Ruth 3 – Naomi’s Selflessness

While reading Ruth chapter 3 I couldn’t help but think how easy and tempting it would have been for Naomi to want Ruth for herself, as her only daughter left to keep her company, and to be a help around her home. 

It would have been easier and much more comfortable for Naomi to have kept her mouth shut and let Ruth stay with her. And with the humility in which Ruth approached each day I could see her not having a second thought about staying to help Naomi. She never would have brought up the matter, and this is where I see Naomi’s selflessness shine through. 

We often have such a shallow idea of what being selfless really means. We consider it giving up something small because someone has asked or because it was asked of us, but it is so much more than that. There is much greater value behind it when it is out of a genuine heart for the persons best interest rather than our own. And we see this in Naomi- she desired the best for Ruth.

Even though Ruth selflessly went out to the fields every day to gather wheat for her and Naomi it was still selfless of Naomi to send her out knowing that Boaz would be there.

In this chapter, Naomi had the plan all laid out. Verses 1-4 are of Naomi telling Ruth to go to the feet of Boaz because he is a near kinsman of them. Ruth does it out of obedience and when Boaz realizes what she has done he is blown away by her kindness. He tells her, in verse 11, that he will do anything she asks because of her righteous and pure heart. 

What a beautiful picture that is painted of Naomi’s selflessness to knowingly send her daughter away and Ruth’s blessings from being obedient and pure in her motives. It is so easy to twist this chapter from what it really means if it is being compared to today’s age, but back then things were done differently and it was seen as something virtuous that Ruth had done. 

We see in this chapter that being selfless in our actions and motives can change one’s life. If Naomi had never sent Ruth away she would have never experienced the joy of seeing her daughter blessed through her obedience and selflessness. 

We can’t expect to have God’s blessings in our lives if we are being selfish in our motives and disobedient in our actions. If we take one thing away from this chapter may it be this: Our actions have an impact and that impact is entirely up to us. Giving more of ourselves in order for others to have something is such an underrated quality. God gave His Son- who are we to say we can’t give? A humbling thought. ❤ 

Love and blessings, 

Moriah grace 

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