the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few

 Ok, so from a humanistic perspective this starts out sounding like punishment. But, I speak as a man.

From Truth's perspective this is the only way to begin the path of life that leads to real happiness, both in the future and for this life now; and for ourselves and everyone else that we will know, encounter, impact. If we aren't willing to set aside the wisdom of man we are trapped and all else is futile. Then 'hope' is only another word for 'luck'. Real hope is based on the knowledge that God is able to order our path as we conduct our lives we live fully alive and His life flows through us.

So, pressing on and trusting the only one that can really love, let us proceed so that we can enter into His promises, both for the life to come and this life.

Jon Bloom wrote in Let Him Deny Himself:
The Christian life is a journey to the greatest joy that exists. But "the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:14). Why is that? Because, paradoxically, in order to pursue our greatest joy, we must deny ourselves.

1. First, the Christian life is hard; sometimes agonizing. We shouldn't be surprised (1 Peter 4:12). It's hard because denying our fallen selves is hard. Any death is hard, some much more than others. But it's designed to be that way. Our lives are our most precious earthly possession. Nothing displays the worth of Jesus more than our willingness to give away our lives (in small and large ways) for his sake.

1. Second, the only things that Jesus asks us to deny ourselves of are what will rob us of eternal joy. Like Moses in Hebrews 11:25-26, we are called to deny ourselves the passing pleasures of sin and consider the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the world's treasures.

So, is hard the criteria for choosing? Or is something else more important? I think something else - like how do I allow God to fulfill His will in my life by letting Him live through my life so that what I do really is worth doing.