Consider this: to suffer for Jesus verses to fellowship with Jesus in HIS suffering. I think that this has gotten very confused for a lot of people. To fellowship with Jesus in HIS suffering comes at a stage of one’s spiritual development. And is a choice after seeing that He is in fact suffering, to join Him-to be with Him while He is suffering. It is a later stage in spiritual development.
Loosely, there are stages to our maturation. Each stage is a way to get to know a different part of Christ. We first know Him as deliverer/redeemer; then as couselor/teacher; then, as brother-this is when we move into His Sonship and gain our inheritance;then, we have the privelege of fellowshiping with His Suffering..and onto knowing His Kingdship and glorification.
I think if we jump ahead to the later stages without the others, we can be doing the wrong kind of suffering.
