Tattoos


I'm not sure when I realized that tattoos were such a big thing (maybe it was when Max was young and we visited Great Wolf Lodge for a weekend and everyone there seemed to have at least one...), but these days they are everywhere. I think when I was young, sailors and those "on the fringe" were the only ones that had tattoos, but now people use the ink on their bodies to express their thoughts, emotions, and hearts.

And while I can appreciate a good tattoo - I heard someone ask a question the other day that I thought was interesting..."If the words that came out of your mouth were tattooed on your body, would people know you are a Christian?"

Ooops!...In my case, sadly, I am not sure that they would.  

You see I am often quick to mutter a curse when things aren't going my way, or when someone does something that I am not a fan of.  In fact, as I sit here writing this morning the flies are thick and incredibly annoying.  And when one just landed on my face and headed up my nostril, I swore without even thinking about it.  Such responses to lifes little annoyances have become so routine, that I fear they are now ingrained in a way I am not proud of.

Then there are the times that I think and speak unkind words when I am frustrated, agitated or angry by situations or people.

But in Matthew 15:11, Jesus said this, "What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

And Luke 6:45 says, "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

Then finally there is this: "Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble." - Proverbs 21:23 (NLT)

Today, as you open your mouth to speak, consider what those words would tell the world if they were tattooed on your skin.

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