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One thing I have really been tossing and turning all in my head is the question and idea of "Do you really want to follow me?"

Jesus is the most uncompromising person ever to live. Jesus stated that He is the ONLY way, and the ONLY truth. So, if that is the case, then we should automatically just follow Him, right? But what if that isn't easy? Living for something or someone else is incredibly difficult. It means completely giving up what you want for yourself and dedicating all of your time for anything but yourself. Can I be honest with you and say that for me, that is almost impossible. I look at those facts with a dropped jaw because I know it goes completely against our selfish nature.

In Matthew 10, Jesus says (according to "The Message") If you do not go all the way with me, through thick and thin, then you don't deserve me. Wow. Can you chew on that for a little bit and really taste its full flavor? That is INTENSE! A life with Christ means every up and down, every heart break, every failure and success is meant to be shared with Him. And if we aren't able to go through heartbreak for the glory of God then what is the point of even calling yourself a "Christ Follower"? If we can't accept that a life of God could be extremely difficult the whole time because that is what God asks of you, then we should not even expect to see Christ in the end. Now, I'm not saying that our lives will be a complete and total suck fest, but there will be times when you have nothing left in you to go on. You will find yourself completely weak and heartbroken. We will all go through times of doubt and sadness. But of course there is ALWAYS hope. Who Christ brings through the depths, He also brings to the heights. Our life for Him means COMPLETELY sharing everything with Him, not just the good stuff. Thats huge!

We all have to ask ourselves "Am I willing to go through life with Christ even when I know it won't be a smooth ride"? "Am I ready and able to let God make life uncomfortable if its for His glory?"

Don't be ashamed to ask these questions...I'd rather know what I'm getting into after asking the tough questions, than find myself looking back on a wasted life claiming to believe in something I never really understood or knew.