Admittedly, I first wanted to get my lip pierced because it looked cool. Then, I wanted to get it done because I knew it would challenge my conservative friends to interact with those who choose to embrace counterculture staples like body art and because I knew it would be a great conversation point when talking with non-Christians.  More recently, I have been contemplating getting a lip piercing for symbolic reasons. A prayerful consideration of the symbolic nature of piercings is the main factor leading me to go through with the piercing later today.  I know that many will simply see this post as a spiritual justification of an impulsive decision, but I have truly thought and prayed through this, so I wanted to share my perspective.

"But if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you, then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave forever. And to your female slave you shall do the same. " - Deuteronomy 15:16-17. 

Piercings in ancient times were a symbol of slavery. An earring and its placement indicated that the individual's life had belonged to another. This passage from Deuteronomy instructs master's to pierce their servants if the servant chooses to remain in the master's household after the sabbatical year.  This was to be the choice of the servant, as an indication of devotion to his master. He could either go free or choose to fully commit to the household by publicly marking himself.

Too often this year, I have forgotten my master. I feel like I am in a critical year and season of life. This is the sabbatical semester. Though I have been doing much, I don't feel that I have been learning much or growing much. My faith has been rather complacent, and that is unacceptable. I feel like at the moment God has granted me a bit of a release-some time to really evaluate my life and to determine if I truly want to belong to His household and truly partake in the work of His ministry. This semester has not been one of radical faith, but rather of going through the motions. My devotional life has been sketchy, my prayer life isn't as solid as it should be, and my work has been leisurely. As the semester ends, I feel like the Lord has presented a choice before me. I can either release myself to make due with what He has given me thus far or fully commit to a radical faith of radical service to His household. I fully believe that He already knows what I will choose.

I will choose Him. I will choose to remain enslaved to His purpose. Though that is my desire, I often forget to whom I belong. I often forget that I am the servant of the Lord, and my sole goal in life is to build His house.  My confession is that I know that I have made many mistakes lately, and I have failed to repent time and time again. My confession is that I am too weak to remember to whom I belong. In my weakness, I choose to publicly mark myself and declare my loyalty to my master.

Like the slaves of yesteryear, I choose to pierce my body as a sign of submission. The traditional placement was the ear. I already have my ears pierced, and I feel this marking is meant for the part of my body that's more directly associated with both my giftings and mishaps. I am meant to be a mouthpiece for the Gospel, but out of my mouth often comes excuses, painful words, hyperbole, and language that disgraces the Gospel. At the same time, I refrain from speaking forth Truth, from correcting sin, from sharing prophetic insight, from building up other with words of encouragement, and from praising my Lord and interceding for His work. My greatest strength and biggest weakness is simultaneously communication, and the status quo needs to change.

Until I learn to whom I belong and how to serve Him in this area, I will never be truly effective in doing God's work. I am in a temporary season of preparation- a season of life that will span several years as God develops my character and skill set. While in this season, remembering with humility that I serve the Lord is crucial. When I exit this season of life, I hope that the lesson that I am willingly a servant to the King is so ingrained in my heart, mind and soul that I don't need the physical representation of a piercing to recall my loyalty. And so, I mark myself temporarily during this season of life, as a strong reminder of His ownership in my weakest moments.

This afternoon, I plan to get my lip pierced- a small silver ring, right in the center of my bottom lip. Every time I speak, eat, or quiver... I will remember to whom I belong. Every time I look in the mirror or someone stares at me, I will remember that I am not my own. I am destined to be a "mouthpiece of the Gospel" and so I am marked. When my life represents my calling without explanations because the fruit of it speaks for itself, then the ring will no longer be necessary. For now though, I am marking myself.  I choose to devote my life to His household. I choose to turn away the notion of release and fully commit myself to God.

"In the last place, I want to bore your ear. Do you mean to be bound for life? Christians, do you really mean it? Come, sit down and count the cost and, if you mean it, come and welcome! There is the standard! The blood-red Cross waves at the top of it—will you now, in cool blood, enlist for life? Every man who wishes to desert may go home. Christwants no press men. Ho, you volunteers! Come here! We want you and none but you! The Lord desires no slaves to dishonor His camp. Cowards, you may go! Double-minded men, you may get to your tents! But what do you say, you true Believers? Will you cleave to Him and His cause? Do you leap forward and say, “Never can we separate from Jesus! We give ourselves to Him for life, for death, for time, and for eternity. We are His altogether and forever”? Come, then, and have your ears bored." - excerpt from a sermon by Charles Spurgeon

 So then why the lip and not another ear piercing?

Lastly, I want you to notice that when the ear was bored, it was bored to the doorpost in the presence of the judges. It was not done in secret in some back room! It was done in public with witnesses present. If this man is going to devote himself to his master, he must be brought right out to the doorpost. “Now then, your ear, Sir. The awl must be driven right through it in the presence of spectators.” And I think consecration to Christ is not a thing to be done in secret. You who love the Lord Jesus Christ—acknowledge it! If you are His servants, wear His livery. If you are His servants, come out and profess to be so! Have your ears bored to the very doorpost, publicly, and openly avow yourselves to be on the Lord’s side. He asks it and it is no more than He deserves! “He that confesses Me before men,” He says, “Him also will I confess before My Father who is in Heaven.”" - another Spurgeon sermon.

The piercing was public. It was not a common place adornment, but a radical decision to choose to remain bonded to a master out of love for his household. If only for myself, I'm piercing my lip to mark a re-commitment to God and His purposes. This is perhaps the most controversial statement I'll make since the post about my tattoo, but I truly believe that God wants me to get my lip pierced.  Strange, but true; and if it isn't, may He reveal it to me and the piercing will be removed.