May 6, 2009
Do you regret your tattoo?
Along with millions of others, you may well have stamped yourself in the last decade or so.
Is your tattoo still awesome?
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I wanted a tattoo after college (13 years ago…am I really that old!) Anyway, the best advice I got was to wait till I was married because one day my body would be my husbands. Thankfully, I took that advice because my husband strongly dislikes tattoos!
So no tattoo regreting here!
Considering I got mine just a couple of months ago, I say yes. We’ll see if that answer changes in twenty years or so, though.
No regrets, not one.
And I’ve got some pretty sketchy ones to be honest (my sketchiest may be the skeleton bat perched on top of the earth that I got tattooed on my shin in my Bible College dorm room), but they all make for great stories.
Just two weeks ago however I had a tattoo appointment and I ended up changing the design at the last minute for the sake of my wife (1st Corinthians 7:4). The plan was to get a lamb with it’s throat slit, but I went with plan b, which is a burning bush.
Are you planning on getting something Abraham? I say go for it!
I got mine when I was 21. I still think it’s great and I don’t regret it getting it, except for this:
I would love to do missions work in some hard Muslim country and I wonder if having a blatant Christian symbol visible to all would be an unnecessary hindrance?
I was just thinking…again…about getting a tattoo. I’m scared as soon as they’re done I’ll decide I hate it and it’s ugly. I may be too indecisive for tattoos.
I do not regret getting my tattoo. I just got it a few months ago.
Not a single regret for any of my tattoos, but I’ve also wrestled with the question nick posted.
I don’t regret my tattoo at all.
I don’t still think it’s “awesome”, but I still like it.
In fact, I’d like to get another tattoo, but my wife won’t let me. She quite dislikes tattoos (I got my tattoo almost 11 years ago, before I even met my wife)
You bet I do! I got a heart with my then husband’s name in it. I am now remarried. My DH now calls it my boo boo.
have had mine for the better part of 12 years … not the most beautiful thing, but meaningful (a birthday gift from the missus) … still love it … still planning my full back piece … will turn 40 in October, so it’s either not an age thing, or i’m really immature
I don’t necessarily regret getting my tattoo, since it was my own artwork; a pair of dragons ready to snap at each others tails but with their wings interlocked. It’s the source of my nickname, “TwoDragons”…after almost ten years, I forget it’s even there until someone calls my attention to it or I see my back in a mirror. But if I had waited until I became a Christian, I would never have gotten it. I would rather the money have been invested in Kingdom work, not my wretched skin.
–Denita
dude, yeah, it’s still AWESOME. (the stoner intonation was purposeful … i love to mock myself!)
but seriously, i got mine 5 years ago, when i was 19, and i’ve never regretted it. then again, it’s not hard to cover up if i need to for a interview or something, although it is pretty large. ankle placement was a good decision, as were the words of Jesus :)
and it’s made a good conversation starter–more than a few times over–with people who otherwise might not really care to hear about Jesus.
No regrets, but I’m glad I followed my rule, which was that I couldn’t get one until I had received my gallon pin for blood donation. Considering the difficulties I have with blood donation (low iron, bad veins, etc.) that put an automatic waiting period of about three years.
I’ve thought about it, but I have trouble picturing anything I would want on my body for the rest of my life.
No regrets..
ooh, i like this question! i’m neutral towards tattoos, don’t have one, and have never wanted one, but i always wondered if those “tons of people who regret their tattoos when they’re old” exist or not.
I got mine when I was 18. Looking back- It’s not so much the tattoo that I regret as the amount of money I spent. I could have used it for something better… maybe something that would benefit the kingdom.
The tattoo I wanted to gets was, and still is, completely awesome.
The fact that I never got it is even better.
I think my tatts are still cool. I got my first one in 2004 and my latest in 2007. I’m not sure if I’m getting more or not. Maybe so. Maybe not…
I have had mine for over 15 yrs. The only thing I regret is having it on my stomach/hip. After six pregnancies, it has kind of stretched out. :-)
i don’t regret it. my wife and i got tattoos after having kids. mine have a specific purpose being that each child has a word that i pray over that child’s life. example, i have ‘truth’ on the inside of my wrist reminding me to pray that my eldest son would be a man of truth, who lives by the truth and teaches others the truth through his life. now i am on staff at a church and it’s definitely a conversation starter, but hey they hired me anyway.
