I’m a Christian and I have tattoos...
Wow! I never thought I’d put those two words in the same sentence along with “I”! I’m 42 and got my first 2 tattoos in the past three months. Maybe I’m going through a mid-life crisis (which I thought only men went through) or maybe I’m doing me and I have gotten to a point where I don’t care as much about what others think anymore. I know I will disappoint my ultra-conservative grandmothers and a few of my Christian friends, but I’m not living my life for them. Of course, I considered that one verse in Leviticus 19:28, “You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD.” I didn't find any other verses about the issue of tattoos and with a lot of thought and prayer, I decided to get my first tattoo in January and my second (maybe my last) tattoo in April of this year.
I talked to other Christians about this matter and know plenty who have tattoos. They reminded me that we are not living in the Old Testament and Jesus came to this earth to fulfill the laws because no one can follow them perfectly. Then there are some people I know who have a legalistic mindset about the issue of tattoos. I said something along the line of, "If we're going to follow every Old Testament law perfectly, then we cannot eat certain kinds of meat." I wasn't try to beat anyone over the head with the Word, yet I feel that it is important to remember God's grace and realize that some laws in Leviticus no longer apply. If someone feels convicted about what they eat and whether or not to get a tattoo, that matter is between them and God.
Before I talk about the meaning behind my two tattoos, I want to get one last thing off my chest about legalism. Here are some Old Testament laws that I doubt anyone follows perfectly.
Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material (Leviticus 19:19)
Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it (Leviticus 19:26)
Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard (Leviticus 19:27).
So, I don’t see anything wrong with getting a tattoo, but I was in prayer about it and took the time to think about what I wanted and where to put it. I believe my tattoos honor God and are meaningful to me.
References:
Honeycutt, Will. (2014). Should Christians get tattoos? 7 points to consider first. https://www.crosswalk.com/family/singles/is-it-biblical-for-christians-to-get-tattoos.html
Tattoos and Christians. (2019). Doctrine and Devotion. http://www.doctrineanddevotion.com/blog/tattoos
My First Tattoo
Sunflower and semicolon are in honor of mental health and suicide prevention awareness with the saying, “Choose to keep going.” As a person who struggles with mental illness (anxiety, depression, and PTSD) and as a suicide attempt survivor, I want others to know they are not alone and I hope that when they see this tattoo above my right ankle, they will be encouraged with the phrase “Choose to keep going.” Last year, I went through quite a trying time. My fur baby, whom I had for over eight years, passed away March 17th and five months later, I faced a broken engagement. After having been single for 15 years, I finally met someone and thought my dreams finally came true only to have them dashed. However, I choose to keep going and know that God’s promises for me have not expired.
My Second Tattoo
On my left ankle: “It’s only the beginning” is the title of a poem I recently wrote. The poem is about the beginning of recovery and accepting Jesus as my personal Savior. Often people think new beginnings are like rainbows and butterflies, meaning they think life is suddenly going to be perfect or ideal. New beginnings mean the start of a process which is not easy. In order for rainbows and butterflies to be what they are known to be, storms and physical transformations must take place. However, God sees us and rainbows and butterflies as complete works, but we all have to go through a process. The cross stands between the rainbow and butterfly to show that Jesus is central to everything. At the edge of the butterfly is a small semicolon to represent part of my recovery with mental illness and to remind myself as well as others that my story is not over yet!
So I did not get these tattoos to rebel against society or to show off, but I am proud of them and right now, I feel bold enough to show them off. I also happen to have a great tattoo artist who loves the Lord and understands the recovery process.
Below is the link to an article about one woman’s testimony of her tattoo and how God has used it to witness to others.
Reference:
Walker, Jan. Can Christians get tattoos? New Spring Church. https://newspring.cc/articles/can-christians-get-tattoos
