When Following Means Staying

But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. – Ruth 1.16 (ESV)

This is a pretty famous verse in the book of Ruth, and even in the Bible as a whole. I know people who have had this read at their wedding. It’s even the basis for a popular song right now. It’s a pretty cool verse, when you think about it.

This is Ruth declaring her love and complete dedication not only to Naomi, but to Yahweh, the One True God. One thing that makes this cool is that Ruth has not been accepted into the nation of Israel, yet. They are currently still in Moab, or not far from Moab. She has never lived among Israelite people or like an Israelite. This is Ruth abandoning her own gods to follow the One True God before she knows how it will turn out.

And yet she follows.

The really amazing and challenging part of this verse to me, though, doesn’t get revealed until the last verse of chapter 2. Ruth has met Boaz, who we know she will eventually marry. They have had a conversation and shared a meal. He gave her a job. And that’s it. That’s all we’re told about their interaction for months. Ruth 2.23 says this:

So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

So maybe she and Boaz talked often or he at least checked up on her…but maybe he didn’t. Maybe Ruth made wonderful friends with the women who were also working in the fields…but maybe she didn’t. All we’re told is that Ruth stayed with her mother-in-law and she worked. She didn’t return to her home or to her gods or to her old way of life.

But do you know what Ruth did?

She stayed where God blessed. I love that sentence. As I was listening to a sermon on Ruth chapter 2, the pastor used that sentence to describe this time in Ruth’s life. She stayed where God blessed. She committed to follow God and this is where God led her. He had not told her to leave, so she stayed. I wonder how many times she recalled her words to Naomi and to God:

“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 1.16 (NIV)

As I think about this concept of staying where God blesses and serving where He calls me, that second part of Ruth’s pledge resonates in me.

I feel like my life is marked by change. Most recently, the changes have included geographic changes. I’ve come to expect and even look forward to change. Change feels good to me. I think it’s because of the possibilities that are born with change. There is always a chance things change for the better.

I have spent much of the past year seeking out change. I have looked to make a geographic change or a vocational change or a relational change. While some small things have changed, for the most part I feel like I’m still “here.” I don’t feel like God has let me make that big change I’ve been looking for.

He undoubtedly called me to this place, and is blessing me here. When I step back and look at my life, I can absolutely see that. The anticipation of change remains inside me, but until He calls me to something different, I need to learn to say, like Ruth:

“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.”

Quotes from Quitter

I love quotes (and song lyrics). My sister and I frequently have full conversations entirely in quotes. When I read, I usually write down quotes I really like from the book or article. I did that with Quitter, the Jon Acuff book I talked about in my last post, and I ended up with 4 pages of quotes. I’m not going to share all of them, but I did want to share some of my favorites.

- No one ever says, “I have an amazing dream that I am going to dedicate my life to. If it works, the status quo will be solidified forever!” At the heart of a dream is change. Few people like this.

- “Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity.” It’s true and the opportunity to quit your job will always be there. The real question is whether you’re prepared.

- There is a natural feeling to the things we’re called to that we often assume everyone else has.

- Ninety-percent perfect and shared with the world always changes more lives than one hundred percent perfect and stuck in your head.

- Perfectionism seems like a character trait sometimes, not a flaw.

- People who do not attempt to recover their dreams fail 100% of the time.

- If you’re patient and deliberate, your day job can become a wonderful platform from which you can launch your dream job. If you demonize your day job though and rail against it, it becomes a prison you’ll try to escape from. And prison breaks rarely go well for anyone.

- Hustle is doing the things you don’t enjoy sometimes to earn the right to do the things you love. (Jenny Acuff)

- Competition is a great motivator but a horrible measurement.

- I’m not sure why Christians sometimes think the maturation of our own missions will be radically shorter than that of Jesus.

Is Your Dream to Be a Quitter?

Do you dream of being a quitter? Is one of your goals this year to quit your job? I’m not saying mine is, but I’m also not saying that it isn’t.

I may or may not have read several books in the past year about discovering what to do with my life (and hoping that they all at least said “not this”). Thankfully, one of those books was Quitter, Jon Acuff’s new book. Quitter is the most timely, most encouraging book about pursuing your dream job that I have read in a while.