I am so glad you asked.. I am planning to get one when my current pregnancy is over. I will be 32 by then and have thought about it for several years, only deciding on the final concept in the last 6-7 months, having seen someone else who did something similar.
I don’t intend to regret it. :)
Among others that I don’t regret at all and planned to enjoy for the rest of my life, I got some blatant typos tattooed on my HANDS of all places.
My advice is that if you are 18 and in Thailand without your parents, get all of your inking done in English as opposed to a language you nor the Thais know nothing about, i.e. Gaelic.
I don’t regret the two tattoos that I got in the Navy, prior to getting saved. They are what they are and what’s done is done. I suppose they tell a bit of a story about me and my youth, for whatever that’s worth.
They most certainly are no longer awesome, however. Particularly because they no longer represent who I am and what I value. They’re nothing more now than visual echos of a younger me.
To tell the thruth, I don’t think I’d really enjoy a conversation with a younger me.
i’ve had mine for almost 3 years. it’s some hebrew on my wrist easily covered by a watch. a birthday present from my wife (then fiancee). i do not regret it, and i would love more.
however, am i wrestling with spending/wasting 3 or 4 hundred bucks on some ink that might serve as a conversation starter, but will probably have been better used by going toward missions or another kingdom cause.
I was thinking of getting a Tattoo and decided against it – I do not regret not getting one : )
i’ve wanted to get one on the side of my neck for a while now. something like a skull or Jesus’ face or the Tazmanian Devil cartoon (my wife is not into it though)
if this post were 10 years in the future then I may regret it
I got a rose on my abdomen when I was 19. It has strong meaning for me – it’s my grandmother’s name, the meaning of my name as well as the flower for my birth month. I almost had it drawn by my bf at the time – and I am ever so thankful that I didn’t – since we broke up soon after. That is my advice to people looking to get a tattoo – wait till you’re sure! Think about it for 3-6 months and then make the decision.
I got married 3 years later and to this day, my husband adores it… though he himself is ‘allergic to needles’ and still can’t figure out why I would put myself in pain on purpose.
I wasn’t ever 100% for sure about getting a tat and since I knew they lasted a lifetime, I decided I should just pass.
As far as Jonathan goes, do you see the kind of things I have to deal with? :)
I’m about halfway to regret. OK, fine, more than halfway; my preschooler recently asked for a flower on his ankle too.
I might be too old fashion! I hate tattoo and needles. I am so thankful that I don’t have any tattoo. Also, I am thankful that I don’t have to look at it and be reminded that I had that done and regret what I have done such as Romans 7:15-25.
I wouldn’t encourage anyone to get one at all. I would encourage them not to get it.
BoldLion for Christ!
‘Guerite ~ BoldLion
I have gotten two tattoos in the last five years, and to be perfectly honest, I could do without both of them. It’s not so much a matter of regret as inconvenience. I was in college when I got them, and my career path at the time was something that I didn’t foresee being affected by tattoos. Now, in addition to feeling “underdressed” every time one of my tattoos shows at work, I am facing another issue with them: my fiance is not a fan. And with the field of work HE is in, I need to be able to be even MORE professional and formal as his WIFE than in my own job. Kind of frustrating. For me, though, the bottom line is that I did it, they’re there, and I’m still me.
I once considered getting the Hebrew word for “grace” tatooed on my back. My thought was that it would be a conversation piece when anyone saw it.
If I remember correctly, it was only 3 or 4 Hebrew characters, so it would have looked pretty meager on my back. And then it seemed like Hebrew tats were suddenly uber-trendy, and since I’m not a worship leader I couldn’t justify the expense.
