True North Journey

What is true north?

Finding true north in the modern world can be daunting and overwhelming. Where does a person even begin? A Google search of true north elicits a variety of answers from geodetic and magnetic north, from a business, personal, or spiritual standpoint. All of these can answer what is true north and have value in a person’s life, but what we define as our true north may not be how God wants us to see it.

I consider myself an adventurer. When I was younger, my experiences took me along backpacking trails, whitewater rivers, camping in the open air, and a little spelunking. Growing older, I’ve found my body doesn’t do what it used to. I still get outside hiking looking for beautiful places to photograph, it takes a little longer to complete, but I get it done.

The idiom ‘true north’ has been around for some time. I’ve prided myself in not getting lost in all those adventures because my sense of direction is typically right every time. My true north is centered in knowing where I am physically located on this planet. However, there’s more to life than this planet we live on.

Defining true north

Drawing from the quote above, I’m going to venture away from Mr George’s original intent somewhat and also include the verses from Joshua 1:1 – 9 to draw different conclusion, one from a spiritual perspective. As the Lord spoke to Joshua, He outlined an adventure for Joshua and the Israelites: take possession of the Promised Land, I will be with you no matter what, follow the book of the law and you will succeed. We can derive Joshua’s and the Israelites orienting point is the Lord Himself. There are moments in the book of Joshua when they veered away from their true north and found themselves in defeat. Yet, when they followed the Lord, their true north, they succeeded.

Now, let’s jump forward. We can take heart that our world really isn’t that different from Joshua’s; technology has just made our world spin a little faster. How Joshua dealt with his world problems is the same way we can deal with our world problems.

As believers in Jesus Christ, our True North has to be the Lord.

One thing is certain, the world in which we live is definitely spinning crazily around us. We need a fixed point to keep us grounded. As Mr George has so rightly derived in his True North statement, the internal compass is what guides a person’s life. I agree with that, but it needs to be taken a step further in our relationship with the Lord. It’s similar to the difference between geodetic north and magnetic north. Geodetic north (true north) is mostly a fixed point while magnetic north moves with the earth’s movement. A compass uses the magnetic field of the earth to point north, but at times it could be 500 miles different from true north to the magnetic north. Following a compass will get us in the vicinity, but staying on True North will get us exactly where we need to be.

Our lives are made up of decisions of which way we will grow, but as humans at times we can make unwise choices based on emotional, psychological, or behavioral circumstances. To be honest, I would much rather trust in the Lord who never changes than to make an honest mistake in walking down the wrong path. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

Jesus has outlined an adventure for us to follow.

He calls us to Himself just He called the twelve disciples. Imagine the adventure Peter, Andrew, James and John took when Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men,” in Matthew 4:19. Their lives from then on went on a whirlwind tour of listening to Jesus teaching and proclaiming the gospel, watching Jesus healing the sick, casting out demons, giving sight to the blind and so many other miracles.

Our lives may not be the same type of change as it was for the first disciples, but Jesus still changes our lives. These words still ring true today, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.

What an adventure this is going to be! Will we still make unwise choices? Yes. Will we veer from the path Jesus has laid out for us? Yes. Joshua and the Israelites did, why should we be any different? But, just as God had given the Promised Land to the Israelites, He gives the same for us. “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10. I can promise you this: following Jesus is an adventure that leads to an eternal home in heaven.

Jesus makes a promise to be with us through every step of this adventure of life.

There are many verses throughout scripture, Old and New Testaments, confirming this promise. God’s promise to Jacob during his dream in Genesis 28:15 is one of the best examples of the OT. “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Even here in this passage, God promises to be with Joshua and the Israelites wherever they go.

The New Testament is not lacking in its promises either for the believer. In fact, in Jesus’ Great Commission in Matthew 28:20, one of the last promises He gives to the disciples is His faithfulness to them, “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Jesus guarantees even more through the Person of the Holy Spirit in John 14:26, “but the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” We will not be alone in this life as believers.

Jesus has given us a guidebook to follow for us to succeed in life.

So not only do we have our True North in Jesus, an adventure to follow, a promise of companionship, but a road map to follow. The Lord spoke words of great encouragement to Joshua as he prepared to take on the adventure of a lifetime. Be strong and very courageous, if you would follow all the words I have given, you will succeed. If you will keep speaking my words, thinking over my words, and living out my words, you will be prosperous and then be successful. (Italics my translation of Joshua 1:7 – 8)

The times when the Israelites failed in the book of Joshua are when they stopped following the Lord. Instead, they relied on their own voices, their own thinking, and acting on their own instincts. These actions proved to take them down the wrong path, a path from their True North.

God’s Word is the guide for success for this life. Even Jesus, when tempted by the devil to stray from His path, spoke these words in Matthew 4:4, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God .’ ” The apostle Paul wrote these words in Romans 15:4, For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. These are but two verses in the Bible giving us instructions for success. Imagine all the 23,143 verses left to read in the Bible that can bring guidance to success.