Podcast listener Noah Giles writes in, "Pastor John, you've talked a lot about suffering and how to successfully trust God through the trials of life at its hardest. But I also know there have been times in my life when I feel like things are good and even when I'm living out my faith, the only persecution I might get is when I'm silently judged or given a strange look.

Am I doing something wrong when I'm happy and content with life or are there things I should be wary of? If I'm a Christian trying to glorify God, should I ever feel comfortable?" Hmm. Well, Noah is right. I have in my life and in my ministry put a lot of emphasis on suffering.

The reason is because of texts like these. Through many tribulations, you must enter the kingdom of God. No question. They're coming. That's Acts 14.22. Second Timothy 3.12, "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted." Matthew 10.25, "If they call the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household?" First Peter 4.12, "Beloved, don't be surprised at the fiery trial that comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you." John 16.33, "In the world you will have tribulation.

Take heart. I've overcome the world." Romans 8.17, "We are heirs of God, fellow heirs with Christ, if we suffer with him in order that we may be glorified with him." Luke 14.27, "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple." And Hebrews 12.7, "It is for discipline that you have to endure.

God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?" And on and on and on the text goes. You can see where I'm coming from and why I would make it such a dominant part of my writing and my speaking over the years.

I do see that God's calling on my life and somewhat on desiring God's life, the ministry, to help people prepare to suffer. Like it says in First Peter 4.19, "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will and trust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good." This is what Peter was doing.

I think all of First Peter is designed to help people get ready to suffer. Now when you put as much emphasis on the sovereignty of God as I do, there is a certain burden you feel, I feel, to help people understand how this sovereignty is good news in suffering and not just in easy times.

So that's all to say yes, he's right. However, my answer to Noah is that he should find in Scripture a theology of contentment in comfort as well as contentment in pain. Yes, yes, yes, he should. And if he hasn't found it yet, which it doesn't sound like he has, he should pursue.

And I'll try to give a little guideline here. That's exactly what Paul said in Philippians 4. Not that I'm speaking of being in need, for I've learned in whatever situation I am to be content, I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. That would be Noah's "Can I be okay feeling comfortable?" So go to school here, right?

In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things, both of those, through him who strengthens me. So God does not intend for every moment of our lives to be equally hard. Jesus said to his disciples, Mark 6 31, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." Well, if one of them had said, "Hey, aren't we supposed to suffer?

Aren't we supposed to suffer following you?" I think Jesus would have said, "It'll come, it'll come. Don't worry. Go ahead. I'm taking you away to enjoy some desert quietness right now and you'll get your chance to suffer." And so recently Tom Schreiner wrote an article at Desiring God called Stop and Enjoy the Ordinary.

And let me read a line. Ecclesiastes teaches us that life on earth is full of suffering and tragedy. Okay, that's the first half of this little answer. And yet at the same time, we are called upon to enjoy everyday life. The call to enjoy life is persistent as a theme in Ecclesiastes, and he lists one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight texts.

We find these words in chapter three, "I perceive that there is nothing better for human beings than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live, also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in his toil. This is God's gift to man," Ecclesiastes 3, 12, and 13.

So the challenge, the great challenge for all of us is to find a way in our hearts by the working of the Holy Spirit to weep with those who weep and to rejoice with those who rejoice even when they are virtually simultaneous. No wedding should be ruined by the sorrow of those who attend, and no funeral should be desecrated by silly, humorous talk as if joy could have no tears.

This is not an easy task to find this in our hearts, but this is what we're called to do. This is what I call Noah to discover. Beautiful. Thank you, Pastor John, and thank you for the question, Noah. To find the article by Tom Schreiner on Ecclesiastes, go to desiringgod.org and search for the title Stop and Enjoy the Ordinary.

So how do we engage culture and also swim against the stream of cultural influence in our lives? John Piper returns tomorrow to answer that question from a listener. And for everything related to this podcast, you need to know, go to desiringgod.org/askpastorjohn. I'm your host, Tony Reinke. I'll see you tomorrow.

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