I got a tattoo about two weeks after the Lord saved me. I had been planning to before my conversion and just changed what I had tattoo’d to be something that reflected the change in my life. On the plus side, it was a positive witnessing tool and bridge the gospel (seriously) when I was doing missions in Amsterdam. On the negative side, it is often a point of confusion and conversation in the ministry circles I’m currently in. I don’t know if regret is the right word, I just wish I didn’t have to explain it certain times and places. (It’s on my ankle, so if I wear a skirt it is visible) However, on the regret scale, it doesn’t really rank up there. I know it was not an act of rebellion toward the Lord (or anyone else)…and my regrets are those things that WERE acts of rebellion to the Lord. Great question, Abraham.
i’ve considered getting one during the last couple years. I grew up way more “fundamental,” but it would be neat to buck legalism and just get one. I’m not sure how much my wife would appreciate it, though.
[...] 6, 2009 Reading the replies to Abraham Piper’s blog post is a fun way to distract yourself from studying for that final exam. [...]
i like Suzanne’s advice, but our house rule on tattoos goes one further … decide what you want and wait a year. if it’s changed any, yer gonna hate it. if it hasn’t, go for it. maybe that’s why there’s no regrets over the three that my wife and i share
I’ve loved reading these responses! I have 2, and while they are not totally awesome anymore, I still love them. Most of the time I forget I have them, but when I see them in the mirror, they make me smile. I would like more, but my husband doesn’t like tattoos.
There now – I’ve just echoed half of the other comments. yay me for being all generic with my feelings towards my tattoos.
On the Fail Blog just now there’s a picture of a guy with a tattooed six pack of cans on his belly, which is now more like a keg.
I got mine just under a year ago. It’s an apple. It’s the symbolism of the fruit of temptation and putting it behind you (before anyone begins, yes I’m a college student, and yes I fully know that the fruit Eve would have eaten would not have been a fruit, but you try getting an orange on your back and explaining that…)
I don’t show it rarely ever. But when I do see it, it’s an instant reminder that I don’t have to live a life in bondage to sin. It reminds me that God always provides a way out, and it reminds me of Psalm 17:8.
I love it. It’s tiny, simple, and powerful.
I have the Desiring God logo on one wrist and the phrase “for the fame of His name” starting on the other wrist and working up toward the middle of my arm. The sweet atheist lesbian tattooist did a phenomenal job, and I couldn’t be happier.
As an artist, I’d much rather tattoo someone than have one for myself.
I’m also in the boat of “Really? Are you going to like that in 40 years?”
i still love it. i made a rule that i could not get it until i was set on the same idea for over a year.
and now i want more.
Trenton B
My advice is that if you are 18 and in Thailand without your parents, get all of your inking done in English as opposed to a language you nor the Thais know nothing about, i.e. Gaelic.
Firstly i would say to that probably best not to get tattoos done in a developing country. The hygine standards will likely not be as high as those back home. Quite nasty stuff can be caught from unhygienic tattoos.
Secondly, before you get a foreign language tattoo done get the design checked by an expert in the language (not just someone who speaks a little bit of it or the tattooists design book) Particularly in Chinese and Japanese many people get tattoos that ether say something completely different to what they intended or roughly translate but have very different connotations in the other language.
I’ll admit that I’m feeling a little facetious, but I think the next question should be “SHOULD you regret your tattoo?” :-P
I like my hubby’s (hmmm, hope he doesn’t mind me saying so…it’s on his arm. I just feel like I need to say that).
It was cool when we were 19 and it still is. I reckon I like it most of all because it’s attached to him.
It also is a great distraction for the kids when necessary.
i don’t regret mine (it’s the trinity), but i do regret the circumstances. i did it knowing that my mother would be VERY angry. it’s like having a continual reminder of the once sinful attitude i had towards respecting my parents.
however, i’ve come to believe it’s good to have a reminder of my sin…what i was saved from…where my heart once was, and how the Holy Spirit has been at work in my life.
Great question and some great answers. I wanted a tattoo since I was a kid. I had a design picked out and waited, no joke, six years. My wife was shocked when I actually did it.
