Lessons from Ruth: A GOD Centered Workplace.

I have done many jobs over my lifetime. Along with these jobs were also the supervisors and managers. Some of these supervisors were kind and godly people. Some were not. Some were content and glad to be doing what they were doing. Others were obviously NOT happy with their position and either wanted to quit or, out of ambition, desired to move on up the ladder of “success”. Those types of managers or supervisors were harder to work for. They were harder to please. Either way, I learned to do my job the best I could. With the kind and godly managers, I was much more content and happier. When I worked for my Dad, I was content with my duties. He was kind to me. It did not matter if I was his helper while he was remodeling the old historic hotel in St. John, Kansas, or remodeling someone’s home. I was glad to hand him tools, hold things for him, or assist in other ways. When he owned and ran a safe, teen hang-out place with pin-ball machines, pool tables. and large slot car track, he gave me the job of running the snack bar and handling the timer for the track. When I worked for my great uncle on his little farm in Washington state, he expected hard work from me but was always kind and patient. Over the many years at Dillons, most of my managers were also kind, pleasant, and godly people. A few were not. What does this have to do with the book of Ruth? It is clear, that the farmland, where Ruth ended up gleaning, was owned by a godly man. One evidence of this is how Boaz greeted his workers. “And he said to the reapers, ‘The LORD be with you!’ And they answered, ‘The LORD bless you.” (Ruth 2:4) What a testimony that would be if we greeted each other in such a way. With such a prayer; honest, thoughtful, gentle and kind. We are all workers in the LORD’S harvest, aren’t we? Why not begin our service with this prayerful greeting and start our day of worship out right.

Russell Ashby