Following Jesus is hard. There are reasons why it is called “the narrow way”, as contrasted to “the broad way”.

Following Jesus involves saying no to our feelings. It involves picking up our cross, dying daily, and following him. It involves saying “no” to our wants and desires, and saying “yes” to his.

It is about believing that he alone can satisfy us, against all the evidence of our screaming flesh.

It is about saying “no” to and walking away from the things that our flesh thinks will make it happy, and choosing to allow God to fill those empty spaces, even if we don’t know how he will. Even if it seems to take him a long time to do so, or even if it looks like he’s not going to.

It’s about stepping into the things he is calling us to, even if it involves great personal cost and pain. It is about following him no matter what, in the good times and the bad. It is about having the courage to step into a place of calling, even if it means turning our back on what once would have meant everything to us.

If we’re single, it means saying “no” to the desires for sexual intimacy and deep emotional companionship at the price of giving ourselves too much to someone to whom we don’t belong. It means crying out to God to satisfy us, even if part of that involves him sending us a mate.

It means speaking the truth to another in love to help his growth, even if he gets angry with us and doesn’t speak to us or retaliates in other ways. It means accepting the fallout from another’s actions and working together to pick up the pieces (not, however, enabling the behaviour).

It means believing the truth ourselves, and speaking it to us when we can’t believe it, no matter what we would like to think otherwise. It means saying “no” to fantasy and lies.

It means being willing to be seen as the one in the wrong, even if we aren’t. It means being willing to humble ourselves, even if we don’t have to. It means humbling ourselves when we HAVE done wrong. It means giving up our lives so that others can live.

It means being willing to bear the shame of Jesus before the world and accept the hatred that they will heap upon us as his followers.

It means giving up your life, even to death.

Who will follow him? It is hard.