Thirsting Souls Bible Teaching

(2Ti 1:8) “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;”  Isn’t our thinking skewed? “Afflictions”, persecutions – we desire the Lord to keep us from “any kind” of troubles, much less persecution! We act like people unto whom He owes something, not the other way around. God help us to get our thinking straight.