To Be Crucified

To be crucified means three things. First, the man who is crucified is facing only one direction.... If he hears anything behind him he can't turn around to see what's going on. He has stopped looking back. The crucified man on the cross is looking in only one direction and that is the direction of God and Christ and the Holy Spirit and the direction of the edifying of the church, the direction of sanctification and the direction of the Spirit-filled life. Second, the fellow going out to die on the cross doesn't say to his wife, "Good-bye, honey. I'll be back shortly after five." When you go out to die on the cross you bid goodbye - you're not going back! Another thing about the man on the cross... he has no further plans of his own.... Somebody else made his plans for him, and when they nailed him up there all his plans disappeared. On the way up to the hill he didn't see a friend and say, "Well, Henry, next Saturday about three I'll come by and we'll go fishing up on the lake." He was going out to die and he had no plans at all.

A. W. Tozer

These are the three prerequisites for following Jesus - always looking forward whatever it takes, no backing out once we've started on the path, and surrendering ALL our plans to the Lord. Are we ready?