Your Tattoos Don't Impress Me

One of the perks of living in Florida is being a Universal Studios’ passholder. But even in a fun place there are certain irritations that can crop up--line ditchers, rudeness, impatience--to name a few.

Recently I spent a few days meditating on 1st Corinthians 13, and especially the way it reads in the Amplified Bible: Love is patient and kind, not rude, and hardly notices when a wrong has been done to it. This kind of love is not touchy, resentful or fretful. Wow, what a spiritually mature way to live! On the heels of this study I decided to spend a day at the park. Before I ever went through the turnstile and flashed my pass, I decided to walk in the God-kind of love and I forgave every person ahead of time who might prove to be a challenge to my love walk. That way, instead of being offended and having to forgive all day, I extended forgiveness in advance. I forgave forward and it made me a much more loving person to be around.

Every time someone pushed ahead of me in line or even tried to be rude, I said to myself, "I've already forgiven you" and just smiled at them. What a wonderful day! I struck up several conversations with complete strangers and had a hard time tearing myself away. It was an easy, relaxing, stressless day.

Before I left the house I had actually written 1st Corinthians 13 on a note card and pulled it out while waiting in lines. It kept me on point. During lunch I was getting a soda at a self-serve machine. One of the people I was with noticed an impatient woman standing behind me huffing and rolling her eyes, because she apparently felt I was taking too long. Miss Impatience had a colorful tattoo emblazoned on her shoulder that said "love is patient and kind". When my friend told me what she had witnessed, I thought it was too bad that the message this woman had permanently put on her body, did not match her disposition. You see, your shoulder can say you are patient and kind, while the rest of your body says you are rude and impatient. It was a further reminder to me that my message, mind and mouth need to be aligned.

So let’s break it down...we can meditate on the Word until we are able to rattle off Scriptures left and right. We can have note cards about the love of God stuffed in every pocket. Our bodies can be covered in tattoos of doves and crosses. But if we do not say what the Word says, and do what the Word instructs, we will never be a recipient of what the Word promises. The Spirit responds to words and actions that are aligned with God’s Word. And right there is where breakthrough happens! That is where you climb to a new level. That is exactly the place where the supernatural occurs.

1 Corinthians 13 is not this worldly, fleshy love that says, “I’ll love you once you love me and do everything I say.” 1 Corinthians 13 love is patient, kind and hardly notices when a wrong has been done to it. Loving that way is not weakness. That is strength in your spiritual DNA.