Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who afflict you,
B. On the positive side, one should strive earnestly to accept suffering as Paul was admonished to accept the thorn in the flesh.  That there are rich spiritual rewards to be reaped from suffering is a fact well known to all; and when called to suffering, people should be aware of this and turn all the energies of life toward their appropriation.  Some of the great literature, some of life's most beautiful songs, and some of its most noble achievements have come as a result of suffering that closed some gates and shut the achiever up to a more restricted course, or opened the eyes of the sufferer's understanding to beauties which he might otherwise never have seen.