"To be near Jesus is dangerous. It offers no prospect of earthly happiness, but involves the fire of tribulation and the test of suffering...only through fire may the kingdom be attained." - Joachim Jeremias "The Parables of Jesus"

I do sometimes wonder when I see quotes like that if perhaps I'm having too much of a good time here on earth. I really do genuinely enjoy my life. And it's not just an enjoyment of the goodness of God. (Although I do enjoy that.) I enjoy other things a lot. I enjoy Pataks Butter Chicken frozen meals, I enjoy my iPod, I enjoy cds, I enjoy Coke, I enjoy friends, I enjoy games, and I enjoy jokes. I do love to sleep, and sleep in.

Of course there are things that are hard, frustrating, sad, annoying, and distressing. But on the whole I'm having a good time.

So maybe I'm not near enough to Jesus. Maybe I'm not taking up my cross enough. Maybe I'm not giving up myself enough. Maybe if I was a good disciple of Jesus people would like me less and life would be less fun.

I figure I'll do my best to aim to be a good disciple of Jesus, and if life gets harder, so be it. I'd rather follow Jesus. But while my limited success at discipleship still allows me to eat Pataks Butter Chicken and listen to my iPod, I will. Hopefully even if I get slowly martyred for my faith, Jesus will still let me have frozen meals.