Martin Cecil August 26, 1979
How open and clear and easily moved
is your consciousness this evening? How rigid and set are the patterns in your
daily living? How firm is our grip upon the state of consciousness to which we
are accustomed? Some may think that state is a particularly fine one, but if
there is a state of gripping on to it, it certainly isn't what is required.
As we assemble together, how much
material is there freed up, already free because you have the experience of already
being free in the expression of spirit before we assembled? From my observation
there are many rather stiff conditions. If there are structured states in your
consciousness, habitual ways of thinking and doing things, then these are all
present, thereby restricting the freedom of flow in the creative field for
which we mutually are responsible.
For many millennia the Lord has
searched throughout the world for those who are in position to be moved by His
spirit; most are not. Everything is set and rigid. How free are we to move
without human inhibitions?
I expect that if I arbitrarily
undertook to move regardless of what was available in the consciousness of
those who are here present, there are some who would be shaken right down to
their heels, some who would be shocked. And I'm not speaking of moving very far
either. But most seldom undertake the responsibility of thinking for
themselves, of following out implications. There is much that needs to be said,
which should be easily said because all concerned have followed out
implications arising from prior considerations. But if there has been little
thinking then obviously ruts are sustained and a more or less rigid condition
prevails.
What is it that may be seen as being
dominant in human nature? Why is it that human beings are persuaded at all to
move out of their lethargy? One way that this may be achieved in human nature
is to offer an adequate reward. This relates to human greed, doesn't it? The
other side of the coin is punishment, isn't it? If the punishment is sufficient
someone may move; that relates to fear of course. So greed and fear are buttons
which may most easily be pressed in human nature to galvanize people into some
sort of action.
Shame is another button.
"What's everybody going to think of me? They could make me feel
ashamed." We can remember some words that the Master apparently spoke,
"Which of you convinceth me of sin?" Who can make me feel ashamed? Who
can produce action on my part by offering me a reward or threatening me with punishment? It became quite evident, in the unfoldment of the experience, that He was not
subject to any of these things. In other words human nature was not His nature.
You know from your own experience of
what is offered through this ministry that, insofar as I am concerned at least,
I haven't offered you a reward. I haven't tried to get you to do anything
because you imagine that you would be benefited by doing it. It's conceivable
that you may have translated some of my words in that fashion, but I've never
been interested in offering anyone a reward. You may remember the ad that
subsequently a number of you have put in newspapers: "Leaders
Wanted." One of the things there
stated was: "With no thought of reward." It's right there! The very
moment that a reward is offered human nature is on the scene.
I suppose it is conceivable that
something which has been said, something in our literature, could be twisted
around to indicate a promise of some kind; but from my standpoint I never made
any promises, and I trust no one else has, to try to persuade someone to do
what perhaps you considered would be the right thing: "If you do this then
you will receive that." We're not looking to satisfy human nature. Human
nature methods always appeal through shame, fear or greed.
We're not in the business of making
promises. We're seeking those who have integrity, who are concerned to do the
right thing regardless. I'm not interested in anyone else. Are you? I trust
not. Sometimes it takes a person quite a little while to get around to letting
that be absolute in his own experience.
Can the spirit of God come and find
everything available in us? What do you think would happen if that were
actually so? Maybe we shouldn't speculate, but I think we are aware that
something remarkable would happen, because we at least have some experience of
what does happen when the spirit of God finds a little bit of flexibility
someplace in us and we are caused to move, relinquishing rigidities.
If we are anticipating a reward we
are associated with the wrong organization. No promises have been made to
anyone—no promises of health, happiness, what have you, which is what human
beings are usually looking for, rewards of all kind—no promises whatsoever;
just the opportunity of accepting a true character of integrity in one's own
living. Then see what happens.
Why complain about the inevitable
effects of human nature? I suppose here is a promise, at least it could be
interpreted this way: The Law works! The Law does work. We reap what we sow,
and because we are not alone on earth we participate in the sowing and reaping
of others. This is the way it is. But we can take responsibility for ourselves,
acknowledging that the Law works; and we presumably have accepted the
responsibility of letting the Law work the way it was supposed to work in
bringing forth what we are responsible for in the name of the Lord. If we don't
bring it forth then we have our troubles.
