Are you a good runner? I've never gotten into running for exercise. But there's one race I want to win, and that's the race that God has set out for me. As believers we're all in a race, and as we saw yesterday from 1 Corinthians 9, we should be in that race to win.

Hebrews 12:1-2 gives us some further good information about running our race:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The good news is that we each have our own race to run; we're not competing with each other. We are told to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. God has a race planned for me and it's different from the one he has planned for you. But it is marked out; and each of us has one. So, I don't have to run your race, and you don't have to run mine. But each of us needs to know the race marked out for us, and then run it to win.

Do you know what race God has marked out for you? He's not trying to hide it from you; it's there. But first you've got to get on the running field and start moving. You won't find the race marked out for you sitting on the sidelines. Maybe you've been trying to run somebody else's race—trying to be like someone else or wishing you could do what he or she does, instead of accepting the race God has for you. Every race is important; one is no more important than another. But it's foolish to try to run someone else's race. Run the race marked out for you.

And the writer to the Hebrews says to run it with perseverance. Marathon runners go through what they call "hitting the wall," that place in the race where they feel as though they cannot possibly continue. Everything in them wants to quit, but they've learned through training and experience that if they'll keep going, they can run through that wall, find their second breath and finish the race.

Have you hit the wall in your spiritual race lately? Ready to quit? It happens to all of us, but don't give up! Run with perseverance the race set out for you. Keep running through the wall. Your faith is being tested, your endurance is being strengthened; God is working on your behalf, but you've got to run with perseverance.

I'm sure we're all familiar with the Olympic games and enjoy watching the many different races they have. It is amazing to see how hard and long those athletes work to qualify for the Olympics. There’s a race that you and I are in, and it's a lot more important than the Olympic races. It's described in 1 Corinthians 9:24-26:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; 

Paul gives us three important guidelines here about running our race.

First, he says to run in such a way as to get the prize. Lately I've heard lots of reports of how some schools are trying to eliminate any system that has winners and losers, so that nobody's self-esteem will be wounded by not winning. Well, let me tell you, that's not the way we are exhorted to run our race for God. We're out there to win. Just participating and making a show isn't enough.

Second, we have to go into strict training. I think this is the part where many of us lose our races; we haven't yet gone into strict training. What does that mean in our Christian race? It means purity of life; it means building our spiritual muscle and endurance through Bible study, prayer, fellowship. It means imposing on ourselves the sacrifices and disciplines that will make us strong.

Third, we are not to run aimlessly. We should have purpose, goals, and a strong commitment to get to the finish line. We can't flit from one thing to another; we must stay focused and run with a purpose.

All of our hearts stop beating when we see the Olympic ceremonies where those medals are awarded and the national anthems are played. When you're in the winners' circle, all the hard work and discipline are worth it.

I think if we could really get a vision of the prize that awaits us—that eternal prize—we'd get more serious about running our races. Can you imagine standing in God's winners' circle, hearing him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant," and winning a crown that you can then cast at the feet of Jesus? That scene makes the Olympics look like kid's play. Don't you want to be in that winners' circle? If so, you have to run to win, you have to go into strict training, and you have to run with a purpose.

Recently a friend said to me that she finds herself just restless with what she is doing. She said it was just an uneasiness in her spirit, wondering if she’s where she supposed to be. I imagine there are others in that same place, so I thought it would be helpful to talk about that. I’ll give you ten very practical common sense questions you can use to see if you’re really satisfied with your job. I think it will be a good exercise for all of us to evaluate our own job satisfaction.

Question 1: Are you sticking with your job simply because you’re afraid you can’t find another one?

Whenever fear is part of your motivation, you have to think twice because fear is never of God. Fear is an absence of faith, and it can cause you to make very poor choices. Obviously, you should not hastily decide to leave a job just because everything’s not going your way. But if fear of not finding another job is the only reason you’re hanging onto the job you have, it is likely that you’re simply not trusting God in this matter like you should.

We are told that it is much easier to find another job while you’re still employed, so if you think you’re staying in a job for the wrong reasons, it might be a wise move to quietly begin a job search and see what possibilities are out there.

Question 2: Did you start your career because you were genuinely interested in it, or only because you needed the money or someone coerced you into it?

Have you ever looked back at a career or job decision you made and wonder whatever caused you to go in that direction? It has happened to me. You know, that can simply be a function of lack of maturity or lack of good counsel or just moving too quickly. But if you’re in a job or career for which you have no real interest, no passion, or no particular giftedness, it’s going to be difficult to be satisfied with that job. In fact, you will become more dissatisfied as the weeks and months roll along.

It is not unusual to recognize a wrong job decision at some point in your career. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck there forever. If you know the job is not right for you, then it’s time to start planning your next move. Plan carefully so as not to make another mistake but move ahead. Don’t let that rut keep you from reaching out to something new that God may have for you.

