5 minutes with Ruth

Tell us a little about you.

My name is Ruth and I am one of the Youth and Young Adult Ministers at Figtree Anglican Church. I studied maths and physics at UOW but once I graduated I went on to study a Master of Divinity at Ridley College which I adored (Go Ridley!).

I am married to Noah, and we have a beautiful life with many wonderful friends. I absolutely love my extended family and hanging out with them chatting about life and playing games.

I’m so grateful to say I have known Jesus my entire life and looking back I can see so many ways He has woven things together and continued to grow and lead me.

Do you have a favourite Bible passage? If so, what is it and why?

I love Hebrews 11–12:3! Hebrews in general has a special place in my heart but this passage has drawn my attention since I was young. I love reading about faithful ones who have gone before me; their stories are encouragements to my soul. I particularly love verse 13, “All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth,”  – that God has an eternal plan for all of us together in Him, verse 39–40, “These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, ⁴⁰ since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.”

The final encouragement to us is that since we are surrounded by such a wonderful cloud of witnesses, we run the race God has set before us keeping our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith. I love the focus on Jesus, our eternal hope, and the unity with other believers that will transcend time, culture, and language. It fills me with a deep joy and awe. There’s so much more I could say but I will leave it there.

How do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?

Carving out time in silence and solitude when I read the Bible and talk to God is really important for me. I find it so easy to get distracted with a lot of noise and long to-do lists at work and at home. I crave the silence and solitude with our Heavenly Father – hearing His voice through His Word and spending time in silence with His Spirit as well as speaking to Him in prayer. God is so generous with how He keeps me close to Him, constantly drawing me back and prompting me when I’m wandering.

The other way is through having a beautiful husband, family, and friends who continue to point me to Jesus through their words and actions. People who speak Jesus’ words to me, and look out for me.

I also love to engage with Jesus through song. There are particular songs that resonate deeply with my soul that continue to encourage me and lift my eyes towards Jesus. (Check out The Throne for one of my all-time favourites).

What would you like the next generation of Christian women to know?

I want them to know that knowing Jesus and being loved by him truly is the best thing. I want them to know that they will never regret pursuing a deeper relationship with God and letting His Spirit transform them. I want them to know that they are deeply precious to God, and that their value comes from what Jesus has declared about them.

I want them never to settle, but to continue to be led by Jesus and to find themselves in the places he would have them. Hand your career, your friendships, your romantic relationships, your family, and your dreams over to Him. Things may not go how you expect, or even at times how you want, but it will always be better, and one day you will look back and be so grateful for how God has shaped your life – for the times He said ‘no’ and for the ‘yes’s’ he led you into.

Remember to keep fixing your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of your faith, and run the race He has marked out for you with perseverance – that will always be the very best thing.

What’s one thing that you love about your local church?

How our church loves and champions young people. Our church family is so generous in supporting young people coming to know Jesus. They pray for them, sponsor them to come on youth camp, make space for them to serve, train them in leadership roles, listen to their voice, and encourage them to find and develop their gifts for the glory of Jesus.

Our church believes in the immense value of ministry to children and youth and that is a precious gift.

What did you learn about God during a time in your life that you found hard?

I learnt that God is extremely generous to us in this life. When I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life, I viewed life as something I had to endure until I received the joy, freedom, and healing of eternity. I knew that Jesus had done so much for us through his life, death, and resurrection – he saved us from death to life! So, I never assumed upon the Lord – He had already been extremely generous and merciful to me, what else could I expect?

However, during this season I was challenged to think about the goodness of God and to see that even though He has done so much to secure our eternity, He STILL wants to give us good things in this life too.

Matthew 7:11 really challenged me. It says, “if you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” I struggled to accept that God could have more He would want to give me on top of already gifting me eternal life. I didn’t even deserve that, why would He bless me even more?

But sure enough, time and time and time again I have seen the faithfulness of God, and He has blessed me beyond my wildest imaginations. I learn to see myself as a treasured daughter whose Father loves Her and WANTS to give her good things. That really blew me away. Our Heavenly Father is so unimaginably generous, and He loves to pour out His blessings on His children. It’s hard to imagine, but it’s true.

What are you passionate about?

·      People experiencing a personal relationship with God through Jesus

·      My family and friends

·      Good anime

·      Deep belly laughs

·      Delicious coffee

·      Youth camps

·      People encountering God through His Word and prayer

What do you enjoy doing when you rest?

My favourite thing to do when resting is to spend time with my husband. We love to play video games, watch anime, go for walks, drink good coffee, and cooking new recipes. I also love spending time with my extended family, and I always make sure to get lots of cuddles from my nieces and nephews who fill my tank. I love seeing friends and chatting about life. I really enjoy travelling when I can – we have been blessed with such an amazing world. I’m an introvert so I like to make sure I have time at home or downtime somewhere chill with Noah.