is living the good life really good?

Lately the idea of suffering has been on my mind, and i can't shake it. Why do some people suffer, while other people live a good life? Why are some people persecuted for their faith, while others live life peacefully; even though they have the same faith/religion? Not only do i not see the disparity between Christian lifestyles in various nations, but i see it in my own life. There are times when following Jesus is easy and joyful, and other times when i feel that i'm putting myself into difficult situations because of my faith in Jesus as savior. Is life suppose to be peaceful?

As i was reading "Desiring God," by John Piper, the following ideas were presented:

God has manifold wisdom, so every act has millions of consequences; here are some:

• Suffering is the gift (philipians 1:29) used to refine the christian,
• it is used to show you are a christian (acts14:22; 1 thesalonians 3:3; 2 timothy 3:12),
• it causes us to depend more fully upon christ (2 corinthians 1:8-9),
• to show the world that Christ is a greater gift than anything else,

and this is the really interesting thought:

"now i rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh i am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of His body, that is the church." (colossians 1:24)

Piper states that the apostle Paul is not referring to justification, because Christ completed that on the cross. Instead Piper believes that "God intends that the afflictions of Christ may be presented to the world through the afflictions of His people." The Passion of Christ is a graphic depiction of the crucifixion of Christ, but not as graphic as the persecution/suffering christians gladly experience in day to day living.

So back to my initial question, "is life suppose to be peaceful?" This is important, because as a christian, I want to know the life that God has set apart for me, because it's the life that will be most rewarding. God said in Jeremiah "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11. That seems pretty straight forward: God wants to remove us from harm. But then i think of the statements Jesus made in Luke "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it." Luke 9:24 and again in Matthew "and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." Matthew 10:38. If God doesn't change (Mal 3:6), then why the difference? Or maybe there isn't...

I think if Piper is right, suffering is a natural and rewarding practice in a Christian's life. Just look at the list of ideas Piper presented: it's a gift, a refining tool, a method to deepen your bond with Christ. these all seem like prosperous, and hopeful results! Maybe I need to rethink my definition of harm, or at least look at the rest of Jeremiah 29, because verses 12-14 say "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ¹⁴ I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. "

How many times do i call upon the Lord when things are going well? Yet, every time I am in need, I will eventually fall down and pray. And guess what, after I call out, He is faithful in rescuing me! That shows me how true His love is, and deepens my joy and satisfaction in having a relationship with Him. The harm is in the absence of God.

At the same time, I think God wants to give us joy and peace without suffering. I guess it goes back to context, Sometimes you need to be woken up from the "comfort coma," and sometimes you need to rest in the presence of God. It seems like a balancing act. I know that sometimes i focus more on the act of suffering than i do on for whom i suffer, yet i also choose my comfort more than Christ's call. If the chief end of man is to glorify God, and God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him, how can i be MOST satisfied in Him when i'm also satisfied in my daily comforts?

I don't know, maybe it's just my call to suffer through these questions without getting a complete answer in my lifetime. Praise God, they are refining me!