Championship sports teams almost always credit an incredible bond that develops among the players throughout the season. Their shared experiences help them become the team that can win it all. Often those experiences are difficult. They will talk about a losing streak in the season or particularly difficult practices. Some type of shared suffering unites the team and prepares them to persevere. Paul wants Christians to understand that suffering can unite us to Christ and make us more like him. So, we should not avoid suffering at all costs. Instead, we should be thankful for whatever difficult experiences we have because God can use them to make us more like Jesus.