A Faithful Compass

If you have ever tried to go to some location, if you are out in the wilderness, or in the city or a state, some unfamiliar place – you can easily get lost, sometimes with a GPS system – during road construction, or in the forest or woods. We do not always have a good sense of direction. What do we need? We need a compass to help get us out from the wilderness, the darkness of life into the light, and on the road to life – wherever we may be.

We all get lost at some point in our life – perhaps physically, or intellectually, or emotionally, or in some other way. It’s then that we do not know what to do. It is then that we are at the greatest risk of doing something harmful. It’s then that we may go in the wrong direction, deciding what we think is right, when in fact it may be wrong. It’s then that we may harm or injure ourselves or others, unwittingly or unwisely, sometimes unknowingly. All because we are missing a moral compass. Perhaps the worse thing anyone can do is to intentionally mislead people, harming them in some way. Evil people, possessed people, they exist and they do that due to an irrational compass in their lives.

Guidance. We all need it. It seems we all have a compass of some sort. Do we use the right one? One of the best compasses that helps us to relate to people is to have a good moral compass. We all need one, some of us have one and use the right one, otherwise? we get all confused, messed up. Sometimes ! We can use the wrong compass, misleading people – family, friends, communities or worse.

SO –“What’s your compass? Is it your only compass? Using the right one is essential, especially if you are involved in leadership.

Leading a family, a church, a school, a community, a state, a nation – or some other organization involves leading people. There - We need a good moral compass, a good sense of morality, an understanding of people, the settings they live in and the moral significance of their life situations and circumstances.

To lead good moral lives we need a good moral compass .

To interact with people in a healthy, wholesome, loving and faithful way, yes, we each need a good moral compass, and each of us needs to use it. If we ignore it, we do so at our peril, and perhaps other peoples’ peril – whether it be a family… or other form of organization. Without a true compass, people get lost, perhaps suffering harm. Leaders, especially, need a true and good compass if they are to lead well.

Do you keep an eye-on your compass? That is an ‘i-on’ your compass. Do you have ‘compass-ion’ in your heart, your thoughts, your actions? Well, “It Don’t Come Easy.”

Good leaders lead well, not by trying to use ‘only’ a political or ideological compass, or a combination of the two - but can lead best when they are led by compassion and grace, hopefully of God (see Psalm 86:15). Though computers, in this age may be helpful, there’s a saying that goes something like this, “To err is human, but it takes a computer to really foul things up.” SO be careful with computers… It’s with compassion and grace, that any leader can lead best. Using the Scriptures as a compass to guide and lead those under our care, in a moral way, whether we are trying to lead in a political system or what we hope to be an otherwise good system requires discernment. Leading by any other form of compass, is unfruitful over the long run – as history has bore out. Does any one think that war effectively solves the problem of pursuing peace in this world.

David, the king of Israel, acknowledged God, when Israel was confronted by Goliath and Goliath’s taunts against the Israelites. David, the shepherd boy, starting with his sling, became a warrior to advance God’s plans in the world… Later in Psalm 32 or Psalm 34 he said basically if you want to have a good long life - to stop lying, turn from doing evil to do good and seek peace and pursue it. Solomon pursued it, with wisdom from God, while he was alive, Israel lived in peace. However, many of the following leaders ignored the wisdom of God and turned, experiencing the consequences of ignoring God’s wisdom. Perhaps, in frustration you may temporarily turn, err - and risk making things worse instead of better. If you do, get up again, and press on. Think about John 3:16-17 and elsewhere as Jesus said, “Be not afraid.” Just as Pope John Paul II emphasized. “Be not afraid.”

May God continue to bless us with godly leaders and bring godly and honorable leaders into positions of leadership. May we earnestly seek God’s guidance as we seek leaders and may those who lead, lead with wisdom, in not just the fear of God, but also trusting and loving God and one another as Jesus taught.