To be fully HUMAN — A Daily Reflection

The foreman replied, "She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi.  She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter."  Ruth 2:6-7 NIV

Then Naomi said, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today." Ruth 3:18 NIV

When Boaz noticed Ruth and asked his servants about her, the servants had nothing but kind things to say.  She had demonstrated her character by her actions, and they were impressed.  What they said about her impressed Boaz.  Obviously, he had noticed her because she was a stranger… and perhaps because she was pretty.  But it was her character that really impressed him.  Her reputation preceded her.

When Ruth told Naomi the results of her meeting with Boaz, Naomi said, "… the man will not rest until the matter is settled today."  Obviously, Boaz had a reputation for being a man of action and a man of his word.  Naomi knew that he would do what he said, because he always did.  His reputation preceded him.

You and I know what kind of person someone is, not by what he says, but by what his actions demonstrate.  And likewise, others know us by what our actions demonstrate.  The thing we need to keep in mind is that, as Christians, ours is not the only reputation at stake… Jesus’ reputation is at stake in us.  We are His representatives, and our reputations precede us. 

As you go through each day, remember that you may be the first or only contact someone has with Jesus.  You may be the only Bible some people ever read.