What does it mean for Jesus to be your true north?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Without Jesus as our true north, our life is meaningless. In the book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon discusses the futility of worldly pursuits (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11). His conclusion is that we must center our life on God, honoring Him and keeping His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). This principle is the same as making Jesus our true north.Our devotion to Jesus can be demonstrated by obeying what He says (John 15:1-17; Philippians 2:12-13) and trusting in and applying His Word to our life (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 1 Peter 1:25). Prioritizing Jesus should also encourage us to use our gifts within the body of Christ and live in unity with His people (Proverbs 27:17; Romans 12:4-8; Hebrews 10:25). When we do so, we are less easily led astray by unbiblical teachings (Ephesians 4:11-16). In fact, every teaching that we hear should be tested against Scripture, because Jesus is the standard by which teachings should be evaluated (1 Timothy 4:16; 2 Timothy 3; 1 John 4:1-2). Ultimately, we can trust Jesus as our true north because unlike other people and things, He never changes (Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived (beside the incarnate Christ), He expressed the vanity of finding our true north in worldly pursuits (Ecclesiastes 1:1-11).
• Solomon tried and did everything there was and found them lacking. He learned his true north could only be God: "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). God's Word tells us what is worth seeking and building our lives around—Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• When we are living like Jesus is our true north, we believe what He says and we act on it, obeying what He commands (John 15:1-17). We orient our lives to Him and His truth, according to His Word (John 17:17).
• When Jesus is our true north, we aren't easily sent adrift. Ephesians 4:11-16 discusses being built up and maturing in part, "so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine."
• When we are following God as our true north, we trust that His ways are right, and we arrange our lives to live in fellowship with Him and in accordance with His will. Philippians 2:12-13 puts it this way: "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
• Paul exhorted Timothy to "Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching" (1 Timothy 4:16; cf. 2 Timothy 3). We must be aware of our actions and make sure our teaching is biblically aligned.
• When Jesus is our true north, we regularly look to God's Word (the Bible) to know Him and to know the truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
• We can trust God as our guide in life because He is unchanging (Hebrews 13:8).
• Money, power, politics, doing good, social reform, sex, drugs and other worldly concerns all go away. Orienting our lives around one or more of these is insufficient and even destructive. Focusing on our unchanging, loving Heavenly Father brings ultimate satisfaction (James 1:13-18).
• We can trust what God says to us through His Word because "the word of the Lord remains forever" (1 Peter 1:25).
• Jesus is the "true north" by which teaching is evaluated. John warned his readers, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God" (1 John 4:1-2).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

A compass rose shows users north, south, east, and west. Every compass in the world is oriented to the magnetic field of the North Pole. That is what draws the tiny compass needle north. It cannot help but always be pulled in that “magnetic north” direction. While magnetic north varies, "true north" is oriented to the geographic North Pole, which does not change. Jesus is the truth north for believers, orienting us to our place in life and pointing us in the right direction. He is the standard by which we understand and navigate our world. When Jesus is our true north, we want to point others toward Him and His saving grace through His work on the cross and His resurrection (Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 4:1-3). Making Jesus your true north is a conscious choice made possible by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

UNDERSTAND

• Making Jesus our “true north” is a metaphorical way of expressing Him as the center of our lives.
• Those who have Jesus as their true north will obey what Scripture says about abiding in Him.
• Worldly pursuits are useless; only the unchanging power of Christ can bring ultimate satisfaction and salvation.

REFLECT

• How does your life demonstrate that Jesus is your true north?
• What worldly distractions most often compete with your focus on Jesus, and how can you guard against them?
• When have you felt spiritually “off course,” and how did turning back to Jesus help you regain direction?

ENGAGE

• What are some ways we can help each other stay focused on Jesus as our true north in a culture that promotes self-direction?
• How does the Bible reveal Jesus as the unchanging standard by which all truth and teaching should be measured?
• How can we point a drifting world back toward Jesus, the only reliable source of direction and purpose?