She Chose to Stay
Relationships can be complicated, messy and frustrating. But they can also be filled with love, understanding and life long frienships.
Everyday we have a choice of whether or not to remain in our relationships. Those choices take heartfelt determination to offer grace, love and forgiveness, while remembering that the other person is also faced with the same choices concerning us.
Think of the examples that we have in the story of Ruth. Daily she chose to encourage a bitter woman. Daily she chose to walk and live with her. Daily she chose to find ways to serve her and all the while she did it with a kind heart which didn’t go unnoticed.
It woudn’t have been easy to leave all she had known, her home, her culture and go to a foreign land where she would have been considered an outsider. It wouldn’t have been easy to provide for Naomi and herself, yet she chose to find work where she could.
Ruth chose to stay with Naomi through everything that came their way – thick or thin. She chose to have a good attitude about her situation and look for possibilities and solutions. She chose to be selfless and trust that God would take care of the details.
Some of our friendships and relationships may require more sacrifice than others, more time, more work, more patience and more grace. Trust that God will give you exactly what you need in those relationships and choose to stay. God will accomplish amazing things in our relationships when we have a humble, willing and Christlike heart.
Be Intentional about daily choosing to stay in the relationships that God has blessed you with.
Praises & Prayers
Father, thank you for the gift of relationships. Help us to remember that You fully understand how trying they can be, but also how rewarding they can be. Help us to choose friendship above our own desires and look for the many ways that You will bless them. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Messages from His Word
John 13:34
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.