Here, suffering is generic, not tied to ministerial persecution. It is the daily sufferings that we endure. Thus, its purpose is just that - endurance. Character and hope are also the beneficiaries of suffering. Suffering is not merely a consequence of living for God. It is a deliberate strategy by which God aims to mature us, train us in righteousness. Suffering keeps our faith vital and strong. It makes us hope in God. Note the Jews in Esther 8-9. They faced extinction, yet rose up and threw off their Babylonian oppressors. Simultaneously, they did not plunder Babylon. The remained holy. This sounds very different from the Israel of the Promised Land. This Israel was eventually judged for its idolatry and taken captive by Babylon. Yet the sufferings Israel endured in Babylon only stiffened Israel's devotion to God.

Romans 5:3-5