DON’T BE LIKE ORPAH
“And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.” Ruth 1:14 (KJV)
There are Orpah types of Christians and leaders; they like the spotlight and the commendation. They love the front seat. They love to be recognized and complimented every minute. There are such people in the church. They are supposedly following, but in reality, they are not following. They have a plan B while they are following. They tell you that they are ready to support you. They declare that they will stand by you no matter what. Just let the boat be rocked a little bit and they are gone.
If God has called you into any commission, you must be willing to give it all, especially as a leader. You can’t jump from one boat to the other. You can’t import from one place to another place. And you cannot just say you are serving God out of convenience.
When things became tough, Orpah jumped ship. It showed that she never really cut loose from home. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law bye-bye and went to her gods. In other words, Naomi you are on your own. She went back to her people. The dog went back to its vomit. “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62 KJV)
Lot, come out of Sodom and Gomorrah; take your wife, your children, and their husbands, get out of Sodom, and don’t look back. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she turned into a pillar of salt. She had an unbroken tie with the past and with Sodom. What are you looking back for? You really have not lost anything when you follow God. Rather you lost hell!
The sad aspect of it is that Orpah kind of people will be the first to drive people out of the church, but they won’t witness to anyone. You can never point to anyone that they have brought to church, but they will be the first to drive away anyone. Many Orpah’s had disappeared and we are still looking for them. But they are nowhere to be found.
Further Reading. Ruth 1:1-14.
Daily Bible Reading: Morning- Isaiah 62-64; Evening- 1 Timothy 1