Without Human Inhibitions
Without Thought Of Reward
excerpts from No Promises!
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. Leaders Wanted—With no thought of reward. 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 Lord God Almighty. Holy, holy, holy.
© emissaries of divine light