Question 3: Do you feel healthy at work or do you regularly worry or feel sick about going in the next day?

If going in to work “turns your stomach,” creating physical problems, then it’s pretty certain that something is wrong. Maybe it’s not the job itself which is the problem, but a particular person that you work with or for. It’s helpful to separate the actual job from other things about the job that may be difficult for you. Then you would want to ask yourself if you want to give up a job that suits you, one where you truly enjoy the work, just because of a personality clash or heavy workload or some other circumstance.

Or it could be that you simply allow yourself to worry way too much about little things, and that is creating the health issues for you. Jesus told us not to worry, because our heavenly Father is watching over us. If you carry around a load of worry all the time, as though by worrying you can solve the problem, remember that has never worked! God may have you in your job to teach you to trust him and to let go of the little stuff—to cast all your care on him because he cares for you.

Question 4: Do you feel as though your rate of pay is fair?

Who of us would ever say we couldn’t use a little more money? But the question is: Do you feel you are being paid fairly, competitively, according to the work you do? Now, you may find it difficult to be objective about this question, so a good suggestion is to do some research and find out what the rate of pay is for your type of j...

In Romans 12:1-2 we are admonished not to be "conformed to this world.” Since we are living in a world foreign to God and his principles, it is terribly important that we do not allow the world to shove us into its mold. The church Pergamum lived right where Satan had his throne. Yet they remained true to the name of Jesus (Revelation 2).

Could that be said of you and me? Living in this alien world, are we still living lives true to Jesus and his gospel? Our society, for example, is addicted to self and everybody's out for themselves. Self-glory and self-satisfaction are the chief aim of most of the people where you live.

I don't know about you, but I'm at the point that if I hear "self-esteem" one more time, I'm going to explode. Aren't you sick of hearing how everything wrong with anybody is because they have "low self-esteem"? We were singing the hymn May the Mind of Christ My Savior in church recently which has this verse:

May the love of Jesus fill me, as the waters fill the sea

Him exalting, self abasing; this is victory.

As I sang that verse, I thought, self abasing? Do we know what we're singing? That means, putting self down in a world that says you have to feel good about yourself. In a world that insists you cannot be a healthy person if you don't have very high self-esteem. Self abasing? That's pretty radical stuff!

My friends, "Him exalting, self abasing; this is victory" is the truth of Scripture. When we exalt Jesus and die to our own selves, we are victorious. We'll feel good, but not about ourselves. We'll be fulfilled, but not self-fulfilled. When we fill up with self, we ask for depression, for discouragement, for defeat, because self is our problem, not our solution.

In the midst of a world gone crazy for self, will you live a life that says "Him exalting, self abasing; this is victory"? The more you think about yourself, the more miserable you'll be. The more you exalt Jesus Christ, the more you are filled with his love, the more you'll know what your mission in life is. You don't need to work at having good self-esteem; you need to know Jesus in depth and from that comes a right and balanced view of who you are in Christ.

"I know where you live" Jesus says to us. And I want you to be true to my name right there in the midst of that self-centered society. This is victory.

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Have you ever suffered prejudicial treatment? It comes in all forms, and it seems this world is full of it. I'm quite certain that all of you know what it's like to live in a world full of prejudice and hatred, where people are maligned and mistreated because of the color of their skin or their cultural heritage. We live in a world that is full of injustice, where fairness and fair play are rare commodities.

John wrote to the church in Pergamum in Revelation 2:13a: "I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name.” We are living in Satan's territory, and one of his most effective tricks is to prejudice people against each other.

As believers, we must search our hearts and attitudes and make certain that we do not harbor any kind of prejudice that would cause us to treat people in unfair and hurtful ways. It could be that your parents taught you to be prejudiced, and you need to clean out that wrong teaching. Or maybe you have developed your own prejudice toward certain people or certain types.

There should be no trace of any kind of racial prejudice among Christians. We should be color-blind. Do you have friends of a different race? Do you fellowship with believers from another culture? If not, you are missing some enriching and wonderful blessings in your life.

You know, these prejudicial attitudes can be very subtle. For example, even though we know that homosexuality is a sin, we still should not have prejudicial attitudes toward people who are homosexual. They are people, created by God, loved by God, and we should not shun them because of their lifestyle. Many Christians have failed to understand that you can hate the sin but love the sinner. Thank goodness that is true, because we're all sinners and yet God loves us.

Do you tend to treat people better or worse based on how they're dressed, or how smart they are, or whether they're important people or not?  That is prejudicial treatment, and it is unbiblical.

It's hard to live in this world and not be caught up in prejudice of some kind or another because it's all around us. But like the church at Pergamum, Jesus knows where we live and he wants us to stay true to his name, to his standards, to his way right in the midst of all that prejudice. We can do it, because we have his power to do it in us. Remember, he knows where you live.

