The In-Laws“And Naomi said to to her two daughters-in-law [Ruth and Orpah], ‘Go, return each to her mother’s house. The LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead [their husbands and father-in-law] and with me. The LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.’ So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.” (Ruth 1:8-9) In the 2003 comedy The In-Laws, Albert Brooks the mild-mannered foot doctor discovers right before his daughter’s wedding that his new in-laws led by Michael Douglas are international arms smugglers. In the Bible in the Book of Ruth, God used Naomi to give us an example to follow when it comes to dealing with the in-laws. Naomi wasn’t Ruthless, she not only loved her two sons but her daughter-in-laws Ruth and Orpah as well. And, they loved her back even to the point of following their mother-in-law back to her native land of Judah. Naomi had lost her husband and now her two sons, she was deeply sorrowed but still she placed the needs of her daughter-in-laws above her own needs. Naomi told the girls to go and find husbands since she will be going back home. Naomi did not want to hinder her daughter-in-laws by making them come with her. She loved them and wanted them to find new husbands and build a new life while they were still young. She thinks of their needs first without expecting anything in return, and as a result, both her daughter-in-laws Ruth and Orpah responded by showing their devotion to Naomi in not wanting to leave her. In the end, Orpah decided to stay in Moab and it was only Ruth who chose to go with Naomi. Love is something that should be given without expecting anything in return. While there are many jokes about the in-laws, we should be kind and love our in-laws instead of treating them as outlaws. Treating family, especially in-laws with love can be hard, perhaps even harder than loving a stranger. It will take time, a lot of strength and a lot of humility on our part. We may have to show love unselfishly for years until they really trust us and want to include us in their lives. But we can do it because God loved us even when we were still in sin. God loved us unconditionally and He expects us to love others, especially our in-laws. Make it our goal to pray for family members including those that have married into our family. Try to be the bigger person, and even ask God to help us. Don’t be an outlaw to our son or daughter-in-law. Be a true loving parent. And children, love the parents of the one we married just as if they were ours. Set the love in motion, but do not put expectations on the relationship. Sow seeds of love into the in-laws and let God give us the harvest. If we give it time and love, God will do amazing things in our relationships in His time, even if it is just by working on us first. God is great at relationships, and He can even turn outlaws into in-laws.Copyright © 2003 Eddy Ministries. All rights reserved. Subscribe/Unsubscribe: eddyn@earthlink.net
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