Green Card – permission and blessing for an immigrant to go to work.
Our friends Rex and Sally tell us, “We loved America from our first moment in the country, but we didn’t feel at home early on. Mainly it was because we couldn’t go to work. We didn’t feel we fit because we weren’t able to contribute. We felt like outsiders until one day… we received permission to be employed, to earn, to contribute. Once we had permission to get to work, we felt we really were a part of our new country.”
Use your God-given Green Card:
In the U.S. economic system, there are rules for who is eligible to work. When an immigrant is granted official permission to get to work, they are given a release – a literal green card. That’s a great color considering it represents the new life that comes to anyone who has permission and blessing to work.
Evergreen
You may not realize it, but when you were born again you most only came into a relationship with Jesus, you also commenced a relationship with all that comes with that arrangement. For one, as a Jesus follower, you are empowered and blessed and encouraged to get to work, sometimes known as “ministry.” From moment one in your Christian life, you have had permission to get to work in the Vineyard of God. That permission to work still holds true. Today is the day to go for it!
Give out Green Cards:
Each time you recruit someone into a ministry of any sort, it’s significant to all involved – themselves, those they serve and anyone touched along the way. It’s a complete circle with lots of people touched when the life of God flows through us.
In fairness… there is another side of the coin to consider when it comes to Green Cards.
Some see the other side of the coin of “Trusting too fast” or “Trusting too slowly.” Their perspective is that we need to be cautious in releasing people into recognized ministry. I see their point, but the church in the west today is clearly at the other extreme – the one that says be careful, be choosy, act slowly.
We need to be more concerned about our attitudes that make us reluctant to release people into going and doing.
We need to be more concerned about our attitudes that make us reluctant to release people into going and doing. Click To TweetLet’s throw caution to the wind more than we have in the past. Let’s kick it up a notch or two. Let’s lay hands on all who exhibit basic character qualities, and who God speaks to us regarding.
Consider printing up your unique green cards:
What is your version of one of these cards? How does “releasing people into ministry” look like in your neck of the woods? Hopefully, it’s attainable unless you don’t mean it after all.
Since I came to Christ I’ve noticed there are relatively few in the Church who feel released to do ministry other than those we think of as “ministry professionals.” Today is the day for the professionals of the Church to quickly learn how to run printing presses that can crank out lots of cards, so to speak. If we hope to see people connect with the church we will need to risk on them. They aren’t going to join up just to be watchers. They hunger to change the world, just like you deep down.
We need lots of green cards that will release people into ministry.
Food for thought – there are many near you who aren’t even spiritual “citizens,” or “not-yet Believers.” Those people dream about having a green card. There are countless people around you right now who’re looking for the Ultimate Issuer of Green Cards.