I want you to know that Jesus knows where you live. And he understands that as a Christ-follower, you are not living in friendly territory, but he wants you and me to remain true to his name, even in the midst of this foreign land.

For example, Jesus knows that we live in a world that believes owning and having are the trademarks of success. Where money is power and influence is bought and sold. Where your value and your worth are often based on your bank account.

It is not easy to live in this foreign land and not be bitten by the money bug. Jesus told us we cannot serve God and Money, with a capital "M", because he wants us to understand that money has spiritual power. That means it can exert an incredibly strong influence over us and cause us to do things we would never dream of otherwise.

We've seen many people who've been caught doing all kinds of wrong things for money. And we may think that we would never do that. But don't be so sure. Money corrupts quickly and we are all susceptible to its power.

What can we do, living in this world where money is king, to keep from being caught in this web of greed? First, we must constantly pray about the power of money in our lives. I often pray, "Lord, make me positionless and possessionless," and by that I mean, "Make me aware that I own nothing; everything I have is a gift from you and your name is on the title. And any position I have is an opportunity for me to serve you and others. So help me to remember that I am positionless and possessionless.”

Do you own things or do your things own you? One thing that will free you up from the power of money is to simplify your life and get rid of some stuff. Do you find this as hard to do as I do? All you have to do is walk through any mall or browse through Amazon, and you can see a dozen things you think you can't live without, and the power of those things starts to take over. Maybe we need to stop shopping; just stop looking so we are not tempted.

If we want to remain true to the name of Jesus, we must put disciplines into our lives that free us from the power of money and greed. Jesus knows where we live, and he knows that everyone around us is money hungry. But he can give us the power to live free of this greed if we will let him.

In Revelation 2, we see what Jesus says to the church in Pergamum, "I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name” (Revelation 2:13a). I can relate to that church, can't you? We live in a foreign land where temporarily Satan is in charge. And sometimes it feels like we're aliens from Mars or something, because we are often out of place in this satanically-controlled world.

But Jesus says to us what he said to the church in Pergamum: I know where you live—in the midst of a society that laughs at God's principles of sexual purity. Dear friends, we must not let this world system shove us into its mold when it comes to sexual principles and standards.

I remember when thousands of young people in Florida made a pledge to live celibate, pure lives, and not have sex until married. The media hardly covered the story, and when they did, it was as though these were just a small group of weird young people making this ridiculous pledge to live a pure sexual life.

The world actually believes it's not only ridiculous, but impossible to live by Christian principles regarding sex. When we suggest that teaching abstinence before marriage is the best way to be healthy and contented, they react with condescension and disbelief. You can't expect people to abstain from sex, they say, just because they're not married.

May I say something very clear and plain: It is certainly possible for unmarried people to live celibate lives. That is not mission impossible, and it is not weird. Oh, it will take discipline and self-control, but anything worthwhile requires discipline and self-control. Don't be deceived by the messages you hear all around you, either for yourself or your children. It is possible to live pure lives even in this world.

Remember, Jesus knows where we live. He knows we are bombarded with illicit sex all the time; he knows how the standards have been lowered in our society with the sexual revolution. But he also knows that if we lower our standards, we will pay a terrible price, just as many have already.

Don't lower your standards; don't be intimidated by the people around you who talk as though free sex is normal and natural. It is not free; it is very costly, and you will pay a high price if you don't live a pure life.

Jesus knows where you live, and he wants you to remain true to his name right there where you are. He'll give you the power to do it, so don't give up.

Do you sometimes feel like nobody really understands what you have to put up with? Nobody really knows what it's like to live in your shoes—in your world? In writing to the church in Pergamum, the Lord Jesus said through John, "I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name" (Revelation 2:13a).

Jesus understands where you live, and he knows you and I are living our lives where Satan has his throne. Satan is temporarily in power, and we live and work right in the middle of his territory. It's analogous to living in a foreign land, where you speak a different language, have a totally different culture, and a completely alien set of values to everyone else.

But Jesus says, I know where you live—and where you work. Right in the midst of people who care nothing about spiritual things. They don't want to talk about Jesus, and what you find exciting and encouraging would bore many of them to death, because they're spiritually blind.

How do we manage in that kind of world? Well, Jesus says we are to be in this world but not of it. So, we are not to allow the people of this world to pull us down to their level. Yet we are to be available and open to be their friends, to help them when we can, to spend time with them for edifying and harmless reasons.

Each of us has to pray a lot and ask God how we draw these lines in our own lives. For example, if the conversation among your coworkers is almost always crude, immoral, degrading or negative, you probably don't want to voluntarily put yourself into those group gatherings. Admittedly, that could make you appear to be a loner, but if you have a loving attitude toward these people, you can still have an impact on some of them.

