When I was a kid, I thought compasses were one of the coolest inventions ever. It wasn’t electronic, it just knew where due north was… cool! I remember my grandpa showing me my first compass and saying, “Don’t put a magnet next to it, Michael. You’ll ruin the compass.” I said “Got it, grandpa.” A few minutes went by… and like any curious boy… I found a magnet.
Grandpa was right.
The compass still had a needle. It still looked like a compass, but it no longer pointed where it was supposed to. It still moved, but it could never really find true North.
Years later, I realized that old compass is a pretty good picture of one of our culture’s most popular ideas. “Living your truth.”
For many Christians, that phrase immediately raises red flags. Confession time: when I hear that phrase, my instinct is usually to dismiss it. It has become one of the defining slogans of the culture for more than a decade, and it’s easy to throw it away without much thought. I decided to ask what people actually mean when they say it? After doing a little research, I found that the idea is often described something like this:
Living your truth means aligning your daily actions, relationships, and identity with your authentic inner values rather than conforming to society’s expectations. It requires self-reflection, the courage to set healthy boundaries, and the resilience to pursue an authentic life.
As I read that definition, I found myself surprised. Parts of it sounds…biblical… because the Bible does tell us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world… -Romans 12:2
Christians shouldn’t simply follow the crowd. We shouldn’t live merely to please other people. Following Jesus often means resisting the pressure to conform to society’s expectations. Where’s then the problem in “living your truth?” It comes down to one phrase:
”…your authentic inner values.”
The Bible certainly calls us not to conform to the world… but it never tells us to make our own hearts the ultimate authority. In fact, the Bible repeatedly reminds us that our hearts are not always trustworthy. Our desires and emotions can be distorted and be misleading. That is because our values are off course without God’s help. Human values without God are like a compass that’s been placed too close to a magnet. It still has a needle, but it no longer points true north.
In other words, if my heart becomes my compass instead of Christ, I shouldn’t be surprised when I get lost. The good news of the gospel isn’t that we’re left to figure out our own truth. It’s that God has revealed His truth in Jesus Christ.
Jesus never…ever said, “Go discover your truth.” In fact, Jesus told people without him they would walk in darkness. That is, they would not be able to find their way. Jesus also said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” – John 14:6
That’s the difference between living your truth and living God’s truth.
Our culture often assumes freedom means looking within ourselves. Scripture teaches that freedom comes from knowing the One who created us. Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).
The goal isn’t to “live your truth.” Stay away from that cultural magnet. The goal is to know and love the Truth; Jesus. When you do that Jesus will become your true north and you’ll never lose your way.
Rev. Dr. Mike Wooton 
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