Most of us are recovering from a busy Christmas season today. Some are still in celebration mode as they spread it across families. Wherever you are at in that process one thing is clear; Christmas takes a herculean effort on the part of several people for it to come off successfully. Whether it is the mother in the kitchen making the food or the father staying up late to assemble all of the toys there is a lot of serving that takes place. If you are exhausted from all of that activity, remember the reward for the selfless servant.
Ruth 2:12
“May the Lord reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.
An Unlikely Character
Ruth is an interesting character in the Bible who ends up playing a pivotal role. First of all, she isn’t even Jewish; she is from Moab. She marries a Jewish man who ends up dying and leaving her as a widow. Her mother in law, Naomi, decides to return to Israel when her husband dies and Ruth goes with her. Naomi begs her to stay with her people, but Ruth refuses and goes to Bethlehem with her. In the process, Ruth begins to do what is necessary for both of them to survive. Because of that Naomi prays a blessing over her.
Seek to Serve
Selfless service is one of the marks of Jesus. Mark 10:45 says “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Following his example, we need to be selfless servants as well. To serve in this way is to give of our time and energy without any expectation of reward. Ruth selflessly served her mother in law by going out and harvesting grain. Two recently widowed women had very little chance of surviving in those times, but they made a go of it. For that, God provided for them.
Rest in the Lord
If you tirelessly served this Christmas season don’t get frustrated because you were under appreciated. Remember that you are following in the footsteps of Jesus and God sees your work. Rest in the Lord and let his Joy be your strength. Don’t stop serving but continue to give and watch as God rewards your efforts. Work for those immortal words “Well done thy good and faithful servant.”