The other day I was on a bus when I sat next to a man of about 50 years of age. He had some sort of black symbol that was pretty faded, and you could tell it was an old tattoo. I tried to make out what his tattoo meant but I just couldn’t. I looked at my right forearm where I had just gotten a tattoo not even 3 months ago. I noticed it was clean, crisp, and you can make out what it means right away. Then I thought about the tattoo I got a year ago on my back. I remember looking in the mirror, thinking it’s starting to fade, and thinking when I get home I should get it touched up. Then it hit me. Tattoos are like salvation. If you don’t know what salvation is, it means the redemption of your life brought back by God (my definition). Think about it like a parable.
A man wanting to get a tattoo goes to the tattoo artist. The man asked the artist for a beautiful, brilliant tattoo to declare where he finds his identity. The artist then gives it to him and they are both happy about what was done. As time goes on the man realizes his tattoo is now fading away and, like a good man, he goes back to the artist and asks for it to be touched up. They are both happy with the tattoo because it is fresh and visible again. Time goes on again and the man notices the tattoo is fading, but this time he does not go to the artist for a touch up. Instead he forgets about the tattoo and carries on with his life. People are now confused by the blurry ink on him, and the man starts to forget what the tattoo meant. The man was saddened and is hesitant about going back to the artist because he denied him in the past and thinks the artist will reject him. One day their paths cross again and the artist welcomes the man with open arms and invites him back to the tattoo shop. The man asks the artist, “Aren’t you mad that I denied coming to you and then forgot about the ink you gave me?” The artist then says, “I am not mad. I missed you and I would love to work on the tattoo I gave you once again; you just have to accept me once again.” The man was humbled and is so thankful. The tattoo artist rejoices that one of his creations will be worked on once again and made to look beautiful.
See, we are the man (no matter what gender, just want to make that clear) and God is the artist. We ask him to accept us and he gives us grace and gives us salvation. As time goes on it starts to fade because we slowly disconnect with God because of sin. But as soon as we go to the father again he can make us new and beautiful. You may never lose your salvation because Jesus paid it all with the ultimate sacrifice of himself. Tattoos, despite laser removal surgery, which is the persons choice and relates to blasphemy in some way I’m assuming, you will never lose the tattoo. You wanted to receive the “tattoo” and the “artist” was willing to give it to you. You now have that mark that signifies that of the creator and it will never go away. The second part of that parable is when the man is gone for a while. That represents how we can go a long time without renewing our faith, but our lives just start to get boring and we lose track of who we really are. We often forget that no matter how long we are gone from God, he will accept us back at any stage in life no matter where we are and when we accept his gift. Once again he rejoices and we are once again dependent on God for the renewing of us.
To some of you, it might seem like a stretch and I realize that, but know that God wants us all of the time and desires for us to constantly seek after him. That’s all he wants from us. To keep getting that tattoo touched up by Him and for both of us to be happy by it. I hope you guys have enjoyed this blog and if you are confused by it at all, please message me with your question/something I could fix about this blog. Keep getting your “tattoos” and enjoy the work the “artist” has made. Keep striving for the artist to “touch up” the tattoos.
