Following Jesus was never meant to be comfortable, costless, or convenient. In Luke 9:23-25, Jesus makes clear that true discipleship requires complete self-denial, a willingness to suffer, and letting go of the life we think we are supposed to have. American Christianity has drifted toward a version of faith that asks something of us but never everything, and Jesus confronts that directly. This is a call to honest self-examination about what we are actually pursuing and whether our commitment to Christ has ever really cost us anything.