Soul Speak #16 - "Forsaking everything to follow Jesus" - What does "everything" mean?

"Forsaking everything to follow Jesus" - What does "everything" mean?

#forsakeall #followJesus #forsakingeverything

On another group I am part of, it was highlighted that one of the most important scripture verses in the NT that has seemingly been overlooked is the one that commands us to "forsake everything and follow Jesus". I had some thoughts about this, which follow below.
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People have been trying to follow Jesus for 2000 years. Why does this seem so difficult to do? I think mostly because people tend to take Jesus' words literally, and if you are thinking in practical terms... it's not very practical to do so.
Here is my take on what I understand the "forsaking of all things" means... it essentially sums up "everything" we have built through our Ego (pseudo self - the one Jesus told us to deny) and rooted our identity in. What I see Jesus teaching is to "forsake the natural ego for the Christ mind".
Think of it this way, how many of us find identity in our careers, or being a mother/father? As human beings we often feel worthless or unaccomplished, and we build our lives around this "sense of worthlessness" and seek to add value to (inflate) ourselves by building successful careers, being exceptional mothers, and proud fathers, fill in the blank, etc. etc.
Unless I build this beautiful house for my wife, I feel unaccomplished. Unless I am a mother with lots of children to surround me with love, I feel unaccomplished. Unless I become the soldier to render service to my country, I feel unaccomplished. The list goes on and on.
I know of a famous doctor (Dr. Gabor Mate) who chose his former career based on the subconscious belief that he was 'not wanted', and so he subconsciously reasoned that by becoming a doctor "he would be needed".
This 'sense of lack' lurks in our subconscious mind and causes us to make our life choices. This is what we are being asked to 'forsake', and realise in it's place that we are already loved, accepted and accomplished because of our beautiful divine essence and origin.
These things are not who we are, nor do they determine our worth. Jesus was not telling people to abandon their families, their careers, their homes, etc. and expect us to live homeless and not have families to provide for. He was teaching us to abandon the false identity (deny yourself) that we based on and created from 'not knowing our divine value'.
I know it is scattered all throughout the New Testament and we could debate what is the most important gist of the entire New Testament scripture.
I say it is the message of "You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High." John 10:34
This message of 'our divinity' is repeated again and again (John 14 & 17), but it has been changed to read in a way as to only apply to Jesus of Nazareth. So here we are, 2000 years later and we still don't know how to apply the words in a fruitful manner, and the "elephant" is still standing in the living room.
I believe (and kinda know) it is talking about forsaking our "lower ego self" for our true, divine identity of the I AM "Self" or Christ.
Contrary to what we have been taught, Christ is not the title of the person we know as Jesus of Nazareth, although he carried this anointing (Christedness) and told us that we also possessed the same glory that had been given to him.
John 17:20-22 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—.
And the 'giving' in this sense is not one of "bestowing", but rather being reminded of our divine 'birth right'. It has always been ours.

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