I was with a small group of ladies the other day and while we were sharing our hearts with one another, I heard the Lord say, “I want to remove tattoos.” Now I realize the title of this blog is going to cause some to think I am about to pull some random verse out of Leviticus and talk about how we are not to mark our body with ink. Or others may be thinking I am going to say having a tattoo is wrong. Actually, that is not at all what I believe the Lord is talking about. So, if you will follow me for a few minutes, I believe you will hear a word of life and redemption.
As people we have all experienced things in our life that has brought us pain. I tell people, everyone has a bruised soul, it is part of being human. So, there is no shame, because we all have things that have bruised our souls, and we all have the opportunity to be healed by the Lord in this area, if we are willing to open our heart to Him and let Him heal us.
Jesus says in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”
The challenge most of us face is the reality that the pain, the sin, the situation has become a tattoo on our soul. A tattoo is a constant reminder of what happened to us. For each person that tattoo may look different, but every person knows what that tattoo reminds them of.
In the natural people have tattoos on their bodies to remind them of some event or experience in their lives, whether positive or negative. Tattoos are a reminder; they are a statement. I believe the Lord is wanting us to give Him permission to remove the tattoos on our souls that remind us of the pain that was inflicted on us.
One of the things hidden in the tattoo is unforgiveness. It is not obvious, because it is a scheme of the enemy to keep you in pain. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 says, “Whomever you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if I forgave someone anything, for your sakes I forgave it in Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us. For we are not ignorant of his devices.” When the Lord removes the tattoo of that memory, the unforgiveness will be revealed and healed.
Another thing hidden behind the tattoo is pride. The tattoo reminds us of an experience that happened to us, so we do not let anyone ever do that to us again. Anger is the anesthesia that numbs the pain, and becomes a breeding ground for pride. Pride in one of its forms, is self-protection, and once the tattoo is removed, the Lord will become your Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, a well-proven help in trouble.”
The Lord is inviting us to let Him remove the tattoos on our souls, not to expose us, but to heal us. Kris Vallaton of Bethel Church in Redding, California, said, “There is nothing God cannot redeem, no matter how messy!” I believe, along with many other leaders in the body of Christ, that this is the year of restoration and wholeness. To be restored, to become whole, God needs to remove some tattoos in your life. Are you willing to accept the invitation of God for tattoo removal?
Lisa Great, author of Divine Principles of Success, pastored a church in Malaysia. She is a minister and blogger at Mouthpiece Ministries.
