There are 7 significant events in the spiritual journey. Sufferings is the third event, and this is where we begin to be aware of the old self-serving nature and recognize our heart must turn towards the Christ center. Sufferings is where all earthly attachments are broken from us, and preferences, such as likes and dislikes, are dislodged and laid aside. Earthly attachments must be identified and removed because they are hindrances to the move of the Spirit.

A sense of loss prevails when the ideas and beliefs that were cultivated over a lifetime are being removed. Any attempt to maintain all or part of the former self-serving lifestyle will frustrate the effort to continue. The need for social interaction and its dependency becomes obvious as all needs are born with a spiritual solution—not social interaction.

To complete the spiritual journey, we can’t walk two separate paths; we must die to one and live to the other. In Philippians 3:7-10, Paul experienced this very part of the journey, saying “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…”