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Is God Your "True North?"

 

Over the past week, while scrolling through LinkedIn for business reasons, I noticed something that’s probably been trending for a long time. Post after post spoke about leading with empathy, being kind in business, avoiding toxic leadership, showing respect regardless of rank, and not treating people as commodities.

 

All good things. All worthy messages.
But as I scrolled, one thought kept rising:
We seem to be trying to reinvent what God has already written.

 

The Original Source (True North)

 

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (NIV) says:

 

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

 

Everything truly good, everything that makes for wise and righteous living, already comes from God’s Word. But somewhere between social media soundbites and self-help quotes dressed up as wisdom, we’ve drifted.

 

So the question is: Which way are we facing? Are we aligned with True North?

 

True North vs. Magnetic North

 

If True North represents God — His unchanging truth, His direction — then Magnetic North represents the path that looks right, feels right, even sounds right, yet slowly pulls us away until we’re completely off course.

 

The world, as in those who don’t know Christ or openly deny Him, walk that diverging path of Magnetic North. It runs close enough to truth to look convincing. But it does not lead to God or eternal fellowship with Him — no matter how kind, humble, or generous someone may be.

 

My concern, though, is not the world.
It’s the millions of sleepy Christians walking that same road, believing they’re fine.

 

The Great Deception

 

Satan doesn’t need to turn people into monsters; he just needs to make the almost-right look right enough.
He’s the father of lies - and his subtlest work is among believers who drift just slightly from the truth.

 

Instead of a relationship so deeply rooted in God that the things of the world grow dim, we become so entangled in the good-looking deception of the world, that the things of God grow dim instead.

 

Jesus warned two churches about this very condition.

To the church in Ephesus, He said in Revelation 2:4–5 (NIV), that what He has against them is that they have lost their first love - Him.

 

And to the church in Laodicea, He said in Revelation 3:15–16 (NIV):

 

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!
So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

 

Both warnings speak to the same drift - love  for Jesus becoming luke warm, and faith becoming comfortable - the tragic result of losing sight of True North.

 

When Moderation Becomes Misalignment

 

Someone said to me recently, “I’ve started going to church again and I’m giving to the poor - but "not like you". Everything in moderation.”

No! Moderation is NOT what God wants from us.

 

We cannot follow the look-alikes we see on social media and all around us - self-help dressed up as spirituality, clever sayings that sound like Scripture, or diluted “faith” that fits neatly into our lifestyles.

 

We say we love God, yet fill our minds with whatever Netflix serves up, instead of reading the Bible, the music we choose instead of worship, and what we call “just fun.” in place of fellowship with other believers. 

 

A friend once said, “Oh, but playing with divination cards is just for fun.”

No - it’s not fun. It’s giving Satan a foothold, and he will use it with great gusto.

 

The Wake-Up Call

 

Maybe by now you’re uncomfortable - or even disagree. That’s okay.

Some people walked away from Jesus too: the rich young man, the one who wanted to bury his father first, and others.
And Jesus let them go.

 

Don’t take my word for it. Go read it for yourself.

 

But if you are serious about a deep, intimate relationship with the triune God, then ask yourself every day, even several times a day: Am I facing True North? Is God still my first love?

 

This world is full of almosts - almost truth, almost light, almost good - but there is no almost God!

Magnetic North runs close enough to look right but ends in total, eternal separation from the loving God who spoke us into being.

 

The Turning Point

 

It’s time to turn radically away from what's easy, and to stop measuring our faith by what looks respectable or feels comfortable.

True North isn’t about trying harder. It’s about surrender. 

 

TOTAL SURRENDER - just as you are.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve done wrong, how guilty or worthless you feel, or how proud you are.
God already knows the darkest corners of your mind, and still loves you completely. Just surrender, let His light of truth

shine on you and draw you to Him.

 

A Prayer of Surrender

 

Pray this right where you are:

 

“Jesus, I need You. I need Your forgiveness.
I’m tired of living in my own strength.
I want to turn away from this path of deception and confusion.
Show me Your path and shine Your light in my life so that my feet will stay on Your way and keep me connected to You.”

 

The only way you can ever say that God didn’t answer that prayer is if you carry on living as before.

 

Next Steps: Walk True North

 

Don’t just attend church - get into Scripture.

Make God number one in your life - before your spouse, children, career, hobbies, pets or possessions.

 

Ask a mature Christian whose life clearly shows the fruit of the Spirit to disciple you, just as Jesus discipled the twelve.

Read and internalise John 13–17. Reflect on the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5.

And as you grow in your intimate relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Spirit, you will be filled to overflowing - you will remain set on True North and you will multiply by discipling others - because that’s what Jesus commanded in Matthew 28:18–20.

 

The Final Call

 

Let’s wake up, friends.

Let’s return to the compass that never shifts, the Word that never changes, and the Presence of God that never deceives.

 

Our days are short and can end in a heartbeat. But it’s not only about the end - it’s about living now in the abundance of God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace.

 

With love,
Hilda