Be a man like Boaz

As men, I believe that it is easier for us to get off track more than woman. It's easier for us to give into sinful and lustful desires. I believe that our minds are more polluted than most women as well. Apart from lustful desires we have an obsessed with power and recognition in an unhealthy way. It's easy for men to think that is what fulfills them and makes them who they are.

I really don't know why that's the case. It's something that I have always wondered and I believe it's a struggle that all guys go through at some point in their lives. I know that I have gone through it - and to make it through was one of the most rewarding feelings.

Reading through the book of Ruth the past couple of days was really cool. I had never really gotten into a book in the Old Testament and to get a lot out of it was special. The book of Ruth is mainly about Ruth and how even though she experienced a lot of misfortune, she was faithful to God and she played a huge role in the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah.

It was encouraging reading about her and Naomi but that wasn't the main thing that I took away from reading Ruth.

I was encouraged to be a man like Boaz. Boaz was known for a couple of things:

- a man of his word
- sensitive to those in need
- cared for his workers
- responsible and had integrity
- successful and shrewd businessman

Those are a lot of things that I want to be as man. I don't need tons of money, I don't need worldly pleasure, I don't need lots of fancy things, I want to be a man of my word and someone who really cares for people and loves God above all things.

There are a couple of instances where Boaz's character really stuck out to me.

The first time was when we met Ruth was she was gleaning in his field. Ruth was a stranger and came out of nowhere - yet he welcomed her with love and kindness. He made it clear that he wanted her to stick around and didn't want any of his other workers to mess with her. I admire the love he showed a stranger.

The second that really stuck out to me was the way he reacted when he woke up one night and Ruth was sleeping at the end of his bed. Naomi had told Ruth to go to where Boaz was and told her to sleep at the end of his bed and make it known that she was there. Now I would assume Ruth was fairly attractive and Boaz was probably attracted to her based off of the way that he treated her in the fields the first time they met. In the middle of the night when Ruth pulled off the blanket where his feet where at - he reacted in a Godly manner. I feel like most men could have treated that situation very differently, but Boaz was respectful and showed Ruth love and kindness.

The third thing is that Boaz wasn't messing around. He knew that he wanted to marry Ruth. He wasn't  beating around the bush when they first met. He made a decision that he was going to marry her and stuck to that. He was a man of his word and didn't waste any time marrying her.

Lastly, Boaz bought land from her widowed husband in order that his name still be on the land. I find that to be a very honorable decision made by him. How easy would it be for him to think that he was the man now and that Ruth's deceased husband didn't matter. He still cared and respected him and his land.

Boaz was a man who did things in the right way. He never took short cuts. He lived by the rules and laws that were in place. No matter what the case was - he always treated the people that he worked with and others with love and respect. He was honorable and was a solid man of God. A man that I want to be like someday. He loved and cared for people - especially the woman that he married.

Be an honorable God-fearing  man. That is the challenge that I have for all the guys out there who read this.