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He said to him, “Follow Me [walk the same path of life that I have walked]!” ( John 21:19)

And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me. ( Matthew 10:38) Nobody can call himself or herself a follower of Jesus and, at the same time, follow their own path, do things their own way, ignore the righteous life God has called them to.

A call to bear one's cross as part of following Jesus, then, is a call to be as submitted to Christ. Therefore, when Jesus calls for self-denial and cross-bearing, he's claiming authority. Following Christ means disowning the self and giving allegiance to him instead.

He that taketh not his cross means that he who is not willing and ready to undergo the trials, and afflictions, and persecutions, which God in the way of his providence shall lay upon him, for Christ’s sake, is not worthy to be counted among my disciples nor to receive the reward of my disciples.

Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our salvation. And He has commanded us and expects us to do the same for Him as proof of our love and loyalty; that is, we should be willing at any time to suffer and die for Him to prove that we love Him dearly and are ever loyal. Christ expects everyone to prepare his heart and mind for affliction and death if they come his way.

That man that is willing to forego the present life, to suffer reproach and persecution, and lay down his life cheerfully for the sake of Christ and his Gospel, for his name, rather than deny, or neglect any truth and ordinance of his, shall find his soul possessed of eternal life, as soon as separated from his body; and shall find his life again, in the resurrection, and shall live with Christ in soul and body, in the utmost happiness, to all eternity. Those who do willingly lose their lives by dying to themselves for His sake, however, will find eternal life. In fact, following Jesus is the path to the life that is true and lasting.

Whoever finds his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. (Matthew 10:39) We see then that God's will is often a surprise to us- it comes with an unexpected packaging of pain and suffering and even death! He warns them that everyone will lose their soul/life, but only those who lose their soul/life for His sake will find it.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26)