The Winning Attitude

The Holy Bible is a treasure, and every time you read it, the Holy Spirit opens your understanding to some new truth.  When I read the book of Ruth this time, her attitude caught my attention.  When Boaz noticed Ruth in his field among his reapers, he asked them who she was.  They told him that she was Naomi's daughter-in-law.  Boaz had already heard of her kindness to Naomi, so he requested Ruth to stay with his young women and commanded the young men not to touch her.  When Ruth heard Boaz, she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me since I am a foreigner?" (Ruth 2:10).  When bad things happened to Ruth in the land of Moab, we do not read of Ruth saying, 'Why did this happen to me?' or 'What have I done to deserve this?' But when she received a good deed from Boaz, she said, 'What have I done to deserve this?' Ruth knew she did not deserve the kindness shown to her, and her heart was filled with gratitude!  This, I believe, is the winning attitude!

We always think we deserve the blessings we receive from God.  'Oh, I have worked so hard, and I deserve that promotion'; 'I have done everything right to bring up the children, and now I deserve to be blessed' Or 'I fasted and prayed, and God has answered my prayer.'  We tend to tie the blessing to our 'works' and 'deeds.' We forget that our righteousness is just filthy rags.  The blessings we receive are not proportional to our good deeds or the result of our good deeds!  Ruth knew she was a foreigner and a Moabitess and did not deserve any kindness.  Naomi thought God was punishing her and wanted to be called 'Marah.' If God punishes us according to our sins, none of us would be alive today.  If we think of everything we have done and said, we would know that we do not deserve any blessing!  God, in His mercy, has chosen to bless us. 

My friend, every blessing in our life should fill our hearts with awe and gratitude, for we do not deserve them in any way.  God, in His mercy, has blessed us.  Trusting in God's goodness instead of our righteousness must fill our hearts with thankfulness.  May the Lord help us to develop this winning attitude!

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