If you’re not familiar with Jon Acuff, he is the author of the book and website Stuff Christians Like. His newest book deals with the tension between working a day job and dreaming about a passion.

God created us for work - it was part of the plan before the fall. It was part of the plan then and it's part of the plan now. God also puts within us passions and equips us with gifts with which to pursue those passions. At times, we feel like our jobs and passions/gifts couldn't be farther apart. When our jobs seem to be pulling us away from our passions, we conclude that our job is the problem, and the answer is to quit. Before quitting, though, we need to ask God to show us how our dreams/passions intersect our jobs.

We all want to be able to say that we're doing something meaningful, but most of us feel like that day is months or years in the future. The truth that Jon reminds us, though, is that the only thing keeping us from moving towards our passion and dream is ourselves. Likewise, we are the only ones who can take that first step toward our dream. That won't come from anywhere or anyone else.

Our current job is not the brick wall keeping us from pursuing our passions. Surprisingly, our current not-so-dream job may actually be the platform from which we launch our dream. At the very least, it will present us with opportunities to live out our passions on a daily basis, and teach us to develop work ethic and character.

Jon says in the book, "People who do not attempt to recover their dreams, fail 100% of the time." Quitter definitely encouraged me to not be one of those people. I'm confident it will encourage you, as well.

If you have ever struggled with the tension between working a day job and pursuing a dream job, Quitter is for you.

You can order it on Amazon or on Dave Ramsey’s website.

What Submission is Not

Since I have been sharing some things I'm learning about relationships and marriage and submission, I thought I'd share a recent article I saw on The Resurgence.

10 Things Submission Is Not

"Whether single or married, submission is a core heart issue revealing one’s dependence upon God."

Thankful - Community

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. – Acts 2.42-47

I love this passage. I love how the family of God is described. I love how their focus is outward, how they are concerned for everyone but self. I love that they spend time together, pray together, eat together, and sing together. I love that they willingly and joyfully meet needs.

I love that I have this kind of community.

The past couple weeks have been incredibly difficult. There is a lot going on in my life, in my job, and in my family. It has been stressful and chaotic. There is a part of me that would try to handle all of it myself; bear all of the weight myself. I am always tempted to just handle my own business so that I am not a burden on anyone. It’s very appealing to me to not burden anyone else.

But nowhere in the passage from Acts does it say, “…and whatever you do, don’t inconvenience or burden anyone else.” If no one ever expressed any need, the people in the early church would not have had the opportunity to sell their possessions and meet those needs. And if I never shared any needs, no one would have the opportunity to bless me.

It has been difficult, but over the past couple weeks, I have sent emails, made phone calls, and had conversations with numerous people – all of whom genuinely wanted to hear how I was doing. They truly wanted to hear what was going on. They wanted to pray for me and with me. They carried my burden with joy.

It is so humbling to ask for help, to express need, and I am really bad at it. I still refuse to ask for help many times that I need it. But when I am able to humble myself and ask, the blessing that comes is more than sufficient to cover the pride that I have lost.

Thankful - Blessings

Many of the things I ask God for, I never get - at least not the way I imagined. Many times the answer to my prayer is "no." I am so thankful for that. As I look back at all of the things God has mercifully said "no" to in my life, the reason He said "no" is so clear. Either I was not ready for them at the time or just didn't need them in my life at all, ever.

All of those "no" answers are blessings.

It's hard to see that in the moment, though, when I'm in the midst of a situation I believe I know the answer to. It's hard to see that when I think that one thing is just what I need in my life. It's hard to trust that God knows me better than I know myself and knows what I need more than I do. But that's just what I need to do.

In the midst of prayer, no matter how desperate or how sure I am of what I'm praying about, I need to remember that any answer God gives me is a blessing.

That's why I love this song. I first heard it when I was in Nicaragua - a teammate played it during devotions. Then, shortly after that, another friend emailed out the lyrics. I've heard it a few times since then, and this past week listened to it several times. It's such a great reminder of our Sovereign Lord's merciful hand in our lives - loving, sanctifying, and drawing us closer to Him.