It's nearly impossible not to hear of Ruth Bell Graham's husband, Billy Graham. Known for his revival movements in the 20th century, Billy Graham swept the world with his evangelism.
The world felt his loss five years ago. He has inspired millions of Christians and even earned his own sub-section on Crosswalk.com. But what about his wife, Ruth Bell Graham?
Certainly, this couple, known for their faithfulness to each other and commitment to evangelism, has stories to share from both the husband and the wife.
Today's article will focus on the life of Ruth Bell Graham and what we can learn from her time on earth.
To dissect Ruth Bell Graham, we must start with her early years. Ruth grew up as a missionary kid—first in China, later getting her education in what we know now as North Korea.
Her parents had been Presbyterian missionaries in Asia.
Eventually, Ruth made her way to America to pursue her college education at Wheaton College. For those with a familiarity with Wheaton, you may know it for the Billy Graham Museum they have on campus.
As you can surmise, Billy also attended Wheaton.
As the couple courted, Ruth faced a decision. She felt a tug on her heart to return to the mission field—so much so that she'd planned to do it as a single woman.
Ultimately, this plan did not come to fruition. Instead, Ruth continued down the marital path with Billy Graham. He felt a clear call to evangelism, mostly in America (but soon to spread to other nations, unbeknownst to Ruth).
Ruth made a tough call to give up her calling for his. She served as a minister's wife and eventually bore five children.
Billy Graham is often known for his rules of chivalry for young Christian men—to minimize temptation wherever possible. So did the man, so committed to preaching an intolerance to temptation, have a faithful relationship with his wife?
By all accounts, Ruth Bell Graham and Billy Graham had a very faithful marriage.
They experienced the bliss of a 63-year marriage and parented five children together.
Divorce was never on the table. According to If Studies, "In addition to staying sexually faithful, he and Ruth were also committed to staying the course of their marriage. When asked if she'd ever considered divorcing her husband, Ruth is said to have answered, "Divorce, no, murder yes!"
Marriage has its ups and downs, but these two supported each other and made sacrifices for one another.
Billy, for instance, had been away too long for evangelism pursuits, so Ruth encouraged him to stick closer to home. Willingly, Billy did so.
We know Billy Graham for his evangelistic efforts and his ministry in Youth for Christ. But what about Ruth? What ministry did she do once she'd married Billy?
First and foremost, her ministry was to her five children. As many stay-at-home moms would agree, one of the most beautiful ways someone can be a witness for the Gospel is to share the Gospel with the nuclear family.
Ruth often brought prayer into the mix whenever she experienced an argument with her children. She sought to lead as a godly mother in all ways.
Ruth also penned 14 books, a number of them coauthored, all in the category of Christian Living.
Her ministry also came in hospitality to neighbors and friends. Ruth Bell Graham operated well in the gift of spiritual hospitality and blessed many strangers through this. She was often generous and thoughtful in her gifts to others.
Anne, one of Ruth's daughters, best summarized Ruth's ministry:
"She has the heart of an evangelist, although her gift is often overshadowed by my father's, Mother's gift is exercised effectively on behalf of individuals. At her deepest core is the desire for individuals to know Christ in a personal and intimate way. My father preaches sermons to the masses, reaching thousands; my mother talks to individuals, loving them one by one."
Anne observes that we often focus on the people who save millions for Christ. But we often don't look at the Christians who work for God in their neighborhoods and homes. Those ministries matter just as much.
Ruth Bell Graham lived a full life of 87 years. In 2007, Ruth contracted pneumonia and passed away from that illness. She'd spent the last few months of her life bedridden.
As we can imagine, her family and husband deeply felt the loss of her. Billy had said that she'd been his best friend and he couldn't imagine life without her by his side.
Billy went on to live eleven more years before he joined her on the other side of eternity.
Now Billy and Ruth's five children and nineteen grandchildren live in a legacy of loving parents willing to sacrifice for a greater calling.
Ruth Bell Graham led a faithful life her whole time on earth. She served as a faithful mother and wife who spread the Gospel of Christ in giving and hospitable ways. We can learn a great deal from her long life.
First, God doesn't always call us to be Billy Graham.
We often idolize Christians with large ministries who travel the globe and reach millions of souls.
Although we should commend those Christians for their beautiful ministries, God does not call everyone to become famous.
He calls some to mother children in a home.
Some to witness to neighbors.
Some to lead a small Bible study within their church.
Those ministries matter just as much. God doesn't care about numbers. He cares about souls that encounter him and come into a saving relationship with him.
Second, God may not always bless our desires or dreams.
Ruth had a desire to go back into the mission field. She would even give up any relationship status to do so.
However, the more she dated Billy, the more she realized that God had a different calling planned for her.
She and Billy willingly gave up dreams to pursue what God called them. Notice I said that both of them gave up their dreams. Often, we are first to buck women away from their desires—but this goes both ways in a marriage.
Finally, God treasures faithful relationships, especially in ministry.
So many Christians have advice on relationships, but we seldom see those paragons lived out.
Billy and Ruth sought to show the world what a godly relationship looked like. They put family and marriage first and did whatever they could to avoid temptation.
Ruth's life is marked by sacrifice, patience, and overflowing love for others. We could certainly learn so much from this wonderful woman.
Further Reading:
Why Billy Graham Was a Champion of the Civil Rights Movement
How to Change the World: Be a Billy Graham
5 Powerful Prayers from Billy Graham That Still Uplift Us Today
40 Courageous Quotes from Evangelist Billy Graham
10 Things You Didn't Know about Billy Graham
12 Inspiring Quotes about Prayer from Billy Graham
The Top 20 Things Historians Will Look Back on about Billy Graham
Photo Credit: National Archive of Norway/Wikimedia Commons
Hope Bolinger is an acquisitions editor at End Game Press, book editor for hire, and the author of almost 30 books. More than 1500 of her works have been featured in various publications. Check out her books at hopebolinger.com for clean books in most genres, great for adults and kids. Check out her editing profile at Reedsy.com to find out about hiring her for your next book project.
This article is part of our People of Christianity catalog that features the stories, meaning, and significance of well-known people from the Bible and history. Here are some of the most popular articles for knowing important figures in Christianity:
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