Seeking Truth in Today's Troubled World

Imagine, if you will, a man drowning in the sea. The waves are fierce, and he’s been treading water for what feels like eternity. Suddenly, a ship appears, and a voice calls out: “Take my hand, and I will save you.” Now, salvation is offered freely—he is not charged for the lifeboat. But if he is to take the hand, he must let go of the water. He must surrender his struggle, trust the rescuer, and allow himself to be pulled from the life he knew—however familiar, however wet—into something entirely new.

This is the cost of discipleship.

Jesus Christ does not offer a better version of your old life. He offers a new life altogether (2 Corinthians 5:17). And this new life is not a hobby or a supplement. It is a total transformation, an exchange—your will for His, your path for His purpose, your sins for His righteousness.

He once said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). That is not the language of casual religion. That is the language of death—and rebirth. The cross is not a decorative symbol; it is an instrument of execution. Christ invites us to die daily—not physically, but spiritually—to everything in us that resists God: our pride, our self-centered desires, our need to control.

You may ask: why such a cost?

Because Christ is not merely trying to make us better people. He is making us new people. We are not houseplants needing pruning—we are rebels needing rescue. We are not bad people needing improvement—we are dead people needing resurrection (Ephesians 2:1-5).

He calls us, not into comfort, but into battle. Not to self-fulfillment, but to self-denial. Not to worldly success, but to eternal significance. “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Discipleship costs you everything that is not truly you. And in return, you gain your true self—the self God intended before sin rewrote your story (Matthew 10:39).

But make no mistake: while it costs everything, it is worth more than anything.

He warns us to count the cost, just as a builder calculates before laying a foundation (Luke 14:28-33). He will not trick you with promises of ease. He says plainly: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart—I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). You will face opposition, possibly even from family and friends. You may lose status, comfort, or ambition. You may find that following Christ feels like walking upstream while the world rushes down.

And yet, He also says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). That is the paradox of discipleship: it is the hardest road and the most joyful. The narrow gate leads to the widest freedom. The cross you carry becomes the crown you inherit.

You may begin this journey afraid—unsure if you can endure, unsure if you are worthy. But discipleship is not sustained by your strength; it is sustained by His Spirit. “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). He does not call the qualified—He qualifies the called.

So, dear reader, count the cost. But then count the reward: forgiveness of every sin. A relationship with the Living God. Purpose in this life, and eternal life to come. “Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). And what you find will be more real, more alive, more yours than anything you’ve ever known.

In Christ’s service, ~ JFH