I've found this on www.crosswalk.com. Although Boaz only appeared in 3 chapters of the book Ruth, there is much to learn from him. For all you boys/men out there, this is something which will come in really handy as a guide to becoming a true man of God:
How to Be a Man of God
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness (1 Timothy 6:11).
Many people can “look” like a man of God or “sound” like a man of God, but Boaz exemplified it in who he was, how he spoke and what he did.
- He was a “man of standing”—also known as “mighty man of valor,” possessed the finest of qualities (Ruth 2:1).
- He became “kinsman-redeemer”—took responsibility for Naomi and Ruth and their property (Ruth 2:20, 4:9).
- He blessed others—to his workers, “The Lord be with you” (Ruth 2:4); to Ruth, “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 2:11-12).
- He spoke kindly to others and was kind—Ruth said, “You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant” (Ruth 2:13); Naomi said, “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead” (Ruth 2:20).
- He cared about the feelings of others—“Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don’t embarrass her” (Ruth 2:15).
How to be a man of God in a relationship
- He respected her—“My daughter . . .” (which was a proper greeting based upon the difference in their ages) (Ruth 2:8).
- He ensured her safety—“I have told the men not to touch you” (Ruth 2:9).
- He cared for Ruth and Naomi—“He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed” (Ruth 3:17).
- He acted responsibly with her—he did not send her home in the middle of the night, “Stay here for the night”; he protected the rights of the nearest kinsman-redeemer, “ . . . if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem.”; he protected her reputation, “Don’t let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor” (Ruth 3:13-14).
- He would not touch her unless Ruth was rightfully his to do so—“ . . .there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I" (who has the right to her); He promised he would care for her if given the opportunity—“…if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it” (Ruth 3:13); “So Boaz took Ruth as she became his wife” (Ruth 4:13).
Thank God for the bible! It is literally an encyclopedia. You can find all the answers you want in there. What's even better, there is always good or greater news - no disappointment, no nonsense, no deceit. Just pure truth that will set you free. So ladies out there, now you know what to include in your "checklist" when it comes to finding your life partner! Haha...
