Insight for Living

Bill Meyer: When affliction invades our comfort zone, it feels unfair. But when we suffer, what if God isn't being cruel? What if He's being kind? Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll challenges us to see our suffering through a radically different lens. Pain isn't punishment; it's preparation. Discomfort isn't random; it's essential for spiritual growth.

And knowing the difference keeps us from becoming bitter. Well, if you're feeling pressed, cornered, or uncomfortable right now, today's study offers biblical perspective that could transform your response to hardship forever. Let's resume Chuck's teaching now in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 3.

Chuck Swindoll: If you have ever gone through the valley—and not if, but when you have gone through the valley—some of you could testify the reason you were able to make it is a Timothy came to your side. Timothy might have been a physician, Timothy might have been a counselor, Timothy might have been a pastor, Timothy might have been a neighbor, Timothy might have been your own parents or your own blood brother or sister, might have been your own child.

But the Timothy came, and that Timothy brought strength and brought courage to you. Notice it is as to your faith. Timothy didn't come just to say, "Buck up, you can handle it. Suck it up. That's the way it is in life. I could tell you about 15 other cases, and I'm here just to rattle off to you how they stood fast and you can too." That's not it. Timothy came to examine and to help strengthen you in your faith.

Let me show you an example of this. Hold your place and go to 1 Samuel 23. One of my favorite stories when it comes to companionship is Jonathan and David. David is hunted by Saul. Saul is in this crazed state of mind. Saul is determined that David is trying to usurp the throne. So Saul has forgotten about fighting Philistines and decided he needs to fight David and kill him.

But in the meantime, Jonathan, Saul's son, has developed a warm and supportive relationship with his brother in the faith, David. Look at verse 14 of 1 Samuel 23. David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day. Do you have someone doing that to you? Some of you do. You understand. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

Now, David became aware—this adds to it—he became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. It's bad enough to have somebody on your tail, but it's worse when you find out that they are. News reached David in his hiding place. "Saul is out to get you. He's got his armies trained for you. He's handed out pictures of you. They know what you look like. You better watch out."

Next verse: "And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh and encouraged him in God." You talk about a need for an adult fellowship. You talk about a need for a Bible class. You talk about the need to break down a congregation as big as ours here in Fullerton and getting it into bite-sized chunks—don't take that literally—getting the congregation into smaller groups so that as cells we can support one another.

Here's an example of it. David had been before the masses. David, believe it or not, has already slain the giant, and you would think David would be above this. No one is above this. No one. Handling a giant is chicken feed compared to handling the attack from someone as insidious as Saul. And we need Jonathans to come and strengthen us. We need one another.

One pastor's wife in the Northeast writes: "My husband and I have occasionally felt on the edge of an ill-defined despair. There were times when we felt a variety of things: a desire to either quit or run, a feeling of anger, the temptation to fight back at someone, the sense of being used or exploited, the weakness of inadequacy, and the reality of loneliness."

She adds: "Such attitudes can easily conspire to reduce the strongest and the most gifted to a state of nothingness." You can identify with that. This was David's lot. Now back to Thessalonians. This is the Thessalonian situation. They needed a Timothy, a New Testament Jonathan, as it were.

Now drop down to verse 5. 1 Thessalonians 3:5: "For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith." Notice again, it's not just to see how you're doing. It wasn't a nosy curiosity. "I want to see how you were doing." Why? "For fear that the tempter might have tempted you and our labor should be in vain." That is so practical.

One of the great battles of the young Christian is the adversary coming in when suffering attacks. The adversary finds that weak link or that chink in the armor and penetrates. And you must have someone you have worked with in the faith that you get concerned about also. There are times that anxiety is good. Here is one of those times. When you can't endure it any longer, you pick up the phone, you call.

When I could endure it no longer, I sent a friend. I wrote a letter. I took time from my schedule to check up on how you were. There's a practicality in this. We're not isolated granite islands who live like Rocks of Gibraltar. We're eroding pieces of soil on the seashore, and that old wave is beating against us. We need each other. And Timothy's presence must have been a great encouragement.

