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I had a thought today and decided to share it. Not that having a thought was a unique situation, but anyway... I have a number of friends that have tattooes. Some have a couple that are small and mostly hidden... some have many and in so many places that it is impossible to hide them all (no, I'm not talking about Kelly). I've always thought it was very cool how these friends have a story for their tattooes and they often times use those stories to share the Gospel with other people. The tattooes give them an opportunity to talk with people as they are asked about the tattoo, what it means, why did they get it, etc.
A tattoo is a permanent image, visible to the world. It gives a message to all who see it... maybe telling where that person has been, what is important to them, what they believe, who they love, etc. Sometimes it might be something from the person's past that they are not proud of. Even if that tattoo is no longer a good representation of the person's beliefs and character, it still remains and is visible to all. You might look at someone that has something negative tattooed on their body and immediately take a negative view of them... without ever giving them a chance, you may write them off. The difference here between them and you is that their past can't be hidden. Yours can... at least from man. Most of us can go about our lives and hide our past from everyone else. You don't have to worry about someone looking down on you for something you thought or believed in your past because they may never know! If that negative thing from your past is permanently shown on your body, then you don't have the ability to hide that from others.
How scary it could be if everything from our past was made visible to everyone around us. What if your past (both good and bad) was tattooed on you for the world to see? What if your lifestyle, the way you believe, the way you spend your time and money... what if it all was somehow tattooed on you so everyone could see who you really were?
So, where am I going with this? I'm not speaking against tattooes or encouraging you to try and hide your past failures or problems. As I thought about this, I went a step further. What do people think when they see ME? When someone comes across my path that doesn't know me at all, is there anything about me that would cause them to see Jesus?? When you see someone that you do not know, you immediately get an impression of who they are by the way they dress, their hair style or color, their height and weight, etc. What about the things that really matter though? People should see you and see HIM in you!
"Lord, let the life I live bring glory to You. In all that I do, all that I say, may people see something in and through me that points them to You. May Your Spirit show through me in a visible manner... something that cannot be hidden... something that is real... something that is permanent... just like a tattoo."
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perry meade
