Navigating The Way Week 1 - True North
Finding Your True North: Navigating The way back to God
Trying to figure out where we're going in life? You know that feeling when your GPS fails and you're completely lost? Life can feel like that sometimes, right?
Imagine being a runaway slave in the 1800s, using nothing but the North Star to guide you toward freedom. No phone, no map, just one constant point in the sky leading the way to hope.
Here's the thing - we're all trying to navigate something.
Maybe it's:
- Career decisions that keep you up at night
- Relationships that feel complicated
- Questions about purpose that won't go away
- Doubts about faith and what's real
- Your way back to God
Just like a compass always points north, we all need something constant to guide us. For Christians, that "true north" is Jesus call to disciples - basically helping others find their way while continuing to grow yourself.
But here's what's interesting - even in the biblical account, when Jesus gave this mission, some people worshipped while "some doubted." If you're skeptical or questioning, you're not alone. Even people who literally saw Jesus had doubts! The cool thing is, Jesus didn't kick out the doubters. Everyone was welcome at the table.
Think of it like this: on a scale from -5 (totally against God) to +5 (deeply committed), where are you? Maybe you're at -3, skeptical but curious. Maybe you're at 0, just starting to explore faith because you just responded to Christ gift of grace. Or maybe you're at +1 but feeling stuck. Wherever you are, that's okay. The point isn't to judge where you are, but to keep moving forward.
Once you've found freedom, how can you let others? It's like Harriet Tubman, who after finding freedom, went back 13 times to help 70 others escape. She could have stayed comfortable in her freedom, but she chose to risk everything to help others.
For those exploring faith: You don't have to have it all figured out. Bring your doubts, your questions, your skepticism. There's room for that here. For believers: Maybe it's time to move beyond just being comfortable in your faith. What would it look like to help someone else find their way?
Whether you're taking your first steps of faith or helping others on their journey, remember - everyone starts somewhere. The key is to keep moving forward, using your "true north" as your guide and be a disciple who makes disciples