Do You Have the Type of Spirit Ruth Had? - The Christian Online Magazine

The Christian Online Magazine -

Sometimes we fail to realize how blessed we are as we travel this journey of life, to have family and friends. I am blessed to still have a living mother and living siblings. My husband still walks by my side and I feel so wonderfully blessed. Life is not that easy for many people today. Many spouses are left without a mate early in life and sometimes without their children. For them life can be long days filled with great sadness unless they have the joy of the Lord as their strength.

As I studied this week about the life of Naomi and Ruth I couldn’t help but think of the sacrifices Ruth made. She not only gave up her family, her country but she also gave up her Gods. Ruth 1:16 tells of her pledge to serve Naomi. She said in essence I don’t care where you are going, I am going to go. I don’t care where your abode or home will be, it will be mine. Your people shall be my people and where you die, that is where I will die. I even want to be buried where you are buried and your God shall be my God.

As I lay resting today I thought about how much Ruth loved Naomi and I couldn’t help but think that she must have seen Jehovah God in a mighty way in Naomi’s life to make her desire to even know Naomi’s God and to follow after her even to the grave. She must have recognized this was no ordinary god as hers was but was the true and living God that created all heaven and earth and hung out the stars and made the moon and sun to shine. This was the God who would one day send His only Son to die for the sins of the world. She must have seen this kind of God in Naomi’s every day life for her to have this kind of loyalty.

Now, that’s dedication and commitment. Ruth had learned what it meant to serve. She had a servant spirit. I believe if we had that same type of Servant Spirit moving in our lives today we could see our lost families won to God. We could see souls saved in our churches and communities.

Heb. 9:14 – How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve a living God.

If we had the Ruth type Spirit, we will find ourselves willing to serve others. We would find ourselves volunteering to go places others refuse to go, such as nursing home, prisons, etc. Ruth had a burning desire and love to follow her mother in law, even to death. God help us be so inclined to follow Jesus and His Word.

If we have the Ruth type Spirit we will love as Jesus loved. We will go beyond our own wants and desires and search out the need others have. We will seek God on behalf of our friends, family and country. We will be filled to the brim with compassion because of their sicknesses and distress.

To serve is to love. Gal 5:13-14 – For brethren ye have been called unto liberty; only use not that liberty for an occasion to the flesh but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Have you ever wanted to be great and do great things? If you are willing to develop the Ruth type Spirit, that desire will be gone and you will attain a Servant Spirit, as did Ruth. Jesus said in Matt 20:26, 27,28 – But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister. (servant) And whosoever will be chief among you; let him be your servant. Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many.

Therefore I say unto you that we as children of God need to think about our life and ask ourselves the question. Do I have the Ruth type Spirit? Am I really walking in love and compassion? Do I really put others before myself? Am I really determined to follow Christ even to death? If I am not, then maybe I need to take a trip down memory lane and find myself a good old-fashioned altar. Perhaps I need to once again fall on my face and repent for the sin of omission ask for restoration. I ask you the question I have asked myself, "Do you have the type of spirit Ruth had?"