"Soul Tattoo"

When I was a youngin', boy bands were where it was at. Just as the "Justin (Beaver?) phenomenon" overtakes millions of youths today, back in the day you either listened to N'sync or the Backstreet Boys. Especially we children of the 90's. (I was a Backstreet Boys girl, by the way).
Of course, Contemporary Christian music was basically in it's second decade of life at the time and Christian artists did not fight the ebb and flow of the music industry trends- they followed faithfully the demands of the people. Hencewhy a band by the name of Plus One existed. Plus One was as "fruity" (as my dad would say) as they come. I really hated their music and I always thought the lyrics were fluffy...still don't like them...probably never will. But that is beside the point. The point is, they had a song called "Soul Tattoo." As a young kid, I tried to figure out what that really meant. I knew that you should write God's Word on your heart, that is to hide it. I knew that God was the biggest part of who you are and that He would never leave you. I knew what a tattoo was, too...Permanent.
Little did I know that God would allow me to remember these tender, childlike thoughts to form my understanding of Who He is and who I am in Him. . .

Now that I HAVE a tattoo, I have some schema about the whole subject. Not to say I am an expert just because I have one, but now I can relate a real tattoo on my body to this thing labeled "Soul Tattoo." I chose on of the most painful spots to get a tattoo, my bony, little wrist.
What I know about tattoos now:
-They HURT.
-They are self-inflicted; That is, I CHOSE it.
-They scab over.
-You have to protect it and take care of it in the early stages.
-It can become irritating (itchy!).
-The scabby top layer starts to peel away and flake off to reveal the actuall ink under your skin.
-People can see it on you and ASK about it a lot! ("No, ma'am, I am not Jewish.")
-There's a story behind it. 
-Finally, it becomes a part of your identity, part of your earthly body so long as you live.

So in trying to answer this life long question for myself, "What IS a soul tattoo," I have discovered some similarities between the Christian life and a tattoo.

We humans are a stubborn bunch. I don't think I have to elaborate too much on how we make the same mistakes repeatedly and then complain about the consequences of our decisions. In my dad's words of wisdom, "We're all jacked up." However, when we sin, fall short, and/or deliberately forsake our Father's commandments, it HURTS. The pain stings and your first instinct is to pull away and run from the pain. Just like I wanted desperately to yank my hand away from the tattoo artist, when I fall I desperately want to run and hide from my Father Whom I have disobeyed. It hurts me to the core to be in that position. Every bit of it stings and is uncomfortable.
Similarly, I CHOOSE my paths, I make my decisions, I pick sin. I chose my tattoo, I chose the place, and I picked the style. I WANTED it. That's key. No one forced me to get a tattoo just as no one forces me to sin; It's all inward.
Shortly after you get a tattoo, it starts to scab over. Kinda nasty, but the effects are there. It sort of swells up and the places where the needle touched your skin get all raised. The surface isn't smooth by any means- just like a scab. Just like sin, even when the deed is done and you move on the effects linger. It takes a while to get that smooth skin back. 
You can put lotion or ointment on your tattoo to protect it in this stage. It helps of course, however, it is still a scab! It doesn't FIX anything. It just sort of protects what's left. Just as you can put forth extra effort to turn from sin and battle it with the Word, once you're in it is hard to get out and  progress towards discipline is slow. You're still vulnerable.
It's irritating! It's itchy but you cannot scratch it! Just like the sins that we so easily commit capture our thoughts with temptations, poking and prodding at us relentlessly! But you have to use discipline and self control to RESIST. (James 4:7-8)
Soon, the scabby part starts to slowly flake off little by little. This is a good thing! Because underneath lies your real tattoo, what you'll really be looking at the rest of your life. The part that is truly embedded into your flesh. Likewise, that sin you committed and turned from, working to battle it daily with the Word, starts to form lasting effects in you. The sins starts to fall off of your person little by little. You become less and less characterized by sin as you battle it with intentional righteousness. Over time, what you learned from your mistakes, God's direction, and His Word will reveal in you hints of true godly character.
Your godly character produced by this perseverance is noticeable. Just as people will be attracted to, curious, and inquisitive about a tattoo, they will be equally interested in your godliness. Whether it gets a negative or a positive reaction, you can now USE it for God's glory. Telling them the story behind it and giving them something to relate to in order to glorify God and hoping to draw others nearer to Him. Be a light! Shine bright in the darkness! Use the lessons you've learned to bring God glory!
The lessons you learn through mistakes along with God's discipline and implementation of His Word become a PART of you. They form your identity slowly over time and bring you closer to Him. I'm not saying that sin is a tattoo, I am saying that sin should be learned from, because as much as it IS a part of our flesh, God has taken it away from our SPIRITS, making us clean before Him! Sin will never show up on our souls in the presence of our Father; But the effects of the lessons learn, the Word memorized, utilized, and applied WILL! How AMAZING! Our faults and sins are like the scab part of the tattoo that remain temporarily and then, what's left is what's imprinted on our souls! 

...Soul Tattoo.

What's written on my soul? What's written on yours? Does sin infiltrate who you are? Are you composed of fleshly intentions....or do you live for a higher cause? How will your decisions on this earth stand before the throne of God? Will you have crowns to cast before Him...or will you be leaving those crowns on earth only to be left on your grave?

I would like to think a soul tattoo is a person's defining factor beneath their flesh. If that's the case, I want mine to be godliness. I want mine to be an unwavering passion for God's glory. And if souls DO have tattoos, I want SLEEVES!