My Take on Tattoos

Why I Would Be Tattooed – And Why I Wouldn’t

I know I enter a divisive and emotive arena when I write about tattoos.

This has been an on/off discussion within my family for decades. Its popularity within our current age, Christian or not, tattooing seems to be at new heights.  So I’ve written why I possibly could be drawn towards getting a tattoo and why I wouldn’t. This is not from a Biblical point of view either.

This is not about you. This is about me. I won’t judge you for being tattooed. Don’t judge me for not.

In Favour Of…

1. I would get a tattoo (if I wanted to follow the crowd) because it’s cool, hip and in at the moment. Everyone is doing it. I should too.
2. I would possibly consider a tattoo if a massive life-impacting event happened that drove me to want to note the irreversible date permanently on my body.
3. If I had a terrible accident and had awful scars, I may get a tattoo to camouflage the scarring.

Against….

1. Even though it is in vogue at the moment, tattoos detract from the beauty of natural skin.  While everyone is doing it, I prefer my skin unflawed.

2. In reading through Wikipedia history of tattooing, their origins were multiple. They pertained to cultural paganism, slavery, barbarism, they were a form of punishment, accomplishment, rank, health, magic, prostitution & a means of marking criminals. They were hugely painful, risked dire infection & often resulted in death.

3. The movement of time. Things change. What is important to me today will not be so hugely important in 10 or 15 years time. Life has a way of moving on. Intense emotional pain lessens with the passing of time. There have been many life-changing events in my life, the perspective of which has only come after time has passed. Those dates need not be engraved on my skin. They are engraved in my heart.

4. The fickleness of us. We change. Our likes and dislikes change. When we are young, our preferences cannot compare to when we are 25 and we have radically different ideas when we are 45. Tattoos are permanent. You just don’t know how you are going to feel about the ink in 10 years time.

I think I would only seriously consider being tattooed if I had terrible scarring and really wanted to cover it. The tattoo would have to look better than the scar.

The frailty and flaws of being human lead me to have regrets in my life. Stupid mistakes that I should never have made. I was impulsive and nearly slipped and fell, but for God’s grace, here go I.

Because I am flawed, I know that for me, a tattoo will not be a good thing. I know I will regret it.

Andy Stanley:
* Do nothing to harm yourself.
* Do nothing to harm others.
* Do not let anything master you.

1 Corinthians 6:12

“I have the right to do anything,” you say–but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”–but I will not be mastered by anything.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you!

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