Reset Your Life: Wisdom From the Book of RuthSample

Who Is Ruth?

Before we go much farther into the story of Ruth, we need to talk about Moab. Moab was a nation that bordered Israel to the east. According to the biblical story, Moab was founded by Lot, a close relative of Abraham, the father of the Israelites.

So, these two nations were related and had a lot of family drama, which created tension throughout their histories. During the time of the judges, Moab invaded and oppressed God’s people until a man named Ehud killed the Moabite king.

Combine Moab’s reputation with Ruth and Naomi’s lack of resources, plus the limited agency of women in that time and place, and you can start to imagine how isolated and desperate these women would have been.

That’s why Ruth turns to one of the only options available, picking up scraps of food the harvesters leave behind.

It’s in this field that we meet the landowner Boaz. Pay attention to him; he’s going to play a big role in this story, but we’ll get to that later. For now, notice how the harvesters refer to Ruth. They simply call her the Moabite. Because to them, that’s all she is. Just someone from Moab, undeserving of sympathy, care, or even being called by her name.

But Boaz is different. He heard about “the Moabite” in town, but he has a different perspective. He knows about Ruth’s sacrificial friendship with Naomi. He also knows that Ruth had better options than picking up scraps (like going home to her family), but she still chose to live in poverty for the sake of Naomi.

So, while others label Ruth merely according to her place of origin, Boaz sees her for her character: faithful, strong, and sacrificial.

What labels have others given you? And are there any labels you’ve given yourself?

Labels are how we define ourselves and others that don’t reflect how God sees us. God made us all with unique backgrounds, gifts, and talents, and He knows our names. He doesn’t call anyone just a Moabite or just a mess-up. Instead, He values what each of us brings to the table.

Let Go of Your Labels

Labels can keep you stuck repeating the same mistakes that just hold you back. So if you want to reset your life, you probably need to break up with the unhelpful labels tying you down. The bad things others have said about you and the mean things you’ve thought about yourself don’t reflect your true value.

Today, identify a few labels that might be holding you back. Maybe a label like failure could keep you from trying new things. Or a label like high achiever might keep you in a cycle of overwork that leads to burnout. No matter what labels you’ve given yourself—it’s time to let go. Take a step back and look in Scripture to see how God describes you as His beloved creation.

Pray: Dear God, thank You for seeing me for who I am. You see the best in me, even when I let negative labels get in the way. Please help me do the essential work of letting go of my labels so I can be all You’ve made me to be. In Jesus’ name, amen.