Jesus said things like:

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart”

“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”

“One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”

“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Does Jesus ever disturb you? He does me.

Lately, I’ve been sensing He wants me to step it up. It feels like my current level of devotion to Him isn’t going to cut it any more. I’m at a fork in the road.

Forks require decisions.

One road looks like life. It’s the road of half-hearted devotion, playing it safe and living for the pleasures of the present life. It looks like life, but it’s not. It eventually leads to disappointment and death.

The other road looks like death. It’s the road of total surrender, risking it all and living for rewards that come later. It looks like death, but ultimately, it’s the road that leads to life.

What if being obsessed with Jesus is “normal?”

What if we’re supposed to be figuring out how to give away as much of our money and our stuff as possible to advance His kingdom? Like we’re supposed to just be conduits for all He gives us, not buckets.

What if we’re really supposed to love Jesus more than we love our families, our TV shows, our bank accounts and ourselves?

What if when He said we could do nothing apart from Him, He actually meant we could do nothing apart from Him?

What if the middle-class, American version of Christianity is not Christianity at all? What if it’s the road that leads to death?

What if Jesus meant everything He said?

Are you at a fork in the road? Which way will you go?