Let me add here, it's on occasion wise to trace your churnings. Sometime you will churn at night over someone. You will wake up, and you'll be churning over that person. You'll see their faces in front of you. You've had that experience, haven't you? You haven't been able to get them out of your mind. That's Paul's situation. "When I could endure it no longer, I sent to find out."

Don't ignore your churnings. Trace them. Many a person pays many a dollar to someone to help them trace their churnings. "Why do I churn at this point? Why am I uneasy about that? Why do I find myself unable to get her out of my mind, or him?" When they are traced back to an individual that you worked with in the faith, check up. Find out.

Verse 5 is a good basis for that. "For fear that the tempter might have tempted them," and he says, "and our labor should be in vain." I didn't want to look back and say all of those hours we spent together were spent now, as I see it, in vain. Now, to keep a right perspective in all of this, we need some good theology. Back to verses 3 and 4. Same chapter, same subject of suffering.

He's been concerned about the Thessalonians. Now look at the theology behind the suffering. Verse 3: He sent Timothy to encourage, to strengthen them. Verse 3: "So that no man may be disturbed by these afflictions." Before I go any further, I want to analyze that first part of verse 3. He states a fact that we can rely on. The fact is this: Affliction need not unsettle God's people.

A very interesting word translated "disturbed," used only here in all of the New Testament. It's called a *hapax legomenon*, spoken once and never spoken again in all of the New Testament. So he's coined the word. He's drawn it from extra-biblical literature, and he's inserted it here under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to grab the attention of the reader. And if you had lived in that day, your attention would have been grabbed.

Interesting term. It comes from the wagging of a dog's tail. And I think if we were to play on the word as it seems Paul is playing on it, he's saying, "Don't be misled by the tail's wagging." Those that growl, you're probably pretty safe. They're going to bite you. Those that wag their tails, they're going to catch you off guard, and you're going to be deceived. That's the word here.

I don't want you in the midst of the wagging of all of this experience to be bitten, shaken, and hurt. The child of God need not be unsettled by affliction. You know how it happens? It comes out in questions. "Doesn't God care about me anymore? Isn't He the one who promised to help me? How can God be good and permit this to happen to me? Why doesn't He answer my prayer? Is He deaf?"

And in intense doubt, "Maybe all my life I've believed wrong." You know somebody going through those thoughts right now? You know why they are? They have been deceived by affliction. Isn't it remarkable the insight you get from Scripture? God says things you can never find in the university classroom, no matter how intense your study may be. There are depths of wisdom in God's book that you will not find in any other book.

"I sent him to strengthen and to encourage you so that you wouldn't be full of doubt by these afflictions." Now he explains it in a couple of ways. "How can I keep from being disturbed by affliction? How can I keep from having those unsettled doubts?" First, to remember that I have been destined for this. "For you yourselves know that we have been destined for this."

We just read it in Philippians 1:27 to 29. God in His sovereign and inscrutable plan realized that pain had to be a part of our training program. So He destined it for us. Second, we have been warned ahead of time. Verse 4: "For indeed, when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction. And so it came to pass."

I smile because I have prepared two of my older children for marriage as best I could. And one of my pieces of counsel was: falling in love is wonderful, courtship is great, the wedding ceremony is a memory you'll never forget, the honeymoon is—well, it's pretty good. But when all of that has taken place and you are now living life, roll up your sleeves, tighten your belt. It's tough.

So when they go through—not if, but when they go through—the difficulties in marriage, they have been forewarned. Same in the Christian life. There's no reason to be scandalized. There's no reason to be shocked because we have been warned ahead of time. Unless you were led to Christ and disciplined by someone who told you a lie. Namely, "Trust Christ and all your problems will be solved." Then you are in for a real shocker.

