Jesus never said that following him would be easy.

We've read the words countless times: "Love your enemies," "You cannot serve both God and money," "Take up your cross and follow me." Theoretically we believe them. But do we engage what Jesus says in a way that prompts action?

The truth we avoid talking about is that being a follower of Jesus is terribly inconvenient--a pain in the neck at times--because it cuts across so many of our natural desires. But there is an even greater danger in avoiding what Jesus says. If we harden our hearts to the teachings of...