Attitude Isn’t Everything…(but it’s a lot)
I’ve been listening to Mark Driscoll’s sermon series on the book of Ruth…a friend and I discussed a few things about it that really hit me.
Of course we know that the “stars” of the story are (1)God, (2)Ruth, and (3)Boaz. But there’s a minor player who can give us some great insights into life: Naomi.
Naomi had followed her husband into a foreign land. Her sons had married foreign wives. And then every male in her family died. A widow in a strange land (although I don’t know how long she had lived there), when she heard that there was food at “home”, she wanted to return.
Naomi was older (at least old enough to have adult sons) and (my guess) tired. She had (another guess) lost her “first love” as one of God’s chosen people. The reason I make this guess is that, when faced with the difficulties that she faced (and they were huge!) she blamed God, “God has dealt bitterly with me” and asked to be called Mara (bitter).
Her heart has wandered far enough from God that she (a Jew, raised to believe that there is One God and to have no other gods before Him) advised her daughter-in-laws to go back to their homeland and back to their gods. It would be like a Christian today telling a loved one to go back to their Buddha or their new-age.
Now…
Contrast that with Job. Little by little, with God’s express permission – even approval – had everything taken away from him. He lost his property, his cattle, his wife and children and then his health. Everything but his very life was on the table. When all of his friends advised him to “curse God and die”, Job kept his faith.
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.
How we go into trials and hard times can say a lot.
Do we become bitter, mara? Do we blame God when things go bad?
Or do we have the attitude of Job? Do we see everything in our life as belonging to God, things that He can give and take away?
It’s not easy when people or things are taken away. We grieve and God understands that and He can handle it when we bring our griefs to Him. Both Naomi and Job lost loved ones and both Naomi and Job grieved.
One of them became bitter. The other was steadfast in God.
We all have losses – some little some big. But we still must make the choice. Bitter? or steadfast?
I love the book of Ruth. Although it is an Old Testament book — it is has much Gospel…
I have to admit that I was ‘mara’ before I became like Job…I was very bitter when my dad died, but through His word and my pastor’s sermon, I saw that God is faithful to us…
Thank you for your encouragement this morning.
You know I actually see Naomi differently and I was so interested in your perspective. I hope you don’t mind if I just share my heart thoughts on this because I recently read through Ruth.
I thought that Ruth clung to Naomi because despite her difficulties and bitter life she showed a love of God so attractive that Ruth couldn’t bear to leave and wanted to be part of her family and to worship her God and not the idols of her homeland…this has been my view of Naomi. I wondered if Naomi’s question was a test of loyalty on Ruth and Orpah. She first said to them both: “May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Here Naomi is calling on the Lord God to grant them kindness not their gods. When she does speak again to Ruth she says that Orpah is returning to her home and gods, which was a statement of fact and not an encouragement to worship other gods. Ruth chose the One and only God above all else. Naomi means ‘pleasant’, which her life hadn’t been in recent times. So when Ruth called her ‘Naomi’, Naomi cries out that her life doesn’t merit this name, understandable cry in her time of difficulty.
However, I do understand what you are saying, it is so important though that we don’t let bitterness ruin our relationship with God or to turn away from Him.
Thank you for this reminder as I do have a tendency to grow bitter in difficult times, though I try not too. I need to keep my eyes on the One who set me free from bitterness. This post has been a wonderful encouragement, thanks.
Bitterness is an ugly root that takes hold and can be very difficult to kill. I know so many people, God loving Christians too, who have let bitterness in and dwell in it.
It must be a concious decision to keep bitterness from residing in our hearts. Thank you 🙂
I think that while Job’s outlooks is terrific, Naomi’s outlook is not outside of the norm for God’s followers.
If you read the Psalms for example, we frequently see Anger directed at God:
Psalm 10:1
Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
Psalm 22:1
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
Psalm 42:9
I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
Psalm 44:23-24
Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep?
Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.
Why do you hide your face
and forget our misery and oppression?
Psalm 74:1
Why have you rejected us forever, O God?
Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
Psalm 74:11
Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?
Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them!
Psalm 79:10
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Before our eyes, make known among the nations
that you avenge the outpoured blood of your servants.
Through these honest prayerful outpourings to God, we see our hearts transformed. Many of these Psalms start with the bitterness of Naomi, but end with the steadfastness of Job.
We studied Ruth recently too. It helps me to think of them as our pastor described them. Boaz represents a type of Christ, Ruth a type of church (us) and Naomi represents Israel (a widow).
I have been listening to the sermons series by MarK Driscoll, too. It is powerful, especially the opening dramatic readings. I missed, however, the perspective you walked away with, since I have been so focused on Ruth and Boaz.
Two of my dearest friends are young widows, with young children, so I am in tune with the message of faithfulness that Ruth demonstrates and Christ-like response that Boaz lives, as an example for me in my friendships with these women.
But your point hits me hard. Do I personally respond with bitterness at the Lord when my circumstances are not great? Yes. Do I need to respond like Job instead of Naomi? Yes.
Thanks for the reminder!
Bless you,
Elisa
http://www.laundry-alternative.net
I went through this ‘bitter’ stage when my first husband passed away from cancer after only 8 years of marriage and left me with 3 children all under the age of 7 to care for. I think it was meant to be a learning time for me sent from God……and was truly neccesary in order for me to be who He wants me to be!