“Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a mighty man of excellence, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz……“Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the young men not to touch you. And if you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the young men draw.”” Ruth 2:1, 9 LSB https://bible.com/bible/3345/rut.2.1-9.LSB

Every man longs to be a mighty man of excellence. What makes such a man? The answer is easy but the means is not. A man of excellence is a man who always does the right thing and often at personal cost. Most men don’t do the right things consistently nor are they willing to suffer to do so. It is our shame, regret, selfishness, that keeps us from being a mighty man of excellence. But we could be. We could be starting today, starting in our own homes and in our own places of work. We simply need to do the right thing, always, every time, no matter the cost. What is right? It is not the world’s definition. Doing what is right by their definition is what makes us feel guilty, ashamed, and regretful. God defines what is good. His Word records His ways so that we can obey them. It is in obedience to God that we find joy, peace, and happiness. Boaz was a mighty man of excellence because he loved God and obeyed Him demonstrated by his unwillingness to take advantage of people whom the culture said were available for his use. Boaz treated people as image bearers of God thus giving dignity, worth, and honor to every person, even poor foreign women collecting scraps in his fields. Because he took advantage of no one, because he did not use his power for personal satisfaction, Boaz was a mighty man of excellence. If we want true and healthy self-esteem, if we want to look in the mirror and see a mighty man of excellence, we must obey God by treating people the way we ourselves would want to be treated.