OK, let's get lost

Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."

— Luke 9:23–24

If I lose my life does that mean that if I agree to this that I will be lost.  I thought that "once I was lost, now I am found" solved this problem.  Now He wants me to follow Him. And the way that God "sells" this to me is that I must take up my cross.  Not a great selling point.  Taking up a cross brings up images of a crucifixion. So how do I start down this path.......I deny myself.  I say no. No to what I want, the job, lifestyle, the........ you fill in the blank.

The best part of this is next.  If I lose my life for His sake I will save it.  That sounds like I will have to go through  a few intersetions, up a few hills, down a valley to two, STOP some things, go forward when I don't know where I will end up.  I may even hit a few dead ends, make some U-turns, get hit from my blindside and have to get a new job, career, church, ministry or "C" all of the above.

To save my life. Why would someone NOT want to get to the end and save their life, their kids life, their wife's life.  It seems to me that if we "want the best we need to get rid of the rest".  So what do I need to do today to follow Him?  What is my cross that I will need to carry today?  Is my desire to save my life, to find the best for me and my life, stronger than my desire to hold on, to be in control, of MY life.  Is this MY LIFE?  

Is that the problem?     IT'S MINE