We never can go after Christ and walk on flowery paths. It was a Via Dolorosa on which He walked to Calvary, and the disciples must be as their Lord. Notice that it is “His Cross” which each follower of Christ must take up. That is, each life has its own burden of duty, of struggle, of self denial, of responsibility, which each must take up and carry for himself.
The whole world would be of no profit to us if our life were lost. We could not buy pardon, or peace, or heaven even with the treasures of the whole world in our hand. Nor could we keep the world and carry it with us into the other life, though we won it all.