Every person has his own way of dealing with grief. Some people talk it out and seek comfort from others, some withdraw from the crowd and isolate themselves, some try to sleep it off, while others seek comfort in other things, or busy themselves with their jobs.
Whatever way a bereaved person chooses to handle his situation, one thing is common: people around him tend to be more considerate, more understanding, and more patient toward Him. In spite of the leeway though, there is no guarantee that the grieving person will be pleasant to those around him. After all, he knows that to some degree, he has the excuse to be distant, stressed out, and even be cranky amongst others.
This is not the case though for Naomi, a woman in an Old Testament story, who lost not just her husband, but also her two sons. These deaths left her alone and grieving, in a distant land, with just her two daughters-in-law. Although she admits that she feels bitter with what has happened to her, her actions show that she did not throw her weight around and made her in-laws walk on eggshells around her.
“When Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, she and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.” Ruth 1:6
In spite of being grief-stricken, she still managed to see the good in others. She acknowledged the kindness of her daughters in law, and chose to not to act like a victim so that they will pity her. She did not allow her need for company to get in the way of other people’s best interest and future happiness.
“Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Ruth 1:8-9
Moreover, Naomi seemed to have spoken about her renewed faith in God to her daughters-in-law. This is because one of her daughters in law, who insisted on going with her back to the land of Judah, embraced her worship of the One True God. While it was not specifically written in the Book of Ruth, there is an underlying message that Naomi may have repented from turning her back on God when she and her family moved to Moab — a pagan nation who are also enemies of Israel.
““Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” Ruth 1:15-16
As people struggling with our own personal challenges, we ought to learn from Naomi’s example. Her life may have been tragic, but she remained a good person, enough for two daughters in law to insist on spending their own life with her. And while she managed to convince the other one to return to her hometown, her other daughter in law clung to her.
Can you imagine travelling with a depressed and cranky mother-in-law, let alone move to a foreign country with just her? If Naomi was not a good mom-in-law, why would Ruth dare do that right? But Naomi remained to be the gentle and quiet spirit that we, Christian women are called to be.
“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” 1 Peter 3:3-4
In his letter to Titus, the Apostle Paul urged his protege to encourage elderly women to conduct themselves honorably, refuse to engage in gossipping, and instead help younger women to be better mothers. This is almost similar with the above message of Peter the Apostle, and although both of them are written in the New Testament, we can say that Naomi was a role model for such behaviors.
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” Titus 2:3-5
Going back to Naomi’s story, our loving and restorative God turned Naomi’s tragedy into a testimony of His grace and mercy. God did not only give Naomi a second chance to experience being loved by a family, He also made her a descendant of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
“The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord,who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” Ruth 4:14-15
When we aim to please God, we try our best to remain good regardless of our personal struggles. There is no excuse to be mean, act rashly, or commit sin, just because we are undergoing hardships. We are not supposed to take our anger, stress and grief out to others. As followers of Jesus, we are given the perfect example of meekness and grace under pressure, which should inspire us to show goodness to others in spite of our grief and struggles.
“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” Hebrews 12:2-3
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Ruth 1:1-18 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: How do grief and struggles change your behavior? Do people around you suffer whenever you are experiencing hardships?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for giving us the best example of how to handle hardships in life. Thank you, we can look up to you to remain kind and gentle. Give us the grace and confidence to come to you for strength, so that we can remain faithful in following your example. Amen.
