God and Tattoos

I found myself discussing tattoos today with Year 9.

 

They were describing and drawing what they were hoping to have done when they were old enough to commit their ideas to permanent ink. 

 

One girl told me that her Dad had her name tattooed across his wrist.  Whilst the thought of needles being anywhere near my wrists make me feel more than a little faint, I think the idea of his tattoo being a sign of his love and commitment is lovely. 

 

How reassuring to know that your name is written in permanent ink on your father's hands.

 

The Bible tells us that this is true for us: our names are written on the hands of our Heavenly Father:

 

 

         "I’d never forget you—never.
         Look, I’ve written your names on the backs of my hands."

 

         [Isaiah 49:16 MSG]

 

 

The Amplified Bible goes even further to say,

 

"Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands."

 

[Isaiah 49:16 AMP]

 

Indelibly imprinted.  Permanent.  Not just our names, but our images.

 

God knows us individually and personally.  He knows our names.  And He is committed to us. 

 

In the same way that my Year 9's Dad has got her name tattooed on his wrist, as a sign that he is committed to her and will never forget her, so does our heavenly Father have our names tattooed on His hands, as a sign that He is committed to us and will never forget us.

 

Permanently.  Indelibly.  Irrevocably.

 

 

Red Lips

Yesterday, I discovered a red lipstick that I had bought a while ago in the bottom of my make-up bag.


Despite buying it a few months ago, I haven't really worn it much. It is a bold, vibrant colour, which doesn't really call for half measures. Properly applied, it is a glamorous pillar box red, reminiscent of the 1920s. Tentatively applied, it looks like Pat Butcher.


I haven't worn it much because I have always felt it was a bit too obvious and I wasn't sure I wanted to draw that much attention to myself. It calls for boldness and forces me to decide: am I in or out?


In the same way, in Revelation, Jesus wrote to the church at Laodicea, asking them to decide: are you in or out? He criticised them for being "lukewarm", for not being fully committed to Him or His church.

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!"

[Revelation 3:15, 16 NLT]

In the same way that red lipstick is better not applied than applied cautiously, Jesus said it was better for the church at Laodicea to choose one way or another.


Fully committed or not at all.


His challenge is for us too: are we in or out? Will we commit everything we have to Jesus, trusting in Him to meet our needs, or will we only offer Him half-hearted commitment when it suits us and is convenient? If it is the latter, Jesus goes so far as to say that He would rather we didn't bother - He either wants all of us, or none of us.


Jesus, like red lipstick, demands that we choose: either in or out.  All or nothing.