God uses suffering for redemptive purposes among His people, and it's never an exercise in futility. Christians are called to participate in the sorrows of Christ, who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. The biblical view of suffering is on a collision course with pagan views, which often deny the reality of pain or seek to escape it through pleasure. The Christian faith is born in suffering, and tribulation works patience and character, leading to a bridge to glory.
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