21 Honor Christ by submitting to each other. 22 You wives must submit to your husbands’ leadership in the same way you submit to the Lord. 23 For a husband is in charge of his wife in the same way Christ is in charge of his body the Church. (He gave his very life to take care of it and be its Savior!) 24 So you wives must willingly obey your husbands in everything, just as the Church obeys Christ.
25 And you husbands, show the same kind of love to your wives as Christ showed to the Church when he died for her, 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God’s Word;[a] 27 so that he could give her to himself as a glorious Church without a single spot or wrinkle or any other blemish, being holy and without a single fault. 28 That is how husbands should treat their wives, loving them as parts of themselves. For since a man and his wife are now one, a man is really doing himself a favor and loving himself when he loves his wife!
―Ephesians 5:21-28 (TLB)
What comes to mind when you think of an engagement ring? In general, it is proof of the promise of two people who have decided to walk through life together in the future. If you are already engaged or married, you might think of your own amazing memories with your partner. If you are praying for a happy life with someone special, you must surely be dreaming and longing for that ring.
Actually, I attribute another idea and meaning to the engagement ring. I have put a particularly memorable ring on the ring finger of my right hand. Today, as I write this, I am single and don’t even have a boyfriend, yet I secretly call it my engagement ring (I hope you aren’t scared of this concept–I want you to read this until the end). Maybe one day the “real” man will show up for me, but for now this engagement ring is proof that I have decided to follow Jesus.
I met Jesus for the first time when I was a junior high school student. As my school was a mission school, I had to attend a morning worship service every day. Like most of the students there, I was an unbeliever and wasn’t interested in God at all. I was one of those students who was falling asleep during the morning services or bible classes. However, somewhere in my heart, I gradually became attracted to Him.
After finishing school, I went back to a life that was far away from God. However, about 10 years ago when I traveled to Taiwan, I met Jesus again. Unexpectedly, the host of my homestay was a Christian and she took me to her church. While attending that church, I was baptized there. After I got back to Japan, I started going to church regularly. Of course, there were some remaining trials in my life, but overall I was so glad that I was able to meet God again.
Then, because of the pandemic, I had to go back to my hometown. Once I moved back, I felt myself drifting further away from God again. I became obsessed with the idea that I needed to become successful by my own willpower.
When I ultimately failed at work, I blamed myself so badly that I began to think of committing suicide. Not long after I actually tried attempting it, because I thought that I didn’t have anything left anymore. At that moment, I thought of Jesus again. Before ending my life, I really wanted to feel His presence again.
At that time, Jesus was my light in the darkness. So, rather than committing suicide, I decided to follow Jesus again. That’s when I went to buy a ring at a jewelry shop.
Of course, I don’t want this ring to become an idol. Instead, it is my reminder of God’s love for me and the depth and my decision. Actually, two stones out of the original five are gone now. It is a broken ring with two gaping holes, but for me those holes represent the freedom from all the chains that bound me, and they remind me of my victory of Christ! That is why this ring has become such an important “engagement ring” for me.
Scripture quatations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright 🄫 1971.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189.