Put Up

by Larry Hoffsis

For about forty years he (God) put up with them in the wilderness.

–Acts 13:18

I was struck by two words that Paul used as he told the story of God’s saving activity people-Israel. Those two words are “put” and “up.” Used together in a variety of combinations they bring us important messages.

Put up with...” Used like that, these two words signal the value of patience. To think that God is willing to “put up with” us is humbling. Indeed God’s patience with Israel’s complaining was not marked by his counting to ten, but to forty… years!
Paul commended patience as an asset for us. “…clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.” (Col 3:12)


I tend to rush through everything. I used to like only up-tempo music. I have come to appreciate music that is slow moving, like the Barber “Adagio.” Good things happen when we take our time; bad things when we rush.
Hank Dahlman has a great metaphor for playing through a piece of music patiently. “Think of a duck gliding across the water.”Put up or shut up.” Used like this, these two words signal the value of action over passivity. We are to be patient in these Advent days, never passive.

The phrase “put up or shut up,” though coming from the world of fisticuffs, has come to mean, “either work to improve a bad situation, or stop complaining about it.” Hank’s duck illustration stays with me. “Though the peaceful glide of the duck appears effortless, look beneath the water, you will see the great effort of webbed feet in motion.”
Advent is a time of peaceful waiting. That is the scene on the surface level of Epiphany. But down in the pantry, food is being assembled, clothing is being sorted. And in the sanctuary, prayers are being said to instill faith in those losing their grip on hope.Put Him up.” We use the two words to signal receptivity. We put up someone overnight. God’s action is to send His Son to us. Let us not be like the innkeeper. Rather, let us determine to “put Him up.”

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for putting up with us. Bless us as we welcome Christ and put him up in our hearts. Amen.

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