Leaving a loved one, friend or a co-worker behind whom you love is never easy, yet your very life may depend on you leaving. I remembered when I decided to walk away from a prosperous business to pursue my calling and purpose. I walked away from a loyal client base, physical assets and an income. Ruth was faced with a similar situation when Naomi decided to return to her homeland (Bethlehem) after the loss of her husband and two sons.
Motivated by Love
Naomi was in a place of feeling hopeless, broken, empty, and bitter, she had nothing to offer her daughter-in-laws and urged them to return to their mother’s home.One stayed behind but the other Ruth, made a life-changing decision to leave it all behind. Ruth decided to walk away from what could have been a decent life; she could have found herself a new husband and start a new life. Certainly, it seemed to be more lucrative in this place. However, Ruth’s famous response to Naomi is forever etched in our minds:
Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God (Ruth 1:6).
Ruth’s depth of love, devotion, honour, and commitment for Naomi made her decide to leave it all behind. To Naomi, Ruth would be leaving behind a life of comfort to embrace a life of hardship. However, Ruth had tapped into a secret seen in her sentence “…your God my God.” Ruth was motivated by love, and within the depths of her soul she was confident with God on her side, there was love, hope and life—everything. Unknown to her leaving it all behind secured her future and our future. One decision changed the trajectory for mankind.
Now the decision is yours
What would you have done? Would you have stayed behind or leave it all? Sometimes in life, we hold on to the familiar refusing to leave.
- We stay in that job because we know the routines and for the sake of job security.
- We stay in toxic relationships tolerating the abuses and making excuses for not leaving.
- We stay at the shores; afraid to leave and step out into the unknown deep waters.
- We stay in situations; comfortable in familiar places, refusing to leave behind the excess baggage — hurts, brokenness, and rejection that we carry around.
Our thirst in this world for a life that is fulfilling is unquenchable. Why rob ourselves of a better life? The disciples Peter, Andrew, James, and John were successful in the fishing industry. Daily, they enjoyed a good catch, cleaning and selling their catch yet they walked away leaving it all behind to pursue true life in Jesus. The Samaritan woman at the well was living a life with a man who was not her husband, and after five husbands, she was still not satisfied. That day at the well, Jesus offered her a better life, and all she had to do was leave it all behind.
What do you need to leave behind?
Today like the woman at the well, God is calling you to leave it all behind and come to Him, and He will give you rest. Leave behind the challenges, the cares of this world, temporary fun, fears, insecurities, hurts, anger, and rejection. Leave it all behind — walk away from fruitless and unproductive lives and step into an abundant life. Your destiny is calling. Will you leave it all behind and come to the well?
Prayer for Salvation
Jesus Christ, I confess my sins and ask you to forgive me. I believe you are the Son of God, who died, rose and is seated in heaven. I choose to leave it all behind and follow you. Come into my heart, lead me by the power of the Holy Spirit and teach me how to love you in Jesus name.
If you said this prayer for the first time please share with us.
