A Lesson from Ruth

I have always loved Ruth. I feel that she is a woman who is truly the picture of a faithful follower and the woman that I truly desire to emulate in my daily life.

Over the past few weeks, my spirit has been completely broken. I have had my heart broken all over again for people. My heart has been broken, though, for my brothers and sisters in Christ. I know that it isn't typical to have your heart broken for those who serve the Lord, but lately my heart has been.

I have heard negativity over and over the last few weeks towards some very close friends, and it has completely broken my heart. Sadly, the comments are always coming from Christians. I feel as though we have completely lost focus of our call to love others unconditionally-the lost and those who serve beside us.

In Ruth 1 it says "But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

Shouldn't that be our call? Shouldn't that be what we say to our brothers and sisters? Where you go, I will go. I will serve with you. Don't urge me to stay. I am beside you.

Instead so often we are yelling our critiques and criticisms to what they aren't doing right. How does that demonstrate God's love? If we don't love our own brothers and sisters, then who will? Who is Christ to them?


Galations 6 says "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ". Carry. We should be helping each other, but so often we hear another message. Later in Galatians 6 it says, " Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers"

I think that says it all. My heart is broken. Always, my heart is broken for the lost. But my prayer is that now my heart is continually broken for my brothers and sisters. And in that brokenness, I pray that I am receptive to opportunities of encouragement and love.