Stay true to your moral compass, your true north.
When I was young, it was common for boys to own a compass. We were taught important life skills, including how to find your way if you were lost. A compass was the essential tool for such a task. Why? Because, regardless of your environment, the presence of darkness, or even storms, your compass was your faithful directional guide, the one on which you could always depend. When all your senses served only to disorient you, your compass pointed north. Wouldn’t you like to have such a compass to help you navigate the difficult paths of life you come across?
In business and leadership, true north is a phrase used to represent your unchanging goal and the ethics and values that will always safely and surely lead you there. It’s what we need in our lives too. Societal norms change. History is rewritten. If you hear a lie often enough it starts to seem like the truth. But the truth never changes. It always is constant, ready to guide us when we are lost, when we need to find our way in the dark.
God’s Word is that true north. It reminds us to stay with the truth and find grace and strength so we can stand firm when the ground shakes beneath us. Faith, love, and mercy secure our footing when everything else crumbles around us. (1 Timothy 1:12-16)
This is our true north, our moral compass. Our true north keeps us from wandering away and turning to meaningless talk that entertains our senses and tickles our ears but fails to fill our lives with anything meaningful. True north keeps our conscience clear; it keeps us on the path of a sincere faith. It leads us to build others up, not tear them down. Our true north tells us when to speak up for an important cause and when to keep our mouths closed, reminding us we don’t always need to fill the air with intelligent sounds. Our true north takes us along a path filled with others who are looking for direction. It shows us how to walk a straight path in a crooked world.
You know you want to be a good example, to pass on life values to your children and those who share your path. Your true north teaches you to demonstrate mercy in the face of injustice and endless patience when you are tested by the most oppressing forces in your life. It’s a beacon that not only points you where to go but shines for others to see also.
Paul reminds us that rejecting the truth shipwrecks our faith. Rejecting the truth and believing the lies of an “easy” life leads us on a dangerous path away from God. Oh, the sights along the way are entertaining and fascinating. In fact, we’re drawn in to every empty activity not realizing how our life is wasted in such vain pursuits. I’ve wasted more time and energy on meaningless pursuits in my life than I care to admit. Maybe you have too. Maybe today is the day to take your compass in hand and reset the course of your life.
If rejecting the truth shipwrecks our faith, then God’s Word is the compass that leads us to safe harbor. Hold on to the faith and a good conscience. Hold on to the truth today. Live well.