Being a disciple is more than picking and choosing what we would like to do to please God. We have to be prepared to do whatever it takes without counting the cost. To be a disciple, we need first and foremost to know the heart of Christ. Even then, discipleship is not an easy thing. If we tried to be a disciple with our own effort for a sustained period, we are bound to run out of energy and patience. To be effective, we need to constantly rely on the grace of God. Like the tree described in the passage from Jeremiah, we need to have our roots reaching deep into the river bed. In the flesh, we are always looking for pleasures and instant gratification. Being a disciple sometimes requires us to do things that are unpleasant and involve sacrifice and pain. We can only trust God and look beyond our present condition. We take consolation from the Beatitudes and believe that those who are now poor, suffering and unfairly treated for being a disciple will receive a disciple’s reward in the next life.