But even if we do bring it forth maybe
we'll have our troubles too. Did you ever think of that? This is the idea of
reward, isn't it: "Well if we do the right thing, everything will work out
just the way it should." How do you know how it should work out? Of course
that interpretation is saying, "Its going to work out so nice for
me"—reward for being good. But no such promises have ever been made.
Those who come on earth to
accomplish the divine purpose are not looking for a reward for themselves. They're
not looking for a reward for anyone on earth. They are seeking to return what
has been stolen from the Lord to the Lord. Are there enough human beings on the
face of the earth who have sufficient integrity to let that be done, who are
not feathering their own nests in one way or another?
If at times we get ourselves into
trouble, we get sick perhaps; we may say, "Well what have I been doing
wrong?" Is that the way to look at it do you think? If those who are
genuinely seeking to do what they're on earth to do get sick in the outworking
of things, the question is: How is that going to be handled to allow the
greatest blessing to be brought forth because of the circumstance? Would you
take the attitude that if you are functioning the way you should be to do what
you are here on earth to do in the world the way it is, you would never get
sick, you'd never have any troubles? It seems to me the Master ran into a
little trouble along the way. No such promise has ever been given.
All that has been said is that we
should learn to take it as it comes. Let us not judge what comes. Let us learn
to take it, handle it the way it should be handled, even when it comes close to
home. Job gave a beautiful example in all this: "The Lord giveth and the
Lord taketh away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” I will not violate my
integrity no matter what comes. Can we say that? How much does it take now, to
cause any one of us to violate our integrity? Sometimes seemingly not much. When
the prince of this world comes, as he does daily, what does he find? No reward.
No fear of punishment. But whatever is the fact now needs to be accepted now.
Handle the situation rightly now, without shame, without fear and without
expectation of a reward.
There is a prayer that was supposed
to have issued from the lips of the Master, that this cup might "pass from
me." I'm very doubtful if that's
what He said. He wasn't self-centered. He was looking at the events that were
coming upon the world because of what was being set in motion then. These
events have been coming upon the world ever since and it seems nowadays they
are building up in a crescendo. That wasn't a very happy outlook insofar as the
Master was concerned; He wasn't thinking of Himself. He was thinking of
humanity. Forgive them, Father, for they
know not what they do. This was His attitude, and He knew that what was
being done to Him was being done to the whole human race. The whole human race
has been suffering the consequences since and will certainly suffer them
increasingly in the days to come. We can't complain about it. What has been
sown must be reaped. Are we men and women enough to take the responsibility and
to accept what is needful now because we do take that responsibility?
If this is so for those who provide
the essences of leadership then it is so for everybody else too. Let us not
expect something to be delivered to us on a platter so that we don't have to do
any thinking, whoever we may be—thinking on the basis of this movement of the
spirit of God; being alert and aware, with increased understanding, that we may
be accounted of value on earth.
And don't imagine that your value is
in what you think you can do in the external sense. What you do may be of value
if you know your value, but don't try to know your value from what you think you
can do. That isn't your value. The value is in God. The value is in Being. The
value is in the One who says the words "I am." If you can say the
words "I am," and speak truly, then you may also speak the words
"I will" or "I can" or whatever. But you can't speak those
latter words until you are first capable of saying "I am." So don't
build up your ego by all the things you imagine you can do, even the spiritual
things you imagine you can do.
The one question that needs to be
answered is: Can you say, and speak truly, "I am"? If you can't say
that then you have no value to give to what you do. Value is in being, and that
value in being is transmitted into achieving, but the achieving never gives
anyone value of itself. It may reveal the value of being, that's all. So let us
be intelligent in our approach to these things. All value is in God, the Lord
God Almighty. Holy, holy, holy.
© Emissaries of Divine Light
