For in him we live and move and exist.
Acts 17:28
“Follow Your Heart!” We see it on T-shirts and coffee mugs and on inspirational Instagram posts. We are encouraged from a young age to do whatever our hearts tell us to do, to live out the “Gospel of Self”. (I don’t know about you, but my heart has gotten me into some not-so-holy situations over the course of my lifetime.) At some point in our lives, most of us have been led to do a thing or two that are anything but holy. We may have succumbed to peer pressure. We may have retaliated when someone was unkind to us. Or we may have simply followed our heart into sin because that’s where they inevitably lead us when we let them have their way.
The obvious definition of True North is the direction of the North Pole from any given point on the planet. But other sources use the term “True North” to describe an internal compass that guides us through life or an internal force that pulls us toward our purpose. For the Christian, however, the only True North in our lives must be Jesus! He is the internal compass in Whom we live and move and exist. And He and His purposes are OUR purposes. He helps us navigate through dark, stormy seas, He shines brightly on calm waters, and He lights up the heavens so we can even find our way in the dark. He is our Who, our Why, and our How that gives us life and hope and meaning. Even when we listen to the voice of the enemy, end up veering off course and find ourselves heading south, He corrects us and steers us back to Him. As our only moral standard, Jesus will keep us on the correct course as long as we fix our eyes on Him, trust in His Word, and keep moving forward.
Which compass are you following? The Bible doesn’t tell you to follow your heart, because your heart was never meant to be followed. It was meant to be led. So the Bible tells you to follow Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)! Navigating through life is impossible when you listen to the thousands of voices in this world that fight for your attention, especially the loudest, most deceitful one. The enemy of God will ALWAYS make you feel wrong when you’re right and right when you’re wrong! That’s why Jesus must be your only True North. His compass has one direction—towards Him, towards heaven, and only His compass can silence and correct the lies. Don’t be fooled by distractions and influences that try to convince you that your needle is off. Just look to the Light that never fades and the Hope that never changes, and whatever you do, do NOT follow your heart! Follow Jesus’ heart! From any given point on the planet, it will always lead you home! You are loved!