Ben Shaw

our eyes and brains can only process a fraction of reality

so why do we assume reality is limited to what we can measure

i don’t believe science explains God

and i don’t believe physics proves faith

but science does something important

it reminds us that there’s more going on than what we can see

the deeper we look into the universe

the more we discover how layered

connected

and mysterious reality really is

it doesn’t explain God

but it can open the door to the possibility that there’s more

and maybe the question isn’t

can i figure God out

maybe the question is

am i willing to slow down

be still

and let Him be known

James says that if anyone lacks wisdom

they should ask God

and He gives generously

notice it doesn’t say to ask for more status

more success

more money

or more attention

it says wisdom

because money won’t satisfy your soul

power won’t quiet your mind

and pleasure won’t heal your heart

that’s why we see celebrities

athletes

rock stars

and wildly successful people

still struggling with emptiness

it’s why so many lottery winners discover that more money doesn’t solve deeper problems

because your soul doesn’t thirst for more stuff

it thirsts for meaning

for purpose

for truth

for God

so stop asking God to bless your distractions

and start asking Him for wisdom

because that’s where real fulfillment begins

and it won’t be found in the world

it will be found in Him

What is sitting on the throne of your heart?

Not on your Instagram.

Not on your profile.

Not on your platform.

In your soul.

Because everybody worships something.

The question isn’t whether you worship.

The question is what you worship.

For some of us, it’s followers.

For others, it’s money.

Approval.

Control.

Success.

Even our own reputation.

Sometimes it’s not our sin that sits on the throne.

Sometimes it’s our religion.

Anything that takes the place of Jesus becomes an idol.

And idols always promise life but leave us empty.

The world says, “Build yourself.”

Jesus says, “Deny yourself.”

The world says, “Promote yourself.”

Jesus says, “Follow Me.”

The world says, “Find yourself.”

Jesus says, “Lose your life for My sake, and you will find it.”

Jesus isn’t trying to take life from you.

He’s inviting you into freedom.

So let me ask you:

Whose voice are you following?

Whose approval are you chasing?

What is shaping your identity?

What is sitting on the throne of your heart?

Because whatever sits on that throne will ultimately shape your life.

And if the weight of chasing the world is crushing you…

If you’re tired of carrying expectations you were never meant to carry…

If you’re ready to stop following everything else and start following Jesus…

Today is your day.

The most influential person in human history isn’t an influencer.

It’s Jesus Christ.

And He’s still changing lives today.

do you ever feel like something is missing

like you’ve accomplished things

hit goals

checked the boxes

and yet there’s still an ache you can’t explain

i know that feeling

i was flown around the country to speak about tattooing

i sat in board meetings

helped shape regulations

built a reputation

from the outside it looked like success

but inside

something was missing

the more success i found

the hungrier i became

it was like sitting down to an incredible meal

it looked amazing

smelled amazing

but when i took a bite

it turned to ash in my mouth

it never satisfied

because we weren’t made to find our identity in success

we weren’t made for status

we weren’t made for applause

we were made for a relationship with God

and eventually i reached the highest point of my career

while my personal life was falling apart

i had achieved what i thought would satisfy me

and discovered it couldn’t

up to that point i didn’t come from a church background

i wasn’t raised in Christianity

but when i finally hit bottom

i cried out to Jesus

and what i found wasn’t religion

it was relationship

it was peace

it was purpose

it was the missing piece i’d been searching for all along

so if you’re carrying that ache

that feeling that something is missing

don’t ignore it

it might be pointing you toward the very thing you were created for

and if you want to talk about it

reach out

you’re not the only one asking those questions

and you’re not alone in the search

there was a young woman named Misha Agarwal

she had what many people dream about

hundreds of thousands of followers

a growing platform

recognition

attention

and she was also studying to become a lawyer

from the outside

it looked like she had everything

but underneath it all

she was struggling with something many people never talk about

identity

she wanted to be seen

validated

important

and when her growth didn’t match her expectations

it began affecting her sense of worth

tragically

she lost her life

and her story reveals something deeper than social media

because this isn’t a Gen Z problem

it’s a human problem

it’s the oldest temptation in human history

look at me

validate me

approve of me

glorify me

social media didn’t create that desire

it simply monetized it

the algorithm profits from a struggle that’s been in the human heart since the beginning

