Mystery of Suffering

Although a profound mystery Christianity helps us view suffering these 3 ways:

• Life is eternal.  God is able to compensate anyone who suffers unjustly.  We are immortal beings, it's not like we die and that's it.  We will continue to exist for eternity.  The sufferings of this life do not compare to the glory we will experience in heaven.
• God can bring good out of our suffering, even in ways we don't understand.  Jesus Christ is the supreme example of this for Christians.  Through the evil and horrendous act of crucifixion perpetrated upon Him, God was able to bring about the salvation of the world.  In the same way God can take our own sufferings and make good come out of it for ourselves and others.  That is by prayerfully and faithfully uniting our sufferings to Christ, God can bring good into the world.
• God is willing to suffer with us.  God takes on human nature and gets on the cross to help us shoulder and bear our own suffering.   

For Christians there is meaning in suffering, it is never wasted.  So don't despair.  We don't suffer and die and that's it.  Through faith we can overcome our sufferings (and put them to good use).  Our reward in heaven will be great!