This may sound like a nit pick: but this is a quotation not apropos to the argument. Paul, while still Saul, did his best to trash Jesus Christ to the point of getting Christians violently killed. He had to suffer more than most other Christians, as a matter of poetic justice. Christians must be willing to suffer when God calls them to do so for the sake of Jesus Christ, but they should not idolize suffering itself. Paul didn't; as a Christian he had pleasant times as well as painful.
I probably wasn't clear enough in the original post. A lot of televangelists say that they drive a Mercedes because they trust Jesus and Jesus intended for them to drive a Mercedes. It's part of the "name it, claim it", which IMHO has a lot more to do with new age visualization than Christianity. A person who truly commits to following Christ doesn't do it because of promises of riches in this world. Christ never suffered simply for the point of self-pain, and in fact, prayed to not suffer the pain of the crucifiction. However, he followed the path laid out for him, regardless of where it went. If I implied that Christians should SEEK suffering, please accept my apology. My point was intended to be that I hear a lot of people claim they want to be used by Christ. Well, St. Stephen was used by Christ, he got in one good sermon, and they stoned him to death. He did not seek the stoning, but he did what was asked of him, without regard to the consequences.