To the student of Christian Science the statement that God meets every need is always a comforting one but very often a misleading one. He is apt immediately to have dreams of sudden material wealth or worldly possessions as his reward for turning to God as the source of supply instead of looking to the old human sources to which he has been accustomed to look. Now we do learn in Christian Science that God does meet every human need and gives us abundantly of all good, and we learn to turn to God and to God only as our source of supply, but we cannot forget that first of all Christian Science teaches us to seek first "the kingdom of God, and his righteousness." Seeking the kingdom of God and seeking to make what we might call a financial demonstration are two widely different things.
Christian Science is simply the word of God given to us in such a way that we are able to understand and make it practical. Jesus showed us the way to do this, and while Jesus' understanding of God made him the richest man on earth still he knew well the temptation of material riches that would haunt the pathway of every disciple of his. Early in his own ministry he had been tempted by the glory of all the kingdoms of the world, but his prompt turning to Principle, which he knew would bring him the riches of eternal Life, silenced the lie of longing for material possessions. "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve" brought the angels of God to minister unto him.
Very bitterly did the evil thought of mortal mind persecute Jesus for robbing it of its false sense of riches. On page 54 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy says: "His earthly cup of bitterness was drained to the dregs. There adhered to him only a few unpretentious friends, whose religion was something more than a name. It was so vital, that it enabled them to understand the Nazarene and to share the glory of eternal life." Are we as Christian Scientists longing for the purification which enables us to share such riches? Is this the wealth we truly desire? Are we willing to take up the cross as Jesus did, of purification from human beliefs and temptations for the sake of a world which does not know the way? Are we willing to give up all our cherished human plans or desires and seek the spiritual status of man?
