There is a merging with the Divine which involves a willingness to give up everything and everyone. You may not be prepared for that. You may say, "Well, I do not know if I am ready to give up all the conditions because the condition is my husband, the condition is my children, the condition is where I live. I like those conditions." Jesus, as the Christ, said it in a particular way: "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:37-39) Was it an egotistical statement? Was Jesus saying, "I just want to control you and have you worship and follow me, because I am number one around here"? I do not see it that way. It is more like, "If you want to follow what I am doing and become part of it, it requires a great deal, perhaps everything you have to give. But you get to choose. Obviously, you have seen something, or you would not be interested. So if you have seen it, why not go toward the whole of it and find out what it is completely?"-John Morton, DSS
