Excerpt: Only in Christ do we find rest (Ps. 62:1). When Christ alone is the center of our lives, when he has the affections of our hearts, then—and only then—we become established. We become grateful, giving children of God amidst the chaos and groaning of this broken and fallen world. We live purposefully by seeking to reveal the greatness and goodness of God by how we give to others—yes, even when they fail to meet our expectations. But, as Piper suggests, when we take the Son from the center of our lives, when we put anything else in his place—our marriage, our kids, sex, sports, work, hobbies, ministry—we become double-minded. Our passions begin to spin out of control. We succumb to worry. Lust, pressure, and conflict characterize our lives.

“Thou hast made us for Thyself and our hearts
are restless till they rest in Thee.”—Augustine, Confessions

Will we choose God? Or will we depend on people, things, and circumstances to go our way? The great battle is for our hearts. We either go north to God or south to gods. There is no in-between.

Review:

Gary and Lisa Heim speak with an authority that comes from years of active ministry and counseling. Their book, True North, is both convicting and encouraging. It is so easy to get beaten down by the fallen world in which we live and believe the lie that we just aren’t good enough. Then we go south to whatever gods we can find comfort in, forgetting all about our loving God who wants to meet our needs. The other gods always disappoint and lead us into sin. But our Father God loves us unconditionally and teaches us to live for Him. The first part of the book talks about what it means to go south and it is difficult to read because it is so convicting. But the book isn’t about making people feel guilty for not seeking God first. In fact, the Heims point out that we all fall short of that goal at times. What this book teaches the reader is how to recognize the lies and notice when we are about to go south. “We have a Father who has promised never to condemn us, but rather to help us with our weaknesses so that we might bring him glory. He lives within us; we are never alone (p. 155).” True North is designed as a Bible study with questions at the end of each chapter. It is difficult to read straight through as I did because there is so much to ponder. It is not a light read although there are light moments. It is a book with a mission. A very worthwhile one. To learn more about True North ministries visit their website: http://www.truenorthministries.net/