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Most of the time we focus on Ruth and her faith, we accredit her as a woman of God, and we look up to her. Even though Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi had a significant influence in Ruth’s life, she is a bit overshadowed by Ruth’s end-success. I am sure if you are a Christian woman reading this, you are familiar with the story of Naomi and Ruth.
To give you a little background there were two widows who both lived in a foreign land. After their husband’s died, Naomi who happens to be Ruth’s mother-in-law decided it was best for her to move back to her hometown.
Naomi then suggested to her daughters in law Ruth and Orpah to also return to their land. Orpah kissed her goodbye, but Ruth refused to go back because she didn’t want to be separated from her mother-in-law. Closer to the end of the story Naomi helps her widowed daughter-in-law, she becomes the guide and helps Ruth find her new husband, Boaz.
As you can tell from the title, this article this is not about your love life, but it is about your role in Ruth’s life. We can look at Boaz as Ruth’s destiny, but if it weren’t because of Naomi’s help, Ruth wouldn’t have made it there.
Naomi was wisdom and experience for Ruth. Naomi was an extraordinary woman. She was a woman of God, and in her walk with God, she taught Ruth who God was.
The bible says that Ruth urged her daughter in law and said: “go back to your people because I am old I don’t have any sons for you to marry and even if I did would you wait for him till he is older to marry him?” Naomi was not concerned about what she could get out of Ruth, instead what she could to offer her. Even though she was an elderly woman herself and probably needed more help, she was concerned about Naomi’s future.
The Ruth’s of today are in search of Naomi’s. They seek graciously, Spirit-filled women who have the wisdom to guide them to their destiny. They need women who are going to be their wisdom and experience in the Kingdom of God.
The sad part is women like these are hard to find, that is why this story is so extraordinary. God has blessed each one of us to lift each other up, he has called us into the sisterhood. The enemy hates that so much. That is why he has fought women for ages, that is why women and (I say this loosely), are often at war with one another. We fight, we gossip, we envy, we compete, and we seem NOT to get along.
We as women don’t seem to appreciate and celebrate each others’ differences; we let our insecurities to get in the way of our calling and other's destinies.
The world is full of Ruth(s) who can’t seem to find their way to their destiny because the women who are appointed to be their Naomi’s, women who are called to lead them have abandoned their role. Maybe like Naomi, they feel like they have nothing to offer.
Imagine what would have happened if Naomi felt intimidated and threatened by Ruth's potential success? Why do we live our lives this way?
We want to help others as long as we get the credit for it. We wish them the best, but only if it doesn't inconvenience us. We want others to be successful as long as they are not more successful than us.
This is isn’t about marriage or anyone helping anyone to find a husband. It is about women who are ready to be used by God. It is about sisterhood rooted in Jesus. It is about women who are secured and ready to lead, teach and guide the Ruth’s of today into the higher plan God has for them.
The Bible says: “Just as a body, though one has many parts, all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. … The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable.” 1 Corinthians 12. But we are making the body of Christ suffer by competing with one another. We are hurting the church by not helping one another function at our best ability.
It has been proven over and over again that women, when united are a force to be reckoned with. Imagine how much more powerful we can be if prayed for one another if we stood together for the advancement of each other's calling and moreover the advancement of the kingdom of God? I pray that God will raise us up to be such women.