THE LURE OF PUBLIC RECOGNITION
Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze´
“All that you have done...has been fully reported to me...” Ruth 2:11a
Occasionally, I will meet someone who wants to serve others with no desire for recognition. This is such a rare trait and one that is supernaturally driven.
When Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, she knew that she had to get out in the field to provide food for herself and her mother-in-law, Naomi. Nothing in the book of Ruth even insinuates that she would want public recognition. Instead, we see quite the contrary. She did nothing to bring attention to herself. But that didn’t prevent her from gaining attention. Boaz says to her in Ruth chapter 2 verse 11, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left you father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know.” That speaks volumes. She was living quietly, yet the city of Bethlehem was abuzz about this foreigner who acts as if she was brought up knowing the one true God.
That had to be humbling to the people who had lived there all their lives. Not only that, but I would think that kind of devotion would have limited, or completely removed, the scorn that Naomi’s neighbors may have harbored against her.
So the next time I feel the need to be patted on the back for my behavior, I will pray to have a heart like that of Ruth.
Dear Heavenly Father, Please forgive me for the times when I’ve served You out of selfish ambition. Give me a heart that is selfless, like Ruth’s. Help me to never forget the love that Jesus has shown to me by giving up everything so that I could have everything.In Jesus Name, Amen.
Journal: Have you ever been on the receiving end of badly motivated "kindness?"
How did it make you feel?
Look up Isaiah 64:6 and write about what it says about good works.
For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org
For more from Christine Wyrtzen and Jaime Wyrtzen Lauze, please visit www.daughtersofpromise.org
Originally published Monday, 11 May 2020.
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