What is a Lodestar?
Throughout history, one of the main concerns for travelers and sailors was finding their way and not getting lost. Even after compasses were invented, they were unreliable and even today’s sophisticated equipment is breakable. For centuries, people around the world have used the stars to guide their way, specifically, the North Star.
Located directly over the North Pole, the North Star remains stationary in the sky, so wherever it appears marks north. As long as a lost traveler, hunter, sailor, soldier, runaway slave, escaped prisoner, could find the North Star, they could get their bearings and know they were on the right path.
Another name for the North Star is the Lodestar.
And from this name came the general term for a lodestar – something that marks the way, guides, and helps us keep our bearings. If you look at your lodestar you know where to go and whether you are off course.
Hebrews 12:2 says “So we fix our eyes on Jesus.” That is our ministry verse. We want to turn everyone to the Lodestar, Jesus Christ. Instead of being lost and directionless we can map the course of our lives with confidence – continually towards our Lodestar.