Relationships are the provisions God has made for man to fulfill His purpose on Earth. Relationships are mutual beneficial arrangements, some divinely orchestrated, that reveals a man’s course of action and provides direction.
I was listening to an interview on Facebook one morning, and it actually got me thinking. In this interview, a man found himself in prison for guaranteeing a loan for a friend. The host took in calls for advise, and all the callers shared similar experiences, if not same. The advise of the callers stemmed from their experiences, I could guess.
Opened to the corridors of relationships are people dragging their experiences from past relationships. These experiences, both positively or negatively, tend to shape the discourse and engagement with others. Notwithstanding, there is a way to get the best out of Ruth to help her optimize her purpose and also help you optimize your purpose.
This article tends to address how to handle a “RUTH”. It picks up on how Ruth was guided unto purpose by two very important people she got connected to: Naomi and Boaz.
Background of Ruth
Before I discuss practical ways we can handle “RUTH” from Biblical perspective, let me first address who falls into the category of “RUTH”, by analysing some experiences of Ruth.
Experiences of Ruth
- She was a widow
Ruth had been in a previous marriage. She had formed her perceptions and perspectives about marriage to a Jew from her first marriage. The norms, traditions, attitudes, etc (even in a foreign land, I may think they still kept some of their traditions) she may have had from her ten years of marriage should be a good sum of marriage.
Come to think of it. Naomi’s husband dies and her two sons die after ten years was enough to cut that relationship with Naomi. Truth be told, Naomi would have been branded as a witch, if not tagged as cursed. Ruth, therefore knew the pain of being alone, with your husband being dead.
2. She could not conceive after 10 years of marriage.
4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
Ruth 1:4-5 (NIV)
The Bible accounts that after 10 years, Naomi had been left with her two daughters in law. After ten years of marriage, we all do expect the couples to have given birth, right? If there are no signs of a baby, the pressures mounted on you is very troubling. Maybe, an advantage she had was that Orpah was in the same shoes as her.
This pressure alone would have developed a low self esteem to even think of another marriage, or even venture another relationship. Lingering in her mind would be the thought of failure, disappointments and in some circumstances has lost the desire to fight on.
3. She was a virtuous woman
This will be the summary of the experiences she may have picked up with all her virtues. She was a hardworking, loyal and God-fearing woman with lots of misfortunes. Despite the “buts” she had faced and was dealing with, she kept on to her values. Although she had served diligently the God she had come to know upon marriage, she still decides to stick to the God and Naomi than to return to her people. Her experience was beyond the suggestions of men.
Who are the RUTH’s
These are people who have potential for doing good, but have experienced a sequence of negative events. They have strong sense of purpose, convictions and dreams and strong sense of conviction, but need direction and encouragement to achieve the purpose.
Let us continue tomorrow on how to handle the Ruth. God bless you and remain a blessing.
Prayers
I pray that God will grant us the grace to be of help to everyone who comes our way. Amen
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