Ruth 2:8-16
“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.” — Abraham Lincoln.
Ruth is a woman of godly character. We see evidence of this in chapter one of Ruth. After losing her husband, she could have returned home to security and comfort but chose to stay with Naomi and trust God for her needs. This character again shines as we see Ruth humbly trying to provide for Naomi and herself. Rather than sit and wallow in grief, Ruth goes and works the fields, gathering fallen wheat from the harvesters. God commanded that landowners leave a small portion of their fields for the poor to glean from. This was hard and somewhat dangerous, a young woman in the fields with hired hands and day workers. Boaz, a distant relative of Naomi sees Ruth working in the field and is told that she has been working diligently since early morning with only a short break. Ruth wasn’t scared of hard work, she wasn’t worried about her reputation or what others thought of her. She just wanted to do the right thing for Naomi. Character revealed. Ruth is showing kindness and respect for her mother-in-law Naomi, and this will not go unnoticed.
Character is the thing that shows up when no one is looking. Character does the right thing when there is nothing to gain but doing right. In Ruth we have a great example of doing good and being kind even when it may cost us something. Character can be developed and deepened with leading of the Holy Spirit, study of Scripture and honest reflection of one’s actions. Being an individual of character is being Christlike in many ways. The more we emulate Jesus, the deeper our character becomes. Good character is not only a benefit to those around us but to ourselves also. Godly character gives us the tools to navigate this complicated and fallen world, full of disappointment and pain. Godly character allows us to enjoy life in a way that honors God.
Ruth’s kindness is repaid by Boaz. Boaz notices Ruth’s character and rewards it with making her task easier. Boaz’s character is revealed by honoring Ruth’s work by making it easier, rather than dismissing the effort and just giving her food to take back to Naomi. Boaz is drawn to Ruth, because of her humble actions and respect for Naomi. Godly character is drawn to godly character. We know that Boaz is a man of character and good reputation and he is naturally drawn to and shows kindness to Ruth, a woman of character. Character matters.
“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.” — Billy Graham
Ruth is a woman of godly character. We see evidence of this in chapter one of Ruth. After losing her husband, she could have returned home to security and comfort but chose to stay with Naomi and trust God for her needs. This character again shines as we see Ruth humbly trying to provide for Naomi and herself. Rather than sit and wallow in grief, Ruth goes and works the fields, gathering fallen wheat from the harvesters. God commanded that landowners leave a small portion of their fields for the poor to glean from. This was hard and somewhat dangerous, a young woman in the fields with hired hands and day workers. Boaz, a distant relative of Naomi sees Ruth working in the field and is told that she has been working diligently since early morning with only a short break. Ruth wasn’t scared of hard work, she wasn’t worried about her reputation or what others thought of her. She just wanted to do the right thing for Naomi. Character revealed. Ruth is showing kindness and respect for her mother-in-law Naomi, and this will not go unnoticed.
Character is the thing that shows up when no one is looking. Character does the right thing when there is nothing to gain but doing right. In Ruth we have a great example of doing good and being kind even when it may cost us something. Character can be developed and deepened with leading of the Holy Spirit, study of Scripture and honest reflection of one’s actions. Being an individual of character is being Christlike in many ways. The more we emulate Jesus, the deeper our character becomes. Good character is not only a benefit to those around us but to ourselves also. Godly character gives us the tools to navigate this complicated and fallen world, full of disappointment and pain. Godly character allows us to enjoy life in a way that honors God.
Ruth’s kindness is repaid by Boaz. Boaz notices Ruth’s character and rewards it with making her task easier. Boaz’s character is revealed by honoring Ruth’s work by making it easier, rather than dismissing the effort and just giving her food to take back to Naomi. Boaz is drawn to Ruth, because of her humble actions and respect for Naomi. Godly character is drawn to godly character. We know that Boaz is a man of character and good reputation and he is naturally drawn to and shows kindness to Ruth, a woman of character. Character matters.
“When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.” — Billy Graham
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