The Boaz Moment: When One Generous Choice Changes Everything

We're all fascinated by the idea of time travel. Movies like Back to the Future captivate us because they explore a profound truth: one small change in the past can alter everything about the future. But what if I told you that while we can't go back in time, we absolutely can change the future through the choices we make today?

This is exactly what happened with a man named Boaz, whose story appears in the Book of Ruth and whose name is forever etched in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 1.

A Story of Desperate Need

Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi were in an impossible situation. Both widows in an ancient culture where women had no rights, no protection, and no way to provide for themselves, they had essentially been left for dead. Ruth was reduced to gleaning in fields—picking up scraps left behind by harvesters, the ancient equivalent of going through someone else's trash just to survive.

Enter Boaz—a man of standing and wealth who had every reason to ignore their plight. But he didn't. Instead, he stepped in with immediate compassion, providing protection, provision, and ultimately redemption. When another relative refused to help Ruth and Naomi, fearing it might "endanger his own estate," Boaz risked everything. He bet the bank on their redemption.

More Than Meeting a Need

But here's what makes this story extraordinary: Boaz's generosity wasn't just about being nice or having the resources to help. It was about seeing something others couldn't see. He acted as if his decisions mattered beyond his own lifetime—and they did. His choice didn't just change Ruth's destiny; it changed his own. This son of a prostitute, through one act of radical generosity, became the great-grandfather of King David and an ancestor of Jesus himself.

Cathedral Thinking for Today

There's a concept called "cathedral thinking" that emerged from medieval Europe. Communities would plant forests hundreds of years before construction on cathedrals would even begin. They invested in what they couldn't see yet but believed was coming. This is generational generosity in action.

What if we lived this way? What if our generosity wasn't just about meeting immediate needs but about shaping the world to come? What if we made decisions today that would echo through our children's children's lives?

Your Boaz Moment

The truth is, every one of us will face moments where we can choose to be like Boaz or like that first redeemer who said, "I cannot do it." We can choose to protect what we have, or we can step into the audacious faith that believes God can do more through our generosity than we can imagine.

This isn't about the size of your bank account. It's about the posture of your heart. It's about living as a river that carves new paths rather than a reservoir that simply holds water. It's about being tethered to tomorrow rather than trapped by yesterday.

Boaz couldn't see the future, but his generous choice in one moment changed the timeline of generations. What would happen if we all started living like our decisions matter beyond our own lifetime?

That's your Boaz moment—and it's waiting for you today.