To Tattoo or Not to Tattoo - How to Make Godly Decisions in Life

Chief Joy Activator
Sep 1
10 min read

Updated: Sep 1

I got so excited as I concluded the coaching session with a dear sister. During our conversation, a word dropped in my heart that resonated with every bit of my heart transformation journey. I wanted to put that word somewhere that I would always see and be reminded of my good God.

The thought was "Kate, you turn another age in a few weeks. You are growing. How about you do something daring?" Immediately, another thought came to mind that got me even more excited "remember the tattoo you and your hubby almost got in Australia in 2019? How about that for "something daring""?

As I was smiling, thinking and getting quite excited about the possibility of having this word tattooed on my skin, my alarm went off, time to pick up my kids from school. On the way I dialed up a friend and giggly shared my "something daring" with her. We had a good laugh. She actually didn't believe that I would go through with it. She went as far in her conviction as to dare me, noting that "I gotta be there to see this with my own eyes." We ended the phone call with me informing her that I would seek the Lord's direction for ME, not anyone else but ME, concerning this tattoo.

After all the excitement, dreaming up the possibility of getting this tattoo and proving to my friend that I could do it, one lingering thought laid before me; "will you do it, Kate?" Since I knew to seek God's direction first, I started my research. The more I read Christian articles, the more I felt unsettled in my spirit. There is no clear definite answer. No right or wrong answer. Just a lot of

Opinions
Perspectives
Misinterpretation of scripture
Vague reconciliation of Scriptures in Leviticus and the New Testament
Objective views that seemed so religious

I needed truth revealed by the Holy Spirit. Which meant, going to the Word and searching the scriptures for myself, sensing what the Holy Spirit was going to do through the Scripture that most spoke to me. Again, this decision was about my journey with the Lord bearing in mind the weight of my calling into the Five Fold Ministry as a Teacher. There is a 'weight' "we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" James 3:1

Therefore, a spirit-altering decision such as this required my utmost diligence and discernment through the Holy Spirit. The decision was now about working out my salvation with fear and trembling. The decision was about hearing God for myself (bearing in mind His call and assignment. It hasn't been an easy journey - the fleshly desire to have this word on me, the excitement in my heart when I think about it, the "what ifs and but" thoughts that traveled in my mental spaces etc. You may think this is a straight forward decision but its not.

"I have friends and dear sisters who rock their tattoos so beautifully Lord, so why am I having this struggle to make a decision?" I wrestled with such innermost thoughts as I quietly felt the "unfairness". But the Holy Spirit would always, gently nudge my heart back to these questions:

What is and has been your journey with the Lord?
What is His call and assignment for you in His Kingdom?
Was this decision for your own interest or the interest of others?
What would be the benefit and who would it benefit?
What fruit was this decision going to produce in His Kingdom?

These questions arose from 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 "I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others." I did not want to take the Scripture out of context so I started from verse 1.

Apostle Paul addresses the Church of Corinth about the "Believer's Freedom". Freedom from works-based righteousness i.e., thinking we can work our way into heaven. Rather just as he shared with the Galatians, our freedom in Christ is not about being bound to a yoke of slavery or indulging in our sinful nature, passions and desires; rather, we focus on serving one another in love [Galatians 5:1, 13].

Before Apostle Paul made such bold statement in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, he reminded the Corinthians about Israel's history - their idolatry, immorality, and relationship with God. He then cautions the church about being careful of pride and temptations that will come our way. He says all this before making the bold statement that essentially, all things are permissible, we have the right to do anything; but, three things to carefully discern:

Is it beneficial?
- Strong's Concordance defines "benefit" as usefulness, advantageous, profit. So a thoughtful question is to whose benefit is the choice or decision being made. Another questions would be is the choice or decision useful, purposeful? Scriptures such as Psalm 100:3 "Know that the LORD is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture," and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 affirm this by explaining that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and that we were "bought at a price," meaning we do not belong to ourselves but to God. Making a decision to get a tattoo or not is one of many decisions. You may be in the midst of making financial decisions, relationship decisions, career decisions, health decisions, even food and well-being decisions. If we belong to Christ, and we are not our own, how does this truth now inform your decision that need to make?
Is it constructive?
- Constructive means serving a useful purpose, building up, edifying. So some thoughtful questions here would include: will this decision or choice build the body of Christ? Will this decision or choice build me up spiritually? Will this decision or choice edify my spirit, soul, body? Will this decision or choice be part of a good foundational system upon which other godly beliefs can be constructed or built? The team at Got Questions provide an in depth explanation of the Christian's edification: "The word used for “edification” in the New Testament is oikodomé, which translates literally as “the building of a house. Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:12 and repeatedly in 1 Corinthians 14:1-26 that edification is one of the reasons that spiritual gifts are given to believers. In 2 Corinthians, Paul states no fewer than three times that the “building up” of the church is the reason for his apostolic authority (10:8, 12:19, and 13:10). Paul’s goal was to edify. In 1 Corinthians 10:23 and Ephesians 4:16, he states that the church must work to edify itself for the overall health of each member. Finally, each of us is commanded to engage in edification (Romans 14:19; 15:2; Ephesians 4:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:11)." Christianity is to be practiced in community. The church is about community. God's creation is about connection and relating, not isolating and individuality.
Does it take into account the good of self or others?
- Apostle Paul adds to 1 Corinthians 10:23, verse 24 which now points the believer's heart away from self and toward others. No one should seek their own good but the good of others. Some decisions require careful analysis and thought, seeking wise counsel. Others do not such as the meal you will eat, dress you will wear, your bed time etc. Your decisions in these daily life habits must edify and build up your temple in Christ. This means, food choices are carefully considered to maintain a healthy temple. So, while certain life decisions may seem simple, they really aren't. Decisions and choices eventually become patterns, habits, behaviors and core beliefs we live by. Seeking the good of others in our decision making can be extremely tough. Actually, it is!!! Again thoughts such as "I want what I want. I am a grown adult and I can do what I want." Yes, you are but is it for another person's good or your own selfish, personal good - feel good, look good? I have wrestled with these thoughts!!!

