Kingdom Of Little Things
Martin Cecil April 5, 1964
Most people are not especially interested in the divine design. They have designs of their own. If we are to begin to align ourselves with the working of the creative power of God in the natural pulsations of being, we must be concerned with the divine design. To what extent are we? The divine design is one of the elements of truth. One aspect of this is the essential requirement of interest in the divine design. How many designs of our own do we still have in our daily patterns of living? The human designs are very persistent and there is a tendency to maintain attunement with them, even though, for the moment, there may be the idea that one is concerned with discovering the reality of the divine design.
We find the design, as we are alert to it, with respect to all our activities. There is no moment, at any time, when the divine design is not present with us, but we must have concern for it and interest in it if we are to begin to experience an increased awareness of it. That design is essential for this initiation of the creative cycle. If that design is neglected, so that we maintain our own designs, then there is no starting point. Somehow those who perhaps have a good understanding of the principles of reality and some awareness of the divine design seem to feel that the provision of the Lord is going to appear as if by magic. The individual may say to himself, "I will get around to doing what I know should be done, sometime." And so there is, in effect, a rejection of the divine design as having any meaning with respect to the moment-by-moment living of life.
You may say, "It's a little thing, after all. It won't make too much difference; perhaps it will be more convenient tomorrow." Now here is the individual's contact point with this pulsation coming down from God out of heaven, just showing a little bit within the individual's range of awareness. If the idea is that other things are more important, then of course that is passed by, and it can become a habit, can't it? If it is customary for a person to ignore these little points then gradually the sensitivity to the divine design vanishes away, and pretty soon the individual doesn't even notice the point of connection he has with the divine pulsations.
If a habit is established along these lines, then certainly it is going to require some very alert and deliberate action to begin to reestablish the awareness of what needs to be done. There is so much that occurs day by day of this nature, where there is a failure to take advantage of the contact points the individual has with the creative pulsations moving in the divine design. If there is something that we know we should do, let us just do it, because by that action we are beginning to give weight, meaning and value to that of which we are aware of the divine design. It may be at the moment a limited awareness, but whatever it is, we need to let it be used; otherwise the ability to perceive will atrophy.
If we are to increase our sensitivity to things divine we must nurture our capacities in this regard, we must exercise them, and the exercise is not on the basis simply of trying to discern more of that which is divine, but rather, recognizing what is of the divine design in our immediate field of function, to act on it. It is the action that counts. Our concern should always be with the pulsations that are moving, with the pattern that is established, so that we stay alert to the creative cycle which we share. And that upon which we meditate in our services should be seen as it relates to our daily function in living because it is only as we do live that we can allow this creative cycle to move, so that whatever more needs to be understood can come within the range of understanding. Let us not become trapped in the human idea that we can find out about the things of God, about the divine design, simply by thinking, or, on the other hand, by discussion. It doesn't work that way. The answer comes through living.
Very often when we bring it down to the little activities of our moments of living day by day, the human mind is inclined to become impatient. "Let's get on to something more important," it says. "Let us lift the veil some more and see behind it, what's there." This is what the mind wants to do. It wants to maintain its position of importance. But what is it that is important actually? And we need to see what is important so that we give value where it belongs. The value relates to the right thing—relating to our moment-by-moment living, whatever we are doing. Such a little thing, so unimportant insofar as this big, important human mind is concerned, but so important in the sight of God. When we recognize what we should do, even though it is in the human-mind view something seemingly insignificant—do it, for there is your contact point with the first of the four forces. There is the creative pulsation waiting to move through you because you act, or because you refrain from wrong action. Your contact point with the divine pulsations will surely be small things.
It is only to the extent that we accept the control of the spirit of God in our living that it becomes true that all things work together to perfection in and through and for us—not otherwise. As we do begin to be deeply concerned with accepting right control, with respect to the little things of daily living, that we may begin to experience the proper working of the cycle of the four forces—it has to be the first one first: water, control in the divine design—as we do begin to experience this, then the next force comes along, because it certainly influences our lives, doesn't it? We are actually doing something and so there is a change; and because the control begins to be in the right place with respect to the true design, we begin to experience the movement of the second force, which relates to air, the firmament, heaven. But that is absolutely dependent upon the acceptance of the control of the divine design in our own lives.
If there needs to be thought given, meditation, let it be with respect to this matter of application. Let us begin to concern ourselves with how these things relate to us in the moment-by-moment living of life. The water, remember, must be changed into wine—truth into life. And we begin to find that our lives becomes governed; they are no longer haphazard; there is the awareness of a government. The government is experienced in our own little lives, with respect to all the little things that happen and in which we engage. And as we have the habit of accepting the control of that which is right then this formation of habit in us brings the experience of being governed. We are not going to fly off the handle, or fly anywhere, without cause. There is something strong in us and working through us, so that we are governed. And that sense of being governed is our awareness of this aspect of the kingdom.
The divine government is something inside the person, and it comes because the individual has been doing something. It doesn't just come because you would like it to come, or think you would. Most people reveal the fact that they wouldn't really like it to come, by their actions, because they keep rejecting it in the little things, instead of taking advantage of the little opportunities. Such simple things, such ordinary things. So many of those who turn toward spiritual things are looking for sensationalism. They're not looking for the kingdom if that is the attitude, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. It is under your hand, anything you touch.
There is something very wonderful about that experience as it becomes more firmly established—the sense of being governed. What a relief! How wonderful! And you can move through the experiences of daily living with ease and naturalness. You are not being pushed around by circumstance anymore; you are not being bothered by every little thing; you are not getting into a turmoil or conflict because of the things that happen round you. You are governed, and because you are governed the things with which you deal have the opportunity of sharing that government. If you are not governed, how can you share the kingdom with anyone?
