Christian says a life without rule is like a city broken down without wall. Rules ensures fair play in any game. In like manner, there are rules governing Kingdom life and services.
BEWARE OF GOD’S RED CARD!
In the game of football, red card means “END OF PLAY.” In electricity, red symbolizes DANGER or DEATH. In traffic rules, red means STOP. Just as we have red card being used in the game of football and other fields, there is also red card in God’s Field of Service. God’s field is His Kingdom of believers. And in God’s Kingdom, red card don’t have different meaning; in fact, it assumes a far greater disciplinary power than it has in the human realm. The Red Card of God places a stop on the life and service of anyone who receives it in the Kingdom Field of Service. God’s Red Card terminates the hopes and aspirations of further accomplishments with the rest of men of like precious faith and callings. Just like red card suspends any footballer from the next match, God’s Red Card also prevents a man from seeing the next chapter in the book of life purpose. As red card relocates a player from the field of play and from the lime light of public glare, God’s Red Card also removes a man from active service and shuts him up in obscurity of irrelevance in God’s schemes of operation. Also the Red Card of God finds a replacement for anyone who receives it. Of course, one may still appear before men as active but not before God. Somebody may still have a name as living among men while his candle stick has been removed from the Presence of God. Beware of God’s Red Card!
The Red Card continues in the next episode…
