I swore I’d never get a tattoo…

I was one of those girls that always said I’d never get a tattoo.

I loved admiring them on other people and thought it was a unique way for someone to express themselves, but I determined they just weren’t for me.

Some people don’t get tattoos because of their career, but thankfully I don’t have to worry about that as an internet marketer.

Some people don’t think they can bear the pain and are afraid of needles (which I am). But neither of those things were the reason why I didn’t want to get a tattoo.

Another big reason why people don’t get tattoos is that they think it’s a sin. It’s surprising, but so many people have Googled or asked the question “is it a sin to have tattoos?”

Let’s address that real quick…

What Does The Bible Say About Tattoos

Tattoos are a grey area in the Bible. They aren’t specifically talked about because Jesus obviously wasn’t tatted up, but I believe that if done for the right reasons and if they are used for “good” tattoos are not a sin. Let me explain…

People try to back up the claim that tattoos are in fact sinful with the Bible verse Leviticus 19:28 which says “ Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.”

Because tattoos didn’t become a thing until the late 1700 or 1800s, these marks discussed in Leviticus couldn’t have been tattoos. Back in the times of Jesus, in Canaan women used to have tattoos placed on their bodies as a symbol of fertility and that the birthing process would go smoothly.

Also back in the times, the Egyptians and Canaanites used branding, scarring and gashing of the skin as a ritualistic way to grieve the dead and honor their gods. (Found in 1 Kings 18:28). They did not use marking of the skin with ink.

My Opinion On Tattoos

For the above reasons, it seems as though God is saying the verse in Leviticus is referring to these methods that were dishonoring to the Lord. By branding, scarring and gashing your skin as a way to honor other gods, this broke the 1st commandment of serving and worshipping false gods.

I am definitely not a biblical scholar and I’m not trying to force my opinions on you, as everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I LOVE THAT… I just want to put my interpretation of scripture out there.

What Is The Purpose Of A Tattoo?

Tattoos are art, and yes your body is a temple, but my opinion on getting tattoos is if you’re using tattoos to flaunt your body or display pieces of art that are dishonoring to the Lord then I believe they are considered a sin. It’s also true that anything can be considered a sin if it goes against God’s word or is putting something else at a higher priority than God in your life. If your tattoos aren’t dishonoring God, I believe they are okay.

Something I’ve always loved about other people’s tattoos is hearing the stories behind tattoos that had meanings. And yes, I’m that weird annoying and outgoing girl that sees you have a tattoo and asks if there’s a specific meaning behind it.

So Why Didn’t I Want Tattoos?

I couldn’t picture something permanent on my body and I didn’t want to regret my decision and to be honest, I didn’t think anything was important enough for to me to permanently mark my body.

I also didn’t think they’d look good on me. I always pictured myself as a short, wrinkly old lady with faded and stretched out tattoos on my body.

Then… My Mind Was Changed

Somehow the picture in my head of being a wrinkly old lady with faded and stretched tattoos disappeared. I was scrolling through Pinterest one day and came across the cutest tattoo ideas. I started to think about if there was anything so important to me that it would be worth getting a tattoo.

I had moved to a new place I had never been before, not knowing anyone, and God was really stretching me at the time and helping me to learn new things about myself and about Him through this experience.

Suddenly, it hit me. There was finally something important enough to me that I knew I wouldn’t regret marking my body with so I decided I wanted to go against everything I had said before and get a tattoo.

The Story Behind My Tattoo

I had a few design options in mind, and it took me months and a lot of prayer to figure out what I wanted and where I wanted it. I also put a few Instagram polls out there to help me so I want to give a shout out to everyone who gave input and voted, y’all are the best… Anyway, one night I went with my friend to get dinner and we passed a tattoo parlor and after dinner, we went and sat in the parking lot for a good 30 minutes. After sitting there I decided I didn’t want to do it.

The next day I felt weird… Over a tattoo, silly I know. I actually regretted not getting it the night before so I went that day after work to get it and I went by myself.

I’ve always been afraid of needles and not a huge fan of pain or blood so I was super nervous. I couldn’t believe I was actually doing it and doing it by myself.

It surprisingly was very quick. It only took 5 minutes and it didn’t hurt at all. I can’t describe the feeling but it was kind of like little bee stings without the sting part. It’s a hard feeling to describe, but if you know, you know.

They even put this clear plastic film-like bandage over it to help it heal. It kind of reminded me of cling wrap. But it’s called saniderm.

I didn’t have to clean my tattoo because it was a special bandage to help tattoos heal. It was supposed to stay on much longer than it did and I should’ve bought more of it on Amazon, but I didn’t think of it. If you’re planning on getting a tattoo, definitely buy saniderm. Everyone says it’s a game changer, it gets amazing reviews, and I had a really good experience with it. My tattoo healed perfectly.

Grace Upon Grace

I chose the phrase “Grace Upon Grace” and got it on the side of my arm, which is such a good placement in my opinion.

The reason why I chose this saying is because it’s an amazing reminder of how God gives us grace every single day despite the mistakes we make and our human instinctive and sinful behavior.

Not only is a great reminder that reflects my relationship with my Heavenly Father, but it’s also a great reminder for me to extend that same grace from God to everyone I come in contact with on Earth.

No matter what circumstance I find myself in, no matter how other’s treat me, God has called me to show them who He is. I’ll admit, sometimes because of human nature and feelings of sadness, hurt, or anger, I don’t have grace for other people but I pray for God to give me His grace every day so that others may come to know and have a relationship with Him through me despite my selfish feelings and desires.

Think about it… Do you ever find yourself getting irritated or upset when your roommates, spouse, or other family members don’t replace the empty toilet paper roll, leave dirty towels on the floor instead of putting them in the hamper, or even not folding the tea towel in the kitchen and hanging it back where it belongs.

It’s silly things like this but I’ve found myself getting irritated by these little things and then saying things under my breath like, “Why can’t {insert name here} learn how to just do things the right way and not be lazy.”

When you find yourself responding this way it’s not extending grace to others and can allow you to become bitter toward others for practically no reason. I’ve also learned that with this you never know what kind of day someone’s had or what someone’s gone through so they last thing they might want to hear is you getting upset or nagging them to do something. Just take the 2 seconds it takes to put the towels or dirty clothes in the hamper and extend grace to the other person.

Believe me. I know it’s easier said than done, especially when someone continues to repeatedly do these things but don’t allow the little things to steal your joy and your grace and ask yourself, “Is it really worth it to get upset over this?”

Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes I am on the other side of this and am the person that leaves a towel on the floor or something lay… My mom definitely has gotten upset with me and can tell you many times I’ve left things lay or that my room has been messy. I’m not perfect and am not claiming to be but it’s a daily choice you have to constantly give grace and show love to others in EVERYTHING you do.

A Word Of Encouragement & My Challenge To You…

Choose grace and choose love every day.

Do things for other people that you don’t want to do, even if it irritates you.

Jesus didn’t want to die on the cross and endure all the pain he did, but he extended grace to all of us so that our chains would be broken and we would experience living life with Jesus.

If you’ve read this far, thank you so much for listening to me blab about things I’ve learned and that I’ve experienced and my thoughts on important things. Feel free to leave a comment with your tattoo story/meaning or how you’ve dealt with similar experiences in your life, encouragement or your thoughts on anything really.

Also, as a side note… to care for your tattoo and to make sure your tattoo heals, check out this list of products I’ve used. Everything from saniderm to witch hazel, Aquaphor and tattoo salve these are the products I’ve found to work best. But it all depends on your skin, so try them out and see if they work for you too!

xoxo,