Does Your COMPASS Point to TRUE North?
The magnetic compass was an important advance in navigation because it allowed mariners to determine their direction even if clouds obscured their usual astronomical cues such as the north star.
If we were to transpose this to our Christian walk, we could say that the magnetic needle on our life’s compass should always be pointing to Jesus, regardless of the cloudy circumstances we’re facing. In other words, our focus should be on Jesus, so we don’t deviate.
Time is a currency that is most valuable in our Christian commitment. (Eph 5:15) I was talking to someone recently who happens to be an on-fire Christian. He recommitted his life to the Lord about 5 years ago, and he was sharing with me a testimony about his priorities and how just little deviations will get you off “true north” on your compass.
It doesn’t take much for the devil to distract you “just a little bit”, and all of a sudden you’re back to watching plenty of TV, wasting time on your phone or spending a lot of time “just talking” with people, basically just chilling and wasting time.
If you are fully committed to the Lord, it is so important to constantly reevaluate how you’re spending your time. We think it’s important to budget our money, and we keep an accounting to know if we are keeping on budget, constantly balancing our expenditures with our income, etc.
But we don’t realize how important it is to budget our time. In Christian work, our time is almost more valuable than money. Sad to say, for many of us, the devil is tricking us into wasting time on unimportant things in order to change our focus from really seeking first the kingdom of God. “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” (Gal 5: 9)
I think that all of us should make it a priority on a monthly basis to take account of where we are spending time to make sure our compass is still pointing True North.
Time is your most precious gift, because you only have a certain amount of it and if wasted, it’s gone.
It is so easy to drift into projects, deviations and time wasters that are mostly compromising our main focus. “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16)
We do it with our food. Most of us take stock of the kind of food we eat, and how much we eat, in order to stay healthy. If we eat too much junk food, it has a way of showing up around our waist. And then, we’re “back to the gym”. But we have to take the same responsibility regarding our spiritual exercise.
It’s a danger with Christians, because we do preach freedom and deliverance, but unless we also LIVE it, it sends the wrong signal to people. “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” (1 Pet 2:19)
Paul, the Apostle, had a one-track mind. He said, “One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13,14) And he told the Galatians, who were quite entangled in the world, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Gal 5:1)
We are supposed to be one-track minded as Christians, primarily because we have found the truth. Therefore, why should we want to go back to dabbling in lies. We have found the light, why should we hunger for darkness. “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Eph 5:8)
I have compiled a number of verses here below for the purpose of doing a SHORT BIBLE STUDY to help anyone who is entangled, or addicted to such things as drinking, porn, TV watching, social media, etc. Hoping that it can be a help to you.
– – – –
Heb 12:1,2
“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Gal 5:1
“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
1 Cor 7:22
“For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freed man of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ.”
Gal 5:16
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Jn 8:34
“Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.'”
2 Tim 2:4
“No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the One Who enlisted him.”
1 Cor 6:12
“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything.”
Rom 8:2
“For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”
1 Cor 16:13
“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
1 Cor 6:19-20
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
1 Cor 6:15
“Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!”
Rom 8:12-13
“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
Rom 6:14
“For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
2 Peter 2:20
“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.”
Eph 5: 1-21
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as CHILDREN OF LIGHT (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
(Eph 4:17-23)
“You must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart; they have become callous and have given themselves up to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of uncleanness. Put off your old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”