My Two Cents Worth
My Two Cents Worth - By Corina Ash
This is by no means meant to DICTATE to Christians, how they are to think. These are just my thoughts on a couple of different topics; As God has lead my convictions. Each person should carefully examine where God is leading you on this, through prayer and meditation.
Piercings & Tattooing:
It’s dangerous to
attempt to tackle such a topic without "reading between the lines" of ones
actions...
Does God’s WORD endorse Body Piercings,
and Tattoos?
Well, the first thing that comes to
mind is: God looks on the heart, and not outside appearances. Therefor, what we
really need to be asking our self is:
WHY do we want to pierce our body,
or tattoo it? What’s Our Motive? Is it God Centered, or SELF
centered?
"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward
a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." Jeremiah
17:10 (NIV)
Most reasoning is because it’s a trend...Everyone is
doing it...It looks cool...I like how it makes other’s react... Now read in
between the lines of these statements:(the interpretation "might" follow this
logic:)
"I" would be accepted by my friends
better...
"I" would be respected by others
It would make
"ME" look better ( = VANITY) or make "ME" feel more important (simply
because it sparkes a reaction from people.)
Now, do you see any mention of
God here? Probably not.
Personally, I don’t feel that the Bible is a
screaming endorsement for Body Piercing, or tattooing. Does that give me the
right to condemn somebody because they do it? Ofcourse not. All I can share with
you is my own personal conviction regarding it.
Here’s some food for
thought, if you’re a Christian (or any person really!) who actually wants to
know God’s input on this:
'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put
tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.’ Leviticus 19:28 (NIV) -----
cutting, tattooing the body has it’s origins in withcraft. So obviously, it
wasn’t a show of devotion for the Lord. If you wanted to take it a step further,
all of us are considered "dead in our sin" so if our underlying motives for
piercing/tattooing is SELF - than that’s not a good reason either!
Do
you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom
you have received from God?
You are not your own. 1 Corinthians 6:19
(NIV) ---- okay, so I guess we can’t use the excuse that: "It’s my body - I’ll
do as I please!"
If you read a little further on, namely verse 20 of that
very same chapter it states:
you were bought at a price.
Therefore honor
God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6: 20 (NIV) If you’re
piercing/tattooing your body, how is that honoring God?
Don't you know
that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If
anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred,
and you are that temple. 1 Corinthians 3:16,17 (NIV)
Okay, so just
to conclude:
What are your "motives" (reasons) for wanting to get
pierced/tattooed?
Have you really stopped to really "consider" what God
would want you to do?
After reading scripture, and praying - do you feel
as if you’re fulfilling God’s will, in whatever decision you make?
Are
you prepared to live with the consequences of your actions/decisions? God will
hold each of us accountable (present company included!)
IT’s irrelevant
what I think...(or you, or your friends!!!)
"It’s about God!" That’s
the bottom line.
Since June 4th, 2005
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