Being a lover of maps, it is not surprising that I own and frequently use a compass. I have a cute little one that I keep in my car. It is fun to figure out the direction of a destination. Especially when everyone in the car is guessing!

Kids have some cute jokes about a compass: “My compass broke on a hiking trip. It went south very quickly.” Or “What do you call a crocodile with a map and a compass? A navigator.”

Everybody knows what a compass does. It helps us define direction. We hold up a compass, we watch the little needle spin and conclude that the direction it settles on is north.

But the Kid’s Britannica goes a little farther with its serious explanation. Apparently, the earth itself is a big magnet that has 2 centers of force called poles. There are lines of magnetic force between those two poles. Little bits of metal near a magnet always arrange themselves along those lines.

From the southern magnetic pole to the northern magnetic pole, this force influences all metal objects, and that tiny metal needle always points toward the northern magnet pole.

Bottom line, it is trustworthy. Carry one in your pocket when you head out on a hike. You may not be able to see over a ridge or beyond some cloud cover, but that needle will dance toward the north and get you safely home.

Similarly, the Holy Spirit is a compass for our spiritual lives. He will always step in with accurate and meaningful directions. Those directions may not reflect map coordinates, but they will help.

To walk worthy of our calling in Christ, we need help making choices.  Should we go here for college, or stay home and learn a trade? Should we date him or her or stay focused on our career? Is that promotion and new job a good thing?  Should we stay in California near our families or move somewhere less expensive?

We also need help with our relationships. Are we serving others, keeping the unity in love? We need the Spirit to nudge us towards kind responses in difficult situations. We need to see through the fog and stay on track. Our peace is confirmed by the direction of the Spirit.

The Spirit is the authority. He is to be trusted. He is the resource that we can lean on. Our walk, our conduct, the way we think and behave is determined by His guidance. So, talk to Him!

Rom. 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”