My heart is like a broken compass.  Instead of pointing to the truth of Jesus, and leading me to follow his path and live out his love, it keeps veering in the wrong direction, pointing me astray, towards resentment and bitterness on one side, pride and self-satisfaction on the other.  Even when I nudge the needle back in the right direction, where it can hold for a while, soon enough it wavers back to its natural inclination.  The worst part is, I think I’m headed true north and boldly go off in that direction, the wrong direction, sometimes getting way off course before Jesus steers me right again.  I cry out with Paul:

I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord… Romans 7:21-25

 Thanks be to God!