But if you have been faithfully and accurately trained, you have learned part of God's training program. In fact, it's part of our destiny is the suffering, and second, you have been warned ahead of time. It is going to come to pass. So you need not in your times of anger, temptation to fight back, sense of being used or exploited—you don't have to give in to those times. You can stand firm through them.

By the way, you can't if you don't have Christ. You can no more enter into this life that I'm describing than the man in the moon without Christ. In order for there to be that ramrod in your back, in order for you to be able to stand firm against times of adversity, Christ must be in place in the nucleus of your life, you're having received Him by faith.

And that isn't automatic because you were born into a Christian home or you have come into a Christian community or you attend a church that preaches the truth of the gospel. You individually and independently must make that decision on your own. Now, these Thessalonians had, so it fit. You may not have. You see, when you succumb to feelings of adversity, there are three very normal responses.

Number one: resentment toward a former authority figure. Number two: isolation from Christian friends. Number three: indifference regarding former teaching. Let me say it again. When we succumb to the tests, when we give up, we embrace three, perhaps more than three, but at least three attitudes. We have some kind of resentment toward a former authority figure. We isolate ourselves from former Christian friends. And third, we doubt truth that was given to us in our former days.

Let me show you how all three were withstood by the Thessalonians. Look at this personal response in verses 6, 7, and 8. "But... but now..." See, that's a contrast. "I was concerned, I sent Timothy, but now, now Timothy has come back. He's come to us from you. And he's brought us good news of your faith and love." Isn't that great? Paul was never petty. He was never just nosy. He was concerned about how they were coming along in their walk with Christ.

And he says, "You're doing great. Now note: and that you always think kindly of us." You might think, "Why did he put that in there?" Because one of the signs of a twisted response to affliction is resenting a former authority. They didn't. "I got word that you still love me. You still think kindly of me." Guess who gets the business when a Christian in a congregation defects? The defecting Christian will often come back at the teacher.

Sometime it's the pastor. Sometime it's the one who counseled him or her, and they will attack. Now Paul is saying, "I'm encouraged to know that you always think kindly of us." So you're doing well. You refuse to blame me for what you're going through. Second, remember the second tendency to isolate oneself from former friends? Look at what he says: "You long to see us just as we also long to see you."

We want to get together. You still want to get with me. There's a dozen stories that run through my mind. I'll preserve you from them. So often it's the tendency when the person is in a time of yielding in distress to those afflictions, they want to go to the other side of the street. They don't want to answer your phone calls. They don't want to relate to you. They want to get alone.

Worst place in the world to be when in doubt is all alone. You need a friend, someone close like a Jonathan to support you. Paul says, "You long to see us just as we long to see you." And third, there's a firm commitment to spiritual truth. "For this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction, we were comforted about you through your faith." There it is again.

We were so encouraged to know you're still believing in prayer. You're still trusting in God. You're still counting on Him to be glorified. Now, don't miss something. Paul just kind of drops it in toward the end of this paragraph. He says, "For we really live if you stand firm in the Lord." Does that surprise anybody else? You'd think Paul would really live no matter what. No, that's not true.

Nothing helped him stand firm and really live like knowing his children in the faith were, and it was an encouragement to him to see them continue to grow. I want to point out a couple of things that I have saved till the last. Now that we grasp at least the flow of these eight verses, the first thought that comes to my mind is this: Having our comfort zone invaded as Christians is essential. It's not unfair.

You know a good example of that? The same reason people say, "It's good not to have just an only child. It's better to have several in the family." Why? Because when you have a brother or sister, they invade your comfort zone. They get under your skin. They also get into your closet. They have a way of dirtying dishes that you have to clean. They have a way of messing up a house that you have to vacuum. They have a way of getting in your comfort zone.

And we who are from larger families would say that—now that we look back, not then, but now that we look back—we would say, "That's the way to go." In fact, those who are only children will often say, "I missed something by not having that give and take." See, it was essential. It wasn't unfair. But far more important, secondly, suffering hardship as soldiers in battle is expected. It's not unusual.

