Cracked Wedding Ring

“Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”  —Ephesians 4:26b-27

I don’t know how it happened, but one day, I noticed my wedding ring had cracked. This isn’t my original wedding ring. We replaced the original after I lost it while mowing the lawn. It must have felt extra tight on my ring finger that day so I placed it on my pinky. When the mowing was complete, the ring was missing. We borrowed a metal detector and searched the lawn, but no ring could be found.

The decorative finish on my replacement ring stops two-thirds of the way around at an indent on both sides. I never take my ring off; so when I do any kind of rigorous work with shovels, hammers, or handle materials, the ring often gets misshaped. It’s gold, and gold is soft, so I simply straighten it out again. One time, it must have cracked at the indented crease. I continued to wear the broken ring for months. Although it was cracked completely through, it seemed to stay on OK. I even swam on vacation with it on but often thought about the possibility of losing it.

My cracked wedding ring reminded me of cracked relationships. We allow many imperfections to exist in our relationships with loved ones and do nothing to fix them until a crisis comes along. Ephesians 4 tells us to “not let the sun go down while you are still angry” (4:26). If there is a problem in our marriages or any relationship, we should mend it quickly. We wouldn’t drive our car with a tire nearly flat. It’s usually too late to check the oil level in your cars’ engine after the low oil warning light comes on.    

If we allow unresolved issues and unforgiveness to continue day after day, we give the devil an opportunity to sow seeds of anger, malice, and hatred. If there is something wrong in your relationships, make it right. Ephesians 4 continues to urge us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” (31).

If we would take care of our marriages and other relationships the way we take care of our hunting and fishing gear, our face and complexion, or our cars and techie gadgets, then our families, churches, and country would be much stronger. Rather than neglect your marriage, allowing cracks to exist in your relationships, why not say encouraging words that build up your spouse according to his/her needs and benefit those who listen (Eph. 4:28). I would imagine right now, there are loving words of kindness and forgiveness that are waiting to be spoken in most relationships. Why don’t we heed the teachings of scripture to “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Eph. 4:32).

Oh, by the way, I got the ring fixed this past week. My local jeweler repaired it, polished it, and touched up the decorative finish. It looks as good as new, and now I feel much more secure that my wedding ring won’t slip away. Can you say the same about your marriage? Pay some attention to your relationships. Offer some words of kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. You won’t regret it.