True North

Have you ever used a compass? I remember a 13-mile hike our Boy Scout troop took back when I was a teenager. We received instructions on how to use a compass to direct our path through some wooded terrain. A compass’s magnetic needle always points north. If you know which way north is, you can go in any direction you want.

Finding true north is essential for the child of God. Since we have become children of God, we have a challenge to set our compass on things above. The Bible challenges us to: “…Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2). We are to seek earnestly and set decisively our minds on heavenly things. There are so many other pursuits that could engage our thinking and preoccupy our time. We must turn away from the perilous pursuits of pleasure, pride, and the accumulation of things. Our compass should be set on Christ and all the wonderful truths that our relationship with Him brings us. We should seek, set and saturate your minds on the wonderful salvation Christ gives us. We should delight ourselves in the joy of our daily walk with Him. The prospect of spending eternity with Jesus in the Father’s House should be our fixed focus.

The hike I took with my troop was long, arduous, and my feet were very sore when I finally finished it. However, we eventually arrived back home. At the end of the hike every one of us scouts also received a medal as a reward for finishing our journey. As we hike our way through this life we will face many obstacles, diversions, and side roads that tempt us to go off course. I am glad for the assurance that Col. 3:4 gives: “When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory”. One day all of God’s children will be home. We will receive our rewards and spend eternity with our Savior. But until then we must set our compass on things above. Is Jesus Christ your True North?