Ruth’s words of wisdom are a good reminder. God wants His people to be recognized by others because of their love. She told Ruth to lie at Boaz’s feet, as a sign of her desire to seek his protection. When she and Ruth began to receive Boaz’s favor, they didn’t just sit back and enjoy the provisions he made sure they received. When you have favor and momentum, push ahead. When God grants you favor as a leader and you receive His blessings, don’t let it go to your head and don’t let up. This is the pattern she followed until both the barley and wheat harvests were done. And then she threshed what she had gathered before going home. Afterward she got right back to work and gleaned in the field until evening. Scripture says she worked hard before Boaz invited her to eat with him. But Ruth remained faithful and kept working hard.
After all, she was receiving the favor of a relative who had the power to redeem her and the property that had once belonged to Naomi’s husband. When Boaz recognized Ruth and started to bless her, it might have been natural for her to slack off. Remember to Be Humble and Keep Working as God Blesses You Leadership is influence, so anything that increases your influence and favor with others makes it easier for you to lead. When you follow your heart and do the right thing, your leadership potential increases. May GOD make you a pillar in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem! With the children GOD gives you from this young woman, may your family rival the family of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah.īy following her heart and doing what she knew was right, Ruth went from being a foreigner to being someone who was respected, blessed, and honored. May GOD make this woman who is coming into your household like Rachel and Leah, the two women who built the family of Israel. She impressed the people of an entire town, including the elders, who blessed her, declaring, When Ruth followed her heart and made her decision, she stood out from the beige lives of others. GOD reward you well for what you’ve done-and with a generous bonus besides from GOD, to whom you’ve come seeking protection under his wings.” She gained the favor of Boaz, who told her, “I’ve heard all about you-heard about the way you treated your mother-in-law after the death of her husband, and how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to live among a bunch of total strangers. Instead of looking down on her as a foreigner, the Hebrews noticed her and admired her. Following Your Heart with Integrity Can Increase Your Influence with Othersīecause Ruth followed her heart and went with Naomi to Bethlehem, her influence on others increased. As Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, said, “Convictions are not merely beliefs we hold they are those beliefs that hold us in their grip.” 2. But when we know what’s right, we can’t let those things throw us off. Others may second-guess our thinking and our decision-making. When we know something is right-and that conviction is bolstered by the knowledge that our motives are pure, as Ruth’s were-we need to follow through. Strong convictions precede great actions. And she followed that conviction.Īs leaders we need to remember that. She felt a deep conviction that she was to stay with Naomi. She moved from the agony of questions she could not answer to the reality of answers she could not escape. But instead her heart came to grips with what she believed.
Ruth could have allowed her questions and doubt to influence her to leave Naomi. And Ruth’s sister-in-law Orpah followed that advice. The logical thing for Ruth to do when her husband died was to go home to her own family and look for a new husband. Do What You Know Is Right, Not What Looks Right to Others
With each step, leadership lessons become clear to me from Ruth’s life: 1. As we do, I reflect on what Ruth said and on her story in the Bible. Which do we want more? To stop Ruth and ask her questions? Or to move forward and meet the next person? We sense our time here is limited and decide to keep walking. Now, I want to continue with the rest of the lessons we can learn from Ruth. The excerpt was from the story of Ruth, a courageous and caring woman who made decisions that changed her life and the lives of others. I’m so excited about this book, because it represents my heart for the Biblical principles of leadership. Last week, I shared an excerpt from my newest book, Wisdom from Women in the Bible.
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