More on Tattoos...

WOW!

 

Getting a tattoo is a hot subject among some of you.  The feedback I received was pretty amazing.

 

Let me clarify a few things for you playing along at home:

 

1.  I DO NOT think less of you if you already have a tattoo.

 

Do you think less of me because I'm 40 lbs overweight?  If I am trying to live my life in such a way to bring honor and glory to the Lord, then I will consider my decisions in this light.  I am convicted in the area of getting healthy.  I want to glorify God in my body...NOT because it matters to me if I'm skinny or attractive or...you fill in the blank...but because I want to be healthy and set a better example to others in Christ.  And, I want to live the full extent of years God has ordained for me serving Him and honoring Him.  God may choose to allow me to get sick anyway for His purpose...and I'm okay with that.  But, I am still responsible to treat my body in a way that honors Him.  And so are you! 

 

2.  I DO NOT think it is a sin to get a tattoo.  However, if YOU think it is wrong to get a tattoo, then you should not do it.

 

3.  If you ask me if I think you should get a tattoo, I'll tell you "no, you should not get a tattoo."  However, the decision for you to get a tattoo is up to your parents. 

 

4.  Yep, I did see the Larry King Live show with Stephen Curtis Chapman and his family.  As a family, they decided to get a tattoo in memory of their little girl who was ran over and subsequently died.  In my opinion, I still think this was an unwise decision.  However, I don't think less of them as Christians because of this.  If I remember correctly, they tattooed the date of birth and death of Maria Chapman on their wrists.  Again, they are free in the Lord to do this. 

 

Let me caution you on freedom in the Lord to do something.  Just because we MAY be free to do a certain thing, does not necessarily mean we SHOULD do that thing.  Again, the focus should be on pleasing the Lord and not ourselves.  And, as Christians, we are to consider the "weaker" brother.  If my getting a tattoo may cause a "weaker" or younger Christian to stumble in their relationship with the Lord, then I should not do it.  Paul addressed this similar issue on the idea of Christians eating meat sacrificed in the temple to idols.  Read the whole chapter of I Corinthians 8 for background.  Here is part of what Paul says:

"But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble. (1 Corinthians 8:8-13)"

This reinforces the idea we don't belong to ourselves.  Jesus commands us to love one another.  Our love for each other should build each other up (edification).  Look how seriously Paul took this responsibility to the weaker brother in Christ!  He cared more about the spiritual welfare of this weaker brother than his own freedom to eat meat sacrificed to idols. 

 

Sweet friends in Christ...like I mentioned yesterday, let us place more importance on what is tattooed on our heart and not what is on our body.

 

Today's PW Devotional further discusses this concept.  Read on to see how God wanted the nation of Israel to constantly be talking with their children about God's commands.

 

 

PlanetWisdom.com Devotionals

Impressing Children? Posted: 21 Mar 2009 10:20 AM PDT "Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (Deuteronomy 6:7) Should you tattoo your children? Of course not! How could you even ask a question like that? Yesterday, we talked about tattooing God's commands on our hearts. Today's verse tells us to "impress" them on our kids. I'm guessing most of you don't have kids, yet, but notice the strategy this verse describes for getting God's commands to make an impact on their hearts and minds: Talk about them together. A lot. At all different times of day. You can practice this now with your parents and friends (or even just in prayer with God). Talk about God's Word when you're home, when you're out, when you're up, and when you're down. Keep the Bible on the discussion menu with those closest to you all the time -- not just at church or during "devotions." Think: When was the last time you had a conversation about God's Word outside of a Sunday School class or youth group or church? How often does that happen in your world? What would it take for you to initiate a few more of those discussions? Pray: Ask God to help your parents to impress His Word on their kids — and to help you to do the same when/if the time comes. Do: Start a conversation about the Bible with another Christian this week at a time and place you normally wouldn't talk about God's Word. Visit PlanetWisdom.com for more great resources!