Proving Them Wrong

Ruth 3:10 – 11 “The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character.”

When Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, I can just imagine all the gossip that went around town. “Who is that foreign girl with Naomi?”

“She’s a pretty little thing.”

“Yes, she is. We’d better watch our sons.”

“That’s true. She’ll no doubt set her cap for one of our young men. We can’t have that.”

“No, we can’t. A Moabitess marrying one of our boys? Scandalous!”

But Ruth proved them wrong. She wasn’t looking for a husband. She didn’t use her beauty to try to lure the local boys into marrying her. She was humble, hardworking, and loyal to her mother-in-law. She quietly went about her business, and her actions were always honorable.

And you’d better believe people were watching her every move. Little by little, they decided that maybe she wasn’t so bad. Maybe she wasn’t such a threat, after all. Maybe, even though she wasn’t Jewish by birth, just maybe they would accept her.

When we wear the label, “Christian,” people will watch us. Many times, the people around us will have pre-conceived, negative ideas about us. They expect us to be dull. Judgmental. Self-righteous. They watch us with suspicion, waiting for us to prove them right.

But when we work hard, when we show humility and not judgment, when we are loyal to our friends and our employers, when we love God and love others and we always try to act honorably, people will notice. They will say, “Hey, maybe he’s not so bad. Maybe she’s got something that we could benefit from.” Not only that, but when we behave like Christians should behave, we find favor with our Master. He says to us, “Fear not, for I will take care of you.”

Dear Father, Thank You for Ruth’s example of godly living. Please help me to live in such a way that honors You, and draws others to You.

Amen