True north

Explorers traveling through thick jungles and over high mountains prevent themselves from getting lost by keeping their path squared with true north. Navigators over open seas read the stars and watch their compass to steer their ships on course.

We all are explorers and navigators of different types. We need a compass to consult and a true north to follow when faced with tough decisions.

We might ask ourselves, what compass am I following? What is my true north?

I watched a movie where a young married man could not decide whether to stay faithful to his wife or to continue a romance with another married woman. The decision tortured him. He was confused and torn, swinging back and forth between the two relationships like a lost servant who couldn’t decide who to serve and honor. While watching him suffer, I concluded that he needed a moral compass to guide his decision-making. Rather than focus on self-gratification, which typically leaves one in the dumpster of despair and darkness anyway, he needed to figure out what the spiritually right thing was to do, and then do it. Eventually, he did come back to his wife and see the folly of the extra-marital affair.

Decision-making is much easier when we have a compass to consult and a true north to guide us.

My compass is the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy. These books are filled with moral and spiritual guidance. The soundness of their wisdom has been tested by the ages.

My true north is serving God. As the Bible teaches, “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.“ I figure if I do this, I will more ably tell the difference between right and wrong and more successfully navigate the turbulent and stormy seas of the world. So far, I'm happy with the results!

What are your compass and your true north?