I paused after receiving these questions and meditating on them as per a myriad of scriptures. Soon, I realized how foolish I've been with some of my life choices and decisions. Thankfully, God has helped me sort through the feelings of "regret, guilt, and shame". Reading this Scripture and gaining insights from the Holy Spirit now, has humbled me. Many decisions in my life, were truly motivated by pride, self, and personal interests. Christianity is hard, y'all! we want what we want and, here is the Authority in our life speaking, our Lord is speaking, do we heed to His voice or not?

Christianity is hard!!! But it is not hard when you walk by faith and not by sight. When you are fully equipped with the Holy Spirit who helps us in our weakness. When we have an eternal mindset instead of a temporal mindset. eternal mindset knows, believes, and embraces eternity in Christ [you know where your soul is going] while temporary mindset lives for the passions, desires, and pleasures of the world. The eternal mindset firmly rooted and grounded in Christ embraces suffering and enduring for a little while; whereas the temporary mindset lives in denial about suffering and refuses t accept the truth about enduring in Christ. When you shift from a temporary to an eternal mindset, your joy of the Lord will abound when you have to wisely give up pleasures, passions and desires that will not serve or edify you and the body of Christ.

If you are reading these questions and you already have a tattoo, please do not feel bad, ashamed or some type of way. Ok, honestly, you might feel some type of way, you might even feel an offense, guilt, shame... I want you to remember and go back to the first and second questions: "What is and has been my journey with the Lord? What is His call and assignment for me in His Kingdom?." Your journey with the Lord is and has been unique. You workout your salvation, I'm working out my salvation, we are all on the sanctification journey. Be reminded of 1 Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways."

Our sanctification is a journey and as we mature in Christ, and we gain knowledge, insights, understanding, and wisdom from Him, we give up, we put away childish ways and we do better. In other words, we renew our minds, repent [turn away from our unproductive sinful ways], use the mind of Christ and always be like a little child willing and ready to receive from Jesus. There is no condemnation or shame as far as Jesus is concerned. You may analyze these questions today and sense something from the Holy Spirit. Its an opportunity, an invitation to converse and commune with Him.

The next time you have a life altering decision to make, consider these truths. A spiritual mentor I have admired for years Dr. Myles Munroe [may he rest in peace], poignantly mentioned in one of his teachings that we must consider the consequences before we decide. Not just logically or critically decide, biblically, with God as your Authority, make a wise decision bearing in mind the consequences for your spirit, soul, and body.

So then, what was my decision? Did I get or will I get the tattoo for my 42nd birthday? Well, "I do want the tattoo so bad, I want it so bad." The desire is still in my heart, but, and it is an enormous 'but' [no pun intended], Galatias 5:24-25 tells us this truth "those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

Sin: an immoral act that goes against God's divine law and separates a believer from God's holy presence of God [not from the love of God]. The tattoo itself is not a sin, the sin is the motives, the intentions of the heart and the symbolism of the tattoo. Will it become a symbol of idolatry? Romans 14:23, "For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." If there is something you desire or want and you are confused, questioning whether it is right or wrong, as a Christian, you may want to delay activating a strong thought as your final decision and ask whether the choice or decision is from a faith posture.

Yes, Psalm 37:4 tells us to "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." To take delight in the Lord means to have full enjoyment of God - His nature, His Person, His Being. You make God number one above any and all. I have matured in my understanding that, the more I love the Lord, serve and honor Him, the less I desire things for myself. The less time and energy I spend dwelling and focusing on the desire, and instead, think about the reasons why God has invited me into a beautiful relationship covenant, the easier it gets to give up such desires. Try this thinking pattern if you have self motivated desires you'd like to give up.

Do I still want a tattoo? Yes.

Is it still a strong desire? No.

Getting the tattoo will produce neither internal fruit - Fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control nor external fruit - success, recognition, growth... Knowing that the internal fruit is where the true riches lie. Getting the tattoo will not advance God's Kingdom in anyway. Some desires have wrong motives at the root, and we must be humble enough to ask God to crucify [remember the cost of the Cross and its symbolism] our passions, desires, and wants that are selfish, not beneficial and constructive.