True North

In Mathematics, ‘Bearings’ is a topic that I am quite fascinated by. Every question, no matter how lengthy, had the same manner of approach. There is no room for innovation, the principle remains the same.

In problems of bearing, there is an absolute necessity – a necessary first step – and failure to do follow that step spells doom. This first step is to find the North. You have to first find the set of coordinates that inform the North position, otherwise nothing you do will matter, and the answer will be wrong.

[6] I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

[7] Even everyone that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

Isaiah 43:6-7 (KJV)

Notice that God says, “for I have created him for my Glory”. The reason for the creation of man is the glory of God.

In the Shorter Catechism, we have the Question; What is the chief end of Man?

The corresponding answer is this: The chief end of Man is to Glorify God and enjoy Him (God) forever.

This is the True North. The truth is that we were created to bring Glory to God, and – might I add – in bringing him Glory we enjoy Him. Any attempt to execute life outside of this prism will be an attempt in futility.

This holds, not just for the overarching story of our lives:

I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

John 17:4 (KJV)

But also for the daily, routine expressions of our lives:

Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (KJV)

We must sustain a daily-term view of the glory of God and an eternal-term view of it. We do this by being committed to the execution of our God-given work, carried out through lives that are both given and pleasing to God, and also by having the same consciousness in the execution of the regular things of life.

It implies that whatever we cannot do in good conscience or in the name (and for the glory) of God is contraindicated for us, even if we are inclined to, because, at the heart of it, it contradicts the true North.

Therefore, this is the true North, that we Glorify God and enjoy Him. If you’re finding the answer to life’s questions, let this be the centerpiece of your life and let everything else revolve around it. You will get the answer correctly.