because if your identity comes from the crowd

the crowd can take it away

if your worth comes from applause

you’ll always need more applause

if your value comes from attention

you’ll never have enough attention

that’s why so many people are exhausted

we were never designed to find our identity in followers

or likes

or views

or public approval

we were designed to find it in God

and that’s why Jesus came

not just to forgive our sins

but to free us from the endless pursuit of validation

the world says

build your platform

Jesus says

come follow Me

the world says

prove your worth

Jesus says

you already have worth because you’re loved by God

so let me ask you

if everything external disappeared tomorrow

where would your identity be found

because what you build your identity on

will eventually be tested

if you’re getting into tattooing just to make money

to build status

or to find your identity

it’s going to eat you alive

trust me

i’ve been tattooing for more than 26 years

and i’ve watched people chase the money

the attention

the reputation

thinking the next milestone would finally satisfy them

it doesn’t

because tattooing makes a terrible god

so does money

so does status

so does influence

they always demand more

and never give enough back

my advice is simple

don’t idolize the craft

don’t weaponize the platform

become excellent

become disciplined

become humble

let your character preach before your mouth ever does

and for those wondering

can you follow Jesus and be a tattoo artist

absolutely

if you came to Christ after getting tattooed

your past isn’t held against you

that’s the beauty of the gospel

God doesn’t redeem perfect people

He redeems people

all of us have a past

all of us have things we’re not proud of

and yet Jesus still calls us

still loves us

still transforms us

God is in the business of redemption

not rejection

He doesn’t waste your story

He redeems it

so build your career

master your craft

serve people well

but never forget where your identity comes from

because you’re more than your portfolio

more than your paycheck

and more than your reputation

your identity is found in Christ

and that’s something the world can never take away

for years i used to go into schools

teaching kids about tattooing

the dangers of unprofessional tattooing

and the realities of the industry

but i always asked them one question

what do you want to be when you grow up

and year after year

the number one answer was the same

an influencer

that blew my mind

because somewhere along the way

we started believing that followers equal status

views equal value

and attention equals identity

and if i’m honest

i understood the temptation

who doesn’t want to be seen

validated

important

chosen

but here’s the thing

this isn’t new

social media didn’t invent this

it just monetized it

the desire to put ourselves at the center goes all the way back to the beginning

it’s the oldest temptation in human history

to build our own kingdom

to sit on our own throne

to find our worth in something other than God

the platform changed

the human heart didn’t

and that’s why so many people are exhausted

because if your identity comes from followers

you’ll always need more followers

if your worth comes from attention

you’ll always need more attention

but if your identity comes from Jesus

it can’t be taken away

your value isn’t determined by a number

a title

or a platform

it’s determined by the One who created you

so before you chase influence

ask yourself

who is influencing you

because the person you become

matters far more than the audience you build

some people don’t have a safe home

some people don’t have a counselor

some people don’t have a church

or a pastor

but they do have one place where they can finally be seen

the tattoo chair

after 26 years of tattooing

i’ve learned that many people who sit in my chair aren’t bad people

they’re not beyond repair

they’re not too far gone

they’re just unseen

unpastored

unloved

they’re carrying stories

pain

loss

questions

and sometimes nobody has slowed down long enough to listen

the world still judges people by appearances

i recently read a story about a man whose coworkers were shocked that he could be a professional and have tattoos

that’s bias

that’s ignorance

and that’s exactly the kind of person Jesus moved toward

because Jesus never started with appearances

He started with the heart

He sat with the people others avoided

He spoke to the people others dismissed

He loved the people others judged

and that’s a lesson tattoo artists can learn from

because sometimes we’re doing more than creating artwork

sometimes we’re creating space

space for someone to be heard

space for someone to be seen

space for someone to remember they have value

you never know what someone is carrying when they sit in your chair

so lead with kindness

listen well

and remember

the person in front of you may be a lost sheep that God is still pursuing

and maybe He put them in your chair for a reason

tattooing isn’t easy

sometimes you look at the stencil

and the whole thing feels overwhelming

there’s so much to do

so many lines

so much detail

but the truth is

you don’t tattoo the whole piece at once

you focus on the line you’re pulling right now

one line

then the next

and eventually

the tattoo gets finished

life works the same way

a lot of us are stressed because we’re trying to carry tomorrow

next month

next year

all at the same time

but Jesus said

do not worry about tomorrow

for tomorrow will worry about itself

each day has enough trouble of its own

sometimes the reason you’re overwhelmed

is because you’re trying to solve your entire life today

when God is only asking you to trust Him with the next step

the next conversation

the next act of obedience

the next right decision

so take a breath

stop staring at the whole tattoo

focus on the line in front of you

because faith isn’t built all at once

it’s built one step at a time

and before you know it

God has created something beautiful

out of what once felt impossible

one of the biggest tattoo mistakes people make
is choosing a design off the internet
without thinking about how it fits the body

because a flat image
doesn’t always translate well
onto a 3D surface

our bodies bend
move
twist

and if the design doesn’t account for that
it gets distorted

a portrait on the wrong area can make the face look stretched
eyes can look warped
the whole tattoo can feel off

it may look great on paper
but not on skin

real tattooing isn’t just about the design

it’s about fit and flow

the artwork has shapes
and the body has shapes

when they work together
the tattoo feels natural
strong
timeless

but when the design fights the body
it won’t age well
and something always feels off

and honestly
life works the same way

a lot of people are chasing lives
that look good online
or worked for someone else

but they were never designed for you

so over time
everything feels forced
stretched
out of alignment

because God didn’t create you
to copy someone else’s blueprint

He made you with intention
purpose
structure

and when you align with that
things begin to flow

more clarity
more peace
less friction

so before your next tattoo
or your next major decision

don’t just ask
does this look good

ask
does this fit who God created me to be

because what truly fits you
will always outlast
what only looks good