Trait #1 - Sacrifice (Loyalty & Devotion)
“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” -Ruth 1:16
Context:
Ruth said this quote to her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi’s husband and all of her sons, one of which was Ruth’s husband, died, and Naomi was distraught. Naomi was urging Ruth and her sister-in-law to go back to their lands and their gods because she had nothing left to offer them in terms of another son to marry. Ruth’ sister-in-law went back to her land as requested by Naomi, but Ruth stayed.
Ruth’s traits:
Ruth was upset at the fact that Naomi would even suggest she leave her alone as an old widow with no one to care for her. She made this statement to her mother-in-law out of love, loyalty, undying devotion with a caring, compassionate heart for the pain and loss another human being experienced.
Her determination to make a bad situation work in the best interest of another person is profound. Ruth decided to not walk away because in her heart she knew it was not the right thing to do. Ruth sacrificed the quality of her own life in a land that was not her own, to care for someone else and potentially forfeit the chances of being re-married.
Relevance:
The character traits Ruth had in her heart, makes for an excellent wife. The way Ruth treated Naomi, is an example of how much love was in her heart. As women of God we can learn a lot from Ruth, because when you’re married the type of love you need to have for your husband is self-sacrificial. When things get tough, your loyalty won’t let you give up or do something you would regret. Work on acquiring these traits through prayer and meditating on these qualities in scripture and understand how it can benefit your future marriage.
Trait #2 - Respect
Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.” -Ruth 2:8-9
Context:
This was the first encounter of Ruth and Boaz and the first thing he said to her, which was a set of instructions. Ruth didn’t realize she had just encountered her husband. Boaz, the owner of the field, came to her personally and told her what she should do for her own safety and protection. He knew the livelihood of Ruth and Naomi was tied to her being able to work in his field.
Ruth’s traits:
We can glean from this passage that Ruth was a good listener. When Boaz said something to her, she paid attention, she was respectful and complied with his requests. Ruth respected not only what Boaz said but his authority and position he had over the people in his field.
Relevance:
The traits Ruth had of respect and listening, not only to what Boaz said, but actually taking action on what he told her to do is at the top of your future husband’s list!
A lack of respect for a man can destroy a marriage. A way to show your disrespect is not listening when he is talking and not following through on any requests he has asked you to do. What Boaz told Ruth was for her own benefit and her protection, because he had her best interest in mind. You also have to respect the God-given role of your husband as your head and submit to this. Start practicing respect now with all the men around you, from your father, brothers and other male family members. This respectful habit will follow you into your marriage and save you a lot of heartache.
Trait #3 - Honor (Submission)
Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” -Ruth 2:10
Context:
This was Ruth’s immediate response to Boaz after their first encounter after when he gave her instructions. After this scripture, Boaz responded to Ruth letting her know that he was aware of all she had done for her mother-in-law Naomi. Boaz admired what Ruth had done by taking care of Naomi, leaving her own parents and her homeland, so he blessed her for it.
Ruth’s traits:
Four words:
Humility | Submission | Honor | Respect
Ruth also showed extreme gratefulness. All of these traits are extremely attractive to any man.
Ruth not only showed Boaz respect by her verbal response, but she showed it with her body language by bowing before him.
Relevance:
The traits Ruth exhibited in showing respect to Boaz, tends to be looked down upon today. There is a cultural movement of placing women on a pedestal and showing them more respect than men.
Many Christian women even cringe when they hear the word submission because they want to be in charge of their own life and not be told what to do. This is a natural response in the flesh, but it’s not a biblical, God-ordained response. These traits don’t always come naturally so you have to work on them until they do. In the long run, having these traits will pay off when you do get married to have a happier, healthy marriage and a satisfied husband.
Trait #4 - Compliance
"Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.” “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do." -Ruth 3:3-6
Context:
Naomi was trying to find a home for Ruth where she could be taken care of. In biblical times, a woman was taken care of when she was married. Naomi mentioned Boaz as someone she knew was suitable to take on this role as a husband. Naomi began to give Ruth wisdom on what she needed to do to attract Boaz and petition him for marriage. If Ruth was against the idea, she would have never agreed, but we can see that she trusted the advice given to her and executed it.
Ruth’s traits:
Ruth knew how to take good advice and listen to wisdom. When she heard what was being suggested by Naomi, she perceived it was sound advice, in her best interest and would help her get married. Ruth wanted to do what was best and she was able to take instructions very well. Her first instinct was not to come against clear wisdom and try to figure out a better solution on her own. Ruth had no pride in her heart but was full of humility.
Relevance:
The Bible says in Proverbs 1:7 that “...fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Ruth was not one of these people, she treasured wisdom and instruction. People tend to flock to what’s popular nowadays more than to information that will benefit them, even in the Christian community. Pray for the Lord to give you better discernment so you can not only recognize, but listen to and execute sound wisdom, advice and instruction when it’s given to you so you can be blessed as a result of it, just as Ruth was.
Check out the chapter on "How Your Boaz Will Find You” in the book Irresistible: The Ultimate Guide to Marriage Preparation that goes into more details about Ruth's character traits and you will learn how to hear from God accurately about your future husband. Get your copy today!
Now we'd like to hear from you:
Which of Ruth's traits do you plan to adopt into your own life?
Or, are any of these traits difficult for you to develop?
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