The journey to France will require time, money, and a lot of study. But, eventually, you gotta go. You’ve read the tutorials, but it’s all wasted without an actual trip.

A major part of the Christian faith is baptism. It symbolizes death and new life. Most baptisms declare the two parts: death and life. Something to the effect of, “Raised to walk in a new way of life.” But there’s another part of baptism that we overlook.

What does “main character [stuff]” look like today? What does Hero [Stuff] look like for the disciple? For those walking out their faith, on the path with Jesus, what does it mean to engage with the day in such a way that keeps the fire going?

What if the cost will not, indeed, be different for everyone? What if the cost will be the same for everyone? And if the cost is the same, we don’t have to guess and we can run the numbers.

If all of these assumptions are true, we don’t need to doubt that we are being pruned, that his heart for us is good, that we are going to come forth as pure gold. The people who leave and do not remain do not get pruned. It’s actually way more painful to stay.

The New Testament is clear on where a faith journey leads. How can we get it so wrong? That path leads to suffering, pruning, and death. If you are serious about following Jesus and sticking with him, you will suffer.