At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me–a foreigner?”

Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband–how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before.  May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” – Ruth 2:10-12 (NIV)

Ruth was a noble and honorable woman. She had left behind home and hearth, family and friends, to choose a life among strangers.  She earned a reputation for fidelity, honesty and humility and it had gained her favor in another’s eyes.  She lived a notable life.

It is easy to think that a notable life is more accessible in the age of information, but it is actually the opposite.  Because we can put ourselves out into the world so much more easily, we are less than a face in the crowd.  We can confuse fame or popularity with a notable life, but a life that is worth taking note of is usually not the one focused on fame or popularity.  Ruth was not worried about anyone but her mother-in-law and it set her apart.

Teaching a child that worthiness and popularity are not the same thing can be difficult, but it can make a marked difference in their long-term approach to life.  When we are focused on doing what is right and righteous, it will result in noteworthy actions.  When we are focused on popularity or status, it will result in our downfall.  I want my daughters to learn the difference between pleasing God and pleasing man.  I hope they will put others first and live notable lives.  I pray they will be like Ruth.

Lord, help me to teach my children the difference between a life approved by You and one approved by the world.  Give me the opportunities to speak into the moments of their lives that will move them in the right direction.  May they be women of note.  Amen.