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ut a few centuries God will have led us out of the dark forest of these present wars and confusions into the open brotherhood of his rule。
6。 WHAT IS MY PLACE IN THE KINGDOM？
This conception of the general life of mankind as a transformation at thousands of points of the confused； egotistical； proprietary； partisan； nationalist； life…wasting chaos of human life to…day into the coherent development of the world kingdom of God； provides the form into which everyone who comes to the knowledge of God will naturally seek to fit his every thought and activity。 The material greeds； the avarice； fear； rivalries； and ignoble ambitions of a disordered world will be challenged and examined under one general question： 〃What am I in the kingdom of God？〃 It has already been suggested that there is a great and growing number of occupations that belong already to God's kingdom； research； teaching； creative art； creative administration； cultivation； construction； maintenance； and the honest satisfaction of honest practical human needs。 For such people conversion to the intimacy of God means at most a change in the spirit of their work； a refreshed energy； a clearer understanding； a new zeal； a completer disregard of gains and praises and promotion。 Pay； honours； and the like cease to be the inducement of effort。 Service； and service alone； is the criterion that the quickened conscience will recognise。 Most of such people will find themselves in positions in which service is mingled with activities of a baser sort； in which service is a little warped and deflected by old traditions and usage； by mercenary and commercial considerations； by some inherent or special degradation of purpose。 The spirit of God will not let the believer rest until his life is readjusted and as far as possible freed from the waste of these base diversions。 For example a scientific investigator； lit and inspired by great inquiries； may be hampered by the conditions of his professorship or research fellowship； which exact an appearance of 〃practical〃 results。 Or he may be obliged to lecture or conduct classes。 He may be able to give but half his possible gift to the work of his real aptitude； and that at a sacrifice of money and reputation among short…sighted but influential contemporaries。 Well； if he is by nature an investigator he will know that the research is what God needs of him。 He cannot continue it at all if he leaves his position； and so he must needs waste something of his gift to save the rest。 But should a poorer or a humbler post offer him better opportunity； there lies his work for God。 There one has a very common and simple type of the problems that will arise in the lives of men when they are lit by sudden realisation of the immediacy of God。 Akin to that case is the perplexity of any successful physician between the increase of knowledge and the public welfare on the one hand； and the lucrative possibilities of his practice among wealthy people on the other。 He belongs to a profession that is crippled by a mediaeval code； a profession which was blind to the common interest of the Public Health and regarded its members merely as skilled practitioners employed to 〃cure〃 individual ailments。 Very slowly and tortuously do the methods of the profession adapt themselves to the modern conception of an army of devoted men working as a whole under God for the health of mankind as a whole； broadening out from the frowsy den of the 〃leech；〃 with its crocodile and bottles and hieroglyphic prescriptions； to a skilled and illuminating co…operation with those who deal with the food and housing and economic life of the community。 And again quite parallel with these personal problems is the trouble of the artist between the market and vulgar fame on the one hand and his divine impulse on the other。 The presence of God will be a continual light and help in every decision that must be made by men and women in these more or less vitiated； but still fundamentally useful and righteous； positions。 The trouble becomes more marked and more difficult in the case of a man who is a manufacturer or a trader； the financier of business enterprise or the proprietor of great estates。 The world is in need of manufactures and that goods should be distributed； land must be administered and new economic possibilities developed。 The drift of things is in the direction of state ownership and control； but in a great number of cases the state is not ripe for such undertakings； it commands neither sufficient integrity nor sufficient ability； and the proprietor of factory； store； credit or land； must continue in possession； holding as a trustee for God and； so far as lies in his power； preparing for his supersession by some more public administration。 Modern religion admits of no facile flights from responsibility。 It permits no headlong resort to the wilderness and sterile virtue。 It counts the recluse who fasts among scorpions in a cave as no better than a deserter in hiding。 It unhesitatingly forbids any rich young man to sell all that he has and give to the poor。 Himself and all that he has must be alike dedicated to God。 The plain duty that will be understood by the proprietor of land and of every sort of general need and service； so soon as he becomes aware of God； is so to administer his possessions as to achieve the maximum of possible efficiency； the most generous output； and the least private profit。 He may set aside a salary for his maintenance； the rest he must deal with like a zealous public official。 And if he perceives that the affair could be better administered by other hands than his own； then it is his business to get it into those hands with the smallest delay and the least profit to himself。 。 。 。 The rights and wrongs of human equity are very different from right and wrong in the sight of God。 In the sight of God no landlord has a RIGHT to his rent； no usurer has a RIGHT to his interest。 A man is not justified in drawing the profits from an advantageous agreement nor free to spend the profits of a speculation as he will。 God takes no heed of savings nor of abstinence。 He recognises no right to the 〃rewards of abstinence；〃 no right to any rewards。 Those profits and comforts and consolations are the inducements that dangle before the eyes of the spiritually blind。 Wealth is an embarrassment to the religious； for God calls them to account for it。 The servant of God has no business with wealth or power except to use them immediately in the service of God。 Finding these things in his hands he is bound to administer them in the service of God。 The tendency of modern religion goes far beyond the alleged communism of the early Christians； and far beyond the tithes of the scribes and Pharisees。 God takes all。 He takes you； blood and bones and house and acres； he takes skill and influence and expectations。 For all the rest of your life you are nothing but God's agent。 If you are not prepared for so complete a surrender； then you are infinitely remote from God。 You must go your way。 Here you are merely a curious interloper。 Perhaps you have been desiring God as an experience； or covetmg him as a possession。 You have not begun to understand。 This that we are discussing in this book is as yet nothing for you。
7。 ADJUSTING LIFE
This picturing of a human world more to the mind of God than this present world and the discovery and realisation of one's own place and work in and for that kingdom of God； is the natural next phase in the development of the believer。 He will set about revising and adjusting his scheme of life； his ways of living； his habits and his relationships in the light of his new convictions。 Most men and women who come to God will have already a certain righteousness in their lives； these things happen like a thunderclap only in strange exceptional cases； and the same movements of the mind that have brought them to God will already have brought their lives into a certain rightness of direction and conduct。 Yet occasionally there will be someone to whom the self…examination that follows conversion will reveal an e