Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Jesus did not talk literally of people giving themselves up to be hung on crosses just so they could get to heaven, but of giving up what was trapping them in this world.
Jesus can see what is holding us back, what is trapping us and what is going on in our lives; He wants us to be able to let go of all those desires which keep us from having a full and open relationship with Him.
When we can focus on Him rather than the world, we can live better for Him than give in to the world all the time!