If you lived back in the days of the Second World War, you will remember a phrase that was said frequently: "There's a war on." Remember hearing that? Remember saying that? Someone would ask you about something that seemed a little extravagant that you were doing. They would say, "How could you do that? There's a war on." My dad had a little rationing sticker that went on the right front windshield of the car that I used to read.

It had a little writing on it, had a letter on it—an A or B or C—and it determined... and if we were out just taking a drive and it looked like we weren't really going anywhere with gasoline rationed as it was, someone had the right to say, "Why are you doing that? There's a war on." Why would they say things like that? Because when a war is on, you take stock of your life. And you control. You ration. You're hard on yourself. You give up certain things. That's the way it is when a war is on.

Tertullian in his address to martyrs wrote: "No soldier comes to the war surrounded by luxuries nor goes into action from a comfortable bedroom, but from the makeshift narrow tent where every kind of hardness and severity and unpleasantness is to be found." Good words. Listen to this conclusion and I quote: "Truth is avoided when it is painful. We can revise our map only when we have the discipline to overcome pain.

To have such discipline, we must be totally dedicated to truth. That is to say that we must always hold truth to be more important, more vital, than our comfort. Conversely, we must always consider our present discomfort relatively unimportant and indeed welcome it in the service of the search for truth." That's good.

God has used every means conceivable to get some of your attention. And for some of you, He has not yet gotten it. He will not quit until He does. And He will bring you to a knowledge of the truth as He rips apart your comfort zone and addresses reality. Please listen and consider. Please. For some of you, it means coming to faith in Christ. You know it, and I know it. And you just can't dodge it any longer. Today is the day for you to submit to Him. Quit putting it off. You'll have no better day than today. Let's bow.

Thank You for being faithful to us in the warfare, Father. Thank You for taking away the luxuries of the bedroom and the comforts of the kitchen and the soft padded carpet of a living room and pushing us into the streets. Enable us to learn and never forget what You are teaching us, in the true sense, to consider. For those who this day need Christ, Your Son, don't let up on them till they have bowed to Him. May we from this day forward resist the temptation to avoid the pain. May we learn from it down that road less traveled, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

Bill Meyer: You're listening to the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll and the daily program called Insight for Living. Today Chuck has explained what to do when your comfort zone gets the squeeze. By the way, did you know that Insight for Living provides a spiral-bound Bible study workbook for every series that Chuck presents? The 12-part study in 1 Thessalonians is called *Contagious Christianity*.

You're invited to purchase the Searching the Scriptures Bible study workbook by calling 800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/offer. If you're an audio learner, you'll find the complete collection of 12 messages online, or you can listen to Chuck's sermons on our convenient Insight mobile app.

Insight for Living also has copies of Chuck's classic book called *Laugh Again: Experience Outrageous Joy*. We've selected this book for you because it dovetails so naturally with our current teaching series. You've definitely heard Chuck laugh on this program, and it is contagious. That joy you hear is real, and it's available to you too. *Laugh Again* isn't just a book title; it's an invitation.

In his book, Chuck walks you through Philippians, showing you how Paul discovered joy that circumstances couldn't touch. Whether you're facing uncertainty, disappointment, or just the daily grind, this book will lift your spirits and remind you you have every reason to laugh again. When you give a gift to support the ministry of Insight for Living, you're invited to request a copy of *Laugh Again*.

You can write to us at Insight for Living, Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas, 75034. Your donation will make an impact on someone who desperately needs to laugh again. Our address again: Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas, 75034. You can also call us at 800-772-8888 or visit insight.org/offer.

What does it mean to really live? I'm Bill Meyer, inviting you to hear Chuck Swindoll's biblical answer Friday on Insight for Living.

The preceding message, "When Your Comfort Zone Gets the Squeeze," was copyrighted in 1984, 1985, 1993, 2003, 2024, and 2026, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2026 by Charles R. Swindoll, Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.