Usually we exert influence in one-on-one situations rather than group settings. So, look for ways to develop relationships with individuals and spend time getting to know them. People are more willing to be open one-on-one than in a group, so that may be one way to deal with this problem.

Since you live in enemy territory, don't be surprised to discover that those around you see life totally different because they don't have God's viewpoint. They are spiritually blind. But you must remain true to the name of Jesus. That's more important than anything else.

Remember Jesus knows where you live and he will be with you in your difficult work environment. So take heart, because he has overcome the world.

If you want to be inspired, just google “plants that grow in concrete” and you will see amazing pictures of all kinds of flowers and plants that are able to grow in the most difficult, unlikely places. I was totally mesmerized to see lovely flowers growing out of cracks in a sidewalk, beautiful blooms popping up from a pile of old tires—picture after picture of plants that bloomed in the most unlikely and difficult places. That’s what I’m talking about—the challenge each of us faces to make the very best of where we are, blooming where we are planted.

Have you ever had the run-away blues? The run-away blues are those days, those times in your life when you’d just love to run away. When the thought of going to the airport and catching the next flight out to anywhere else, rather than where you are, sounds like a really good idea. Run-away blues—who hasn’t had those days?

David expressed it so well in Psalm 55. He was in a bad place then; his enemies were threatening him, his mind was a jumbled mess, his heart was in anguish and he was frightened. Now mind you, that was the condition of King David, a man after God’s own heart, who was chosen by God to be the King of Israel. I mean, come on, David, why would you want to run-away? But listen to what he wrote:

“Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. I would flee far away and stay in the desert; I would hurry to my place of shelter, far from the tempest and storm” (Psalm 55:6-8).

David was doing what he was supposed to do, as God’s appointed king, and yet he longed to fly away and be at rest. Are you right now where David was then? Well, aren’t you glad he was inspired by God to put his feelings in writing and leave them for you today? It says that you aren’t condemned for feeling like you want to run away. Even kings have those times. But you have a God who cares and who can bring release and relief for you, right there where you are.

After expressing his run-away desires and fears to God, David then says:

As for me, I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice. . . Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken (Psalm 55: 16, 22).

I  wanted to remind you of these words of hope, from a king who wanted to fly away from where God had planted him. Even in the midst of doing what God has called you to do, you can lose your bloom and the enemy can steal your joy. If that’s where you are, just call to God—cry out to him. Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will put a new bloom inside you, and your desert will become a garden where you’re blooming again and the joy of the Lord will again be your strength.

There’s a passage in Jeremiah that is a great example of what it means to “bloom where you are planted.” You’ll find it in Jeremiah 29, and it is a letter that the prophet wrote to the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. Get the picture? They are God’s chosen people, now refugees who have been forcibly relocated in Babylon. This was a foreign culture; there was no temple in Babylon; it was a pagan culture, worshipping many false gods.

They did not want to be in Babylon. This was not the way they had planned their lives. This went against everything they thought life would be. Surely God did not want them to be in Babylon! Surely this was the worst place in the world for these Israelites to have to live. And yet this is where they found themselves—this is where they were planted.

And here is what Jeremiah wrote to them:

This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daugh...

A few years ago I was talking with a friend who has a painful past to deal with. There was some mental and physical abuse in her childhood, and of course she has struggled with the after-effects. But she was sharing with me how God is healing her and giving her freedom from this painful past.

She said, "Mary, I finally came to the conclusion that I could either magnify my past or magnify my Lord. If I magnify the past, I'll be defeated and depressed forever. So I've chosen to magnify the Lord in my life."

What are you magnifying in your life today? Are you so focused on the here and now that you can’t see much of anything else? That was the problem for the disciples when Jesus told them that he would be leaving them and they would see him no more—but then he promised that “in a little while” he would return and they would again rejoice.

A saint of old, Amos Wells, wrote: “Heal me of my blindness that blots out eternity with this bit of mortal life close pressed.” I wrote his prayer in my journal several years ago and have often repeated it to the Lord. You and I often need to be healed of the blindness that prevents us from seeing the unseen, from looking with forever eyes. What “bit of mortal life” is closing in around you so much that it is blotting out your view of eternity? What “little while” is stealing your joy and your strength?

The Psalmist said, “O, magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together” (Psalm 34:3 KJV). If you choose to set your sites on the wrong things, and they get magnified, then you’ll find yourself in lots of mental and emotional upheaval. Our challenge, therefore, is to keep our eyes on the Lord.

Will you make a commitment to magnify the Lord? When you do that, it will start to crowd out all the other negative things of this “little while,” and you'll discover that life is sweeter, Jesus is nearer, and you have a little taste of what it's going to be like in heaven when we'll be right up front and see Jesus face to face.

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