Put Up with It
Paul has been filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit within us recognizes others who are also filled with the same Spirit. As Jesus said, wherever two or three are gathered I am with you.
Great things can happen. A man crippled from birth is healed and can walk. Paul recognized the Spirit of God in the crippled man. Stand up and walk! Would we have the courage to say that to a crippled person? What kind of retaliation would we face for saying something like that?
Our culture would label us and call us insensitive and abusive. How dare you say something like that to a crippled person. So, we put up with the conditions around us. We hesitate to make any changes. Don’t rock the boat. But if the boat has no paddles, no rudder, who is giving it direction. Or have we been without direction so long we just put up with it?
Jesus wants us to boldly step out in love. There is a loving dynamic that is unmistakable. God loves the Son. The Son loves God. The Son loves us.
We have been given their Spirit to love God, the Son, and now one another. Our life is filled with love. Just don’t put up with life in this world but strive to live and love in the spiritual world.
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen