By Jeff Cranston

There is direct link between the values we embrace and the heritage we leave. What sort of heritage are you leaving? Is it one of worldly wealth or one of godly character? Is it one that guarantees your descendants a rich portfolio or one of the blessings of God upon them?

I believe that pretty much everyone wants to leave a good, strong heritage—a legacy that will last. But what does it mean to be a heritage builder? We learn from Ruth 4 that a heritage builder must make some commitments.

1. A heritage builder will love regardless of conditions.

In the first 10 verses of Ruth 4, we can see the depth of love Boaz has toward Ruth. Boaz made a public commitment, gathering the local elders, saying, “Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.”

Committed love is the foundation of relationships. We live in a throw-away world. We love for the moment. Once something or someone grows too familiar, we tend to discard or devalue it. We then search for someone or something new to excite us. We do it with electronics, with clothing, with cars and boats, with golf clubs, and unfortunately, with people.

The truth is this: beauty fades, waistlines expand, hair changes both color and location, and health diminishes. Yet love says, “I will love you regardless.” That love chooses to love regardless of the past we lived. That love chooses to love regardless of the people we meet. That love also chooses to love regardless of the problems we face.

2. A heritage builder will walk with God as an example of faith.  

Read Ruth 4:11-12. You can see the devotion and commitment of Boaz. Notice that those who blessed Boaz focused on God. “May the Lord do this and may the Lord do that … ” Boaz had a reputation for deep and evident faith to all that knew him. He was the kind of man that could say to his family, “You can repeat anything I say. You can do anything that I do. You can go anywhere I go. You can see anything I can see.”

If you study his life closely, you will see that Boaz followed the pattern of faith that Moses commanded in Deuteronomy.

1. He confessed God boldly. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6)

2. He taught his faith regularly. (Deuteronomy 6:7)

3. He lived his faith openly. (Deuteronomy 6:8-9)

He passed on that which he lived, and others testified to it. This will be the case in our lives too, for either good or evil. That’s what a heritage builder does.

Jeff Cranston is lead pastor of LowCountry Community Church in Bluffton, S.C.

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