Looking for True North

Living in a house full of boys, you’d  think that I’d  know exactly how a compass works.  I mean, I think I do…you hold the small circular device in your hand, and there is a needle on the face of the compass that points in the direction of north.  No matter which direction you turn with the compass in your hand, the needle always moves so that it’s pointing north.  So, if you’re caught in the deep woods, or in the barren desert, and you get disoriented with no signs to point you out, you will always know which direction is north – if you look at your compass. And knowing which direction is true north will help you find your way through the unknown.

I desperately need a compass in my life.  I need to be able to distinguish True North amidst all of the mixed messages I receive on a daily basis.

Mixed Messages

If I listen to the world around me, it tells me that to be successful, I need to be a career woman, an excellent mother, have my kids looking good, in the right activities, getting the right grades.  I’m supposed to have a beautiful home with the most stylish décor – right out of the Joanna Gaines collection.  I’m supposed to be a wonderful cook using only organic ingredients and whole foods.  My husband and I should go on date nights regularly in order to ‘keep the home fires burning’, if you know what I mean. My nails should have gel, my hair should have color and cuts regularly, my skin should be flawless, and my clothes should be trendy.  And please, let’s not talk about weight.

If I listen to the voices in my head, the messages I receive are not always nice.  They make me question my decisions, my feelings and my worth.  In my head, I hear the voices of others who are critical  and unkind, and I replay those ‘tapes’ over and over until I can’t see the forest for the trees (or the truth among the lies).

The people-pleaser in me wants to make those I love happy, but in the end, I never seem to quite hit the mark. Then sometimes I feel like I am spinning as fast as I can, and I can’t take in one more piece of information. Once again, I’m lost, back in the trees.

I need my compass; I desperately want that little needle to point in the right direction to get me through the maze of mixed messages, hurt feelings and despair that I can’t seem to escape.  

I need something that is always true, apart from me 

My compass will point me in the right direction, even when I’m  not sure; one thing that will stand firm, even when my emotions betray me.  It helps clear my head, justify the wrong and always point to what is right.  

True North.

God is my True North 

He is the one who can ALWAYS see beyond the situation, the lies, the emotions, and confusion.  He is the one who always knows the direction I should go, the thoughts I should think, the truth I should hide in my heart.  Only He can point me in the right direction.  He is reliable, he is trustworthy, he is able and he is my provider.  He is my defender, my helper, my comforter, my counselor and my teacher.  (John chapter 14).  All I have to do is to ask.  All I have to do is seek Him, and he will always answer.  

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105

The Bible is the compass by which all truth is measured. In his Word, I receive comfort, I receive instruction, I receive promises, I receive the Truth and HOPE my weary heart and mind are thirsting for.  It is always accessible to me; all I have to do is to read it.  His Truth will light the path for me and show me the direction to go.  His Word will enlighten the truth about who I really am, who he has made me to be, and where my true worth comes from.

 ”… the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

I receive in my True North, someone who completely understands.  Everything.  All of it.  The truth, the lies, the confusion, the hurt, the sorrow, the despair.  He gets it and he still loves me.  He loves me through it, comforting me. He’s never too busy to listen, and never gets bored of hearing me talk about it.  God is never too tired and never out of answers.  

My True North gets it right every time. Click To Tweet

In a world that will beat us down, blur our vision and send us a multitude of negative messages, we all need to find True North. We all need that one true voice telling us who we really are and where the path really is.

God is our True North

Look to True North… seek Him out when you are caught in the deep woods, or in the barren desert of mixed messages and negative thoughts and you get disoriented with no signs to point you out. Get into His Word. Only God can show you which direction is true and will help you find your way through the unknown.