The Compass of Values

Understanding God’s Moral Order

Introduction

Every journey of faith begins with direction. Without it, even good intentions drift into confusion. The Compass of Values is the first path of the Jurnava Framework, the point where clarity begins. It helps believers recognise what is truly right and where God’s truth points when life’s choices pull in different directions.

In Scripture, this moral orientation begins with revelation. God does not leave humanity to define right and wrong through opinion or instinct; He reveals it through His Word. The Ten Commandments provide the foundation, the Seven Holy Virtues express the qualities that strengthen obedience, and the Seven Deadly Sins expose the weaknesses that lead us astray. Together, they form a compass that points the heart back toward divine order.

Let’s explore the biblical meaning behind this path, how God’s truth directs, defines, and anchors moral life.

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” — Psalm 119:105

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” — Proverbs 3:5–6

The Compass as Revelation

The Compass of Values reflects the biblical truth that morality begins with revelation, not invention. Humanity is not the author of ethics; God is. The Ten Commandments were given to establish this order, to make clear that righteousness flows from divine authority rather than human reasoning.

When Moses received the law on Mount Sinai, he was not handed a set of arbitrary rules but a reflection of God’s nature. Each commandment mirrors His holiness, justice, and mercy. The commandments are therefore coordinates, not constraints, they map out the boundaries that keep life aligned with truth.

Psalm 19:7 affirms this: “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” The Compass of Values helps believers rediscover that perfection, it points away from confusion and back to clarity.

The Role of Virtue and Sin

Where the commandments define moral direction, the virtues and sins reveal the forces that either uphold or oppose it. Scripture shows that obedience is not sustained by knowledge alone but by character. Virtue builds strength; sin erodes it.

The Seven Holy Virtues — chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, gratitude, and humility, describe the attitudes that keep the moral compass steady. They guide believers to act not from impulse but from principle. These traits echo the fruits of the Spirit described in Galatians 5:22–23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Learn more about: The Seven Holy Virtues →

The Seven Deadly Sins — lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride, distort that direction. They confuse the compass by turning the heart inward, making self the standard instead of God. When unchecked, they lead to moral disorientation, a world where right becomes relative and conscience loses its voice.

Learn more about: The Seven Deadly Sins →

The Compass of Values exists to restore alignment. It teaches that virtue strengthens the will to obey, while sin undermines it. The believer who studies both learns not only what is right but also what threatens to pull them from it.

The Commandments as Coordinates

The Ten Commandments remain the most direct expression of God’s moral order. Each serves as a coordinate on the moral compass, a point of reference that keeps life oriented toward truth.

The first four commandments define relationship with God: worship, reverence, rest, and loyalty. The remaining six define relationship with others: honour, life, faithfulness, honesty, truth, and contentment. Together, they reveal that morality is relational, a covenant between God and His creation.

Deuteronomy 5:33 instructs, “You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.” The commandments are not burdens to carry but boundaries that preserve life and peace.

Within the Compass of Values, these commandments function as the fixed points of divine direction, timeless truths that ensure every virtue aligns with God’s purpose.

Learn more about: The Ten Commandments →

The Compass and the Conscience

The human conscience is like a needle that responds to the pull of the compass. When the heart is sensitive to God’s truth, it points toward righteousness. When dulled by sin, it drifts without orientation. Scripture affirms that conscience must be trained, not trusted blindly.

Hebrews 5:14 explains, “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” The Compass of Values helps believers exercise this discernment. It refines conscience through consistent reflection on God’s standards rather than cultural trends or personal feelings.

A healthy conscience depends on moral alignment. When values are clear, conviction is strong. When values are neglected, confusion grows. The compass keeps the soul aware of where it stands in relation to truth.

The Compass and Wisdom

In biblical thought, wisdom is not merely knowledge but alignment, living rightly under divine order. Proverbs 2:6 reminds us, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” The Compass of Values embodies this principle. It trains believers to seek wisdom from God’s revelation rather than from human opinion.

The book of Proverbs describes wisdom as a path illuminated by light and guarded by discernment. Proverbs 4:26–27 declares, “Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.”

The Compass of Values teaches precisely this, to walk with focus and integrity. It provides a stable centre when the world shifts its moral definitions. By holding to divine coordinates, believers remain steady when others lose their way.

Living by the Compass

To live by the Compass of Values is to make God’s truth the measure of every decision. It is to recognise that moral clarity does not depend on circumstance but on conviction. This requires humility to learn, courage to stand firm, and discipline to stay true when compromise offers comfort.

Psalm 25:4–5 becomes the prayer of a life guided by the compass: “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.”

Living by the compass is not about perfection but direction, continually turning back toward what is right when the heart begins to wander. It keeps the believer aware that every choice is a movement toward or away from God’s order.

Summary

The Compass of Values forms the foundation of the Jurnava Framework because it defines where moral and spiritual alignment begin. It is the revelation of God’s order, the truth that directs conscience, strengthens virtue, and exposes sin.

Through the Ten Commandments, believers learn the shape of righteousness. Through the virtues, they develop the strength to live it. Through awareness of sin, they learn vigilance against drift.

The Compass of Values teaches that right and wrong are not shifting opinions but fixed truths revealed by God. It restores clarity to a world that has lost its direction and calls every believer to walk by the light of divine wisdom.

When the compass of the heart points to God, the path of life remains sure.

Scripture References

Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

Proverbs 3:5–6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Psalm 19:7 – “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”

Galatians 5:22–23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

Deuteronomy 5:33 – “You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.”

Hebrews 5:14 – “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Proverbs 2:6 – “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.”

Proverbs 4:26–27 – “Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.”

Psalm 25:4–5 – “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.”