If you find yourself single again, Ruth ought to be one of your best friends. She got married because she was in love and believed she would build a satisfying life with her husband. That dream came to an abrupt end, forcing her to ask questions she never intended to entertain. “What do I do now? How do I build a new life while I deal with the deep disappointment?” If you’re going through heartbreak, you can gain inspiration from Ruth in the Bible.
3 Ways To Embrace A Fresh Start Like Ruth In The Bible
While there are no easy formulas for discovering a new start, Ruth displays three steps that can help us get in motion away from pain and toward the new life we must now live.
1. She Found Worthwhile Work To Do
Like Ruth in the Bible, you must stay busy to find purpose amidst confusion. Despite her hurt, Ruth did something worthwhile. She said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” (Ruth 2:2) Gleaning barley was not her new career dream, but it was something she could do. Ruth knew that her personal pain had the potential to paralyze her, so she decided to do something of value to keep her moving in a healthy direction.
2. She Stayed Strong In Her Faith
God can also help ease our hurt. Ruth looked for God’s hand of favor in the midst of her pain (Ruth 2:10-14). Ruth’s life had been turned upside down. She lost her husband, was living away from her parents and was dwelling in a foreign land. It would have been easy to feel abandoned and alienated. She held on to the hope that God still saw her and would provide personally for her. Even though much of her life was disappointing, she believed God’s favor would show itself.
3. She Put Effort Into New Ventures
One of the biggest lessons we can take from the story of Ruth in the Bible is that effort brings rewards. She worked hard in the area of God’s favor. Once she found the place of favor, she put intense effort into it. She didn’t expect others to do her work. She didn’t manipulate others into providing for her. When God opened a door of opportunity, she “gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered.” (Ruth 2:17) The long day of accomplishment reminded her that she was talented, effective and valuable, a message she desperately needed to hear.
Ruth didn’t like the fact that she had to find a new start in life. She would rather that her “old” life had worked out. Sitting around asking hard questions, however, had finally lost its appeal. She reluctantly realized she was not going to find satisfying answers to questions such as, “Why me? What could I have done differently? Does life really have to be this hard?” Simply telling herself not to think about these questions, however, wasn’t very effective. She had to get busy doing something purposeful to give her mind and soul respite from the heartbreaking questions of her life.
New Beginnings Don’t Have To Be Scary
New beginnings are fun to talk about but stressful to participate in. Life began with the traumatic miracle of birth. Starting a new career is filled with anticipation and self-evaluation. Moving to a new community exposes our hopes and insecurities. Finding new relationships requires us to be honest about what’s in our hearts. In time, these new starts make us better people, but they require a courageous investment on our part. When the next opportunity to do something worthwhile presents itself, think about Ruth in the Bible. Like her, work hard at it and keep your eyes open to see God’s hand of favor.
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