Invisible Tattoos

Curious title for this post. 

I was in Starbucks recently using a gift card from the SavingStar app. I got a grande dark roast brewed coffee with almond milk, vanilla powder, and nutmeg powder (my usual order). 

Whilst sitting in the café, I was on a conference call with my team at work. My ears were dedicated to the call but my eyes were roaming around taking in the sights. 

There was a couple who was waiting for their order, mid-twenties and tattooed. The guy had a word in Old English font, vertically positioned from his wrist up to his elbow. Since his fingers were pointed toward the ground, it was upside down. Without straining and tipping my head (and looking obvious), I used my best deduction to decipher the letters. 

It came clearer as a few moments passed. 

Suddenly, it became clear: D - I - R - T - Y.

My first impression was that it seemed to match. He was unshaven, wearing a stained t-shirt and sneakers with the laces untied and untucked. Then I looked closer.

It struck me in that moment how I feel that way sometimes. Dirty. I may not have a tattoo that says it outright to the world. My actions and reactions do the talking for me and are louder than any tattoo.

How about you? Does your past make you feel dirty? Even if you've been saved and set apart by Jesus?

According to 1 John 1:7, the blood of Jesus washes away sin. Isaiah 1:18 tells us that we will become white as snow even though are sins have made us like scarlet.

We may know this in our head and may have even publicly declared this from our own mouths. Has it sunk in to a point that we embraced this truth?

You are not dirty to the core. You are God's masterpiece and may have gotten dirty along the way. In love and mercy, God washes us white as snow and takes away all the filth forever.

Dear friend, ask the Lord to give you a new tattoo and remove the dirty tattoo.