This is taken from Rico Tice’s book, Honest Evangelism: how to talk about Jesus even when it’s tough.

He writes,

Mark 8 v 14 is Jesus’ description of what it will mean to follow him. It is on that no public relations expert or marketing department would ever come up with:

‘Whoever wants to by my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’

To become a Christian is neither convenient nor comfortable. It means no longer living for ourselves but for Jesus. I am not the ruler — He is. It means trusting and relying on Jesus, completely. I am not the rescuer — He is. Accepting this and living like it is what the Bible calls repenting.