I don’t still think my tattoo is awesome, but I do still like it. When I even notice it’s there. I got it almost 14 years ago. It was supposed to be the first in a sequence representing earth, air, fire and water. It is an abstract tribal mermaid. However, becoming a father a couple of years later convinced me I didn’t want to be “that dad”.
I also wasn’t a Christian at the time and sometimes at men’s retreats etc I have a little regret over it when I notice others looking at it. I also sometime regret it when I hear my daughters talking about how cool they think it is and their plans for tattoos.
All that being said, at pushing forty I do fantasize occasionally about getting at least one more of some Christian symbol like a celtic cross of my design on my other arm. You know, for balance. :)
And if money and what other people thought were NO consideration I’d get my wife and three daughters names tattooed beneath representations of them from the DC comic animated universe. My wife would be Wonder Woman of course.
Another quick comment on this. I decided even before I got my tattoo that if I came to regret it, that was okay because I would rather look back and regret it than look back and regret not knowing. Not that I think this philosophy works for everything! But I figure, once I’m 60+ how much can I possibly care about how some ink in my skin looks?
No regrets! I decided on what I wanted and then waited a year to make sure it was something I would like. I’m thinking about possibly getting another one at some point.
Now how my parents found out that I had a tattoo….THAT I regret. It was in front of about 50 people and my mom made a scene. (She’s fine now.)
Although its not AWESOME anymore, I still love it and can’t help but want more. There’s something slightly addictive to it, like pringles, once you pop, you can’t stop.
Joana, i think its o.k to get one in a developing country, you must just make sure they use a new, clean niddle out of a sealed pack. :-) Got mine when i was 16 with my mom there! Cool mom. I got saved when i was 18 and i’m 22 now, i dont regret it. I dont think its totally awesome, i want more but have struggled with what Levitical law says about tats though. Is God really glorified?
What does the bible say about having a tatoo.. ??
Revelation 19:16 “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of Lords.”
Is Jesus going to have a tat when he comes back?
my tattoo is doulos on upper right arm and has opened up conversations in the gym, so it’s been cool to see that used.
I was raised in the kind of church that believed wearing jeans to worship or having a tattoo were tickets straight to hell…I wear jeans to church now but haven’t braved a tattoo yet:)
Hard question, one I’ve wrestled with since getting my tattoo. The answer is Yes and No.
I regret the size of my tattoo, it’s too big and I think I was too nervous to ask the artist to make it smaller (stupid, I know!). I got my tattoo 6 mo. after becoming a believer to celebrate the incredible change God did (and continues to do) in my life. I hoped it would be an opening for witnessing as well but I have found that there is a stigma that comes along with having a tattoo.
I am getting married in August and trying to find a way to cover it for that day. Overall, I know that God has a purpose for my tattoo and my motivation behind it was to glorify His name!
Matthew 10:29- as a celebration of His sovereignty.
I absolutely love mine. Debated long and hard about getting one, but I am really glad that I did. I was part of a military parachute team and it became a tradition over the past couple of decades to get the team patch on the right hip. Not everyone did it, but a lot did. So I am #268 in this line of skydivers and the rolls are up #400 now, I think.
I was in college, so I asked my parents. They both told me I should. I asked my then girlfriend and now wife before I got it too. She loves it.
Not a fan and glad my wife and I don’t have them…however am working on developing a more grace-full attitude towards those who do.
Someone questioned what the Bible said about it, and I don’t recall anything specific about this.
Probably the most relevant passage to this matter is 1 Co 10:23-33.
Another might be 1 Co 6:19.
I think it would fall into the borderline category like smoking, drinking, gambling (maybe), R movies, body piercing, etc.
You have to weigh the benefits (e.g. does it glorify Jesus in the people group you’ve been called to minister to?) vs the drawbacks (e.g. does it portray Jesus in a bad way?).
I don’t think my tattoo is awesome and I do regret getting it as I was 18 at the time and at that point it represented my pagan belief system. However, God used it for good…it now serves as a reminder of God’s grace and mercy toward me.
I echo Robin’s response. Got mine at 18, does not reflect who I am today, but represents a different time in my life and how much God has grown and blessed me since then.