Ruth 1:14
“And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.”
When you study the life of Ruth, there are many good attributes about this lady that could and should be talked about. One of the greatest attributes I find about Ruth is that she was a true friend. At this point in the story you read how Naomi came to Orpah and Ruth and told them to go on back home to their gods and people for she had nothing to offer them. Naomi was very blunt in the fact that she was a widow, and even if she were to get married again, she was too old to have another son. We find at this point that Orpah went back to her people, but Ruth clave to Naomi. This was true friendship for Naomi had nothing to offer Ruth. In fact, you read in Ruth 1:21 how Naomi had nothing left of lands or money. She put it this way, "I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty..." Though Naomi had nothing to offer, Ruth still understood that friendship is not based on opportunity, friendship is based on the fact that once you’re someone's friend you’re always someone's friend.
One of the things I see in our society that bothers me is how so many people are like Orpah, they are only a "friend" if there is something in it for them. As long as they can get something out of this friendship then they will be your friend. This is nothing more than being an opportunist. A true friend will be there for you when you have nothing to offer them. Yes, maybe at one time in this friendship you benefited from making someone your friend, but your friendship with a person is revealed when they have nothing to offer and you actually seem to lose by calling them your friend. You should never be the type of person who forsakes your friend when everyone else forsakes them.
Listen; if you can't be a friend when a person is in the greatest need of friendship, then you are not a real friend. Just because a person has done something very wrong in their life does not mean you should forsake them. Yes, sometimes being a friend to someone takes character, and this is lacking in our society. Just because a person has attacked you out of hurt does not mean that your friendship with them should end. A true friend will be there for a person through thick and thin.
What type of friend are you? Are you like Orpah who will only be a good friend when people have something to offer you? Or, are you like Ruth who will stay true as a friend even when they have lost everything in life and have nothing to which you can benefit out of this friendship? Christians ought to be known as people who are true friends. One thing you should strive for in your life is to be known as a person who is a friend to people when they are at the lowest part of their lives. Let's be careful about becoming friends just because we benefit from that relationship. Let's be a people who are true to our friends during their lowest moments of life.
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