Following Jesus — while it is truly the only way to find peace and contentment on this contentious planet of ours — is not easy, and while many Christians try to convince themselves that they’re on the narrow road of following Jesus, a substantial number of them are on a smooth, wide highway.

This is a beautiful face, because it is innocent, trusting, and reliant upon someone bigger and stronger. That’s a pretty good definition of a Christian. Child of Eden, original oil painting by Steve Henderson; licensed open edition print at Framed Canvas Art and iCanvasART.

Absorbed in busyness, obsessed by finding their “ministry,” satisfied with organized meetings, prone to reading the notes at the bottom of the Bible page as opposed to the verses above, fascinated by celebrity Christians who urge them to “listen to me; listen to me NOW,” they are fooled by Hollywood’s interpretation of a beautiful face. They hand out tracts in public places, and when people (understandably) tell them to blow off, they say, “Oh! I’m being persecuted for Christ!”

Following Jesus looks different than this, and while it’s far more difficult than the substitution many people who call themselves Christians are satisfied with, the real thing is worth pursuing, and living.

Please read the rest at Christian Misfits: “You Have a Beautiful Face” at my Commonsense Christianity column, BeliefNet.