Matthew 10: 38-39

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

We all have a before and after from when Jesus came into our lives. Living for Jesus means dying to our sinful past and letting go of the pain it caused. Losing that old life means nothing as compared to the gain with fellowship with God. We find a life with Jesus when we follow after Him and take up our cross.