The five thousand who were fed by Jesus witnessed the normal development of a spiritual idea in human consciousness. Sooner or later we all must discover that abundance, not lack, is the natural phenomenon of existence. Supply has its ever-present source in divine Love, and Love is always expressing itself.

The disciples who were with Jesus on that day when Jesus fed the five thousand were momentarily worried about a multitude of demands—five thousands people needing food. They said (John 6:9), "There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?" May a breadwinner has felt as pressed and as limited in his capacity to meet the demands of the present and the future as the disciples did when they faced that vast hungry throng. But when we devote our energies to seeking spiritual gain, spiritual substance, we find that any apparent lack is unable to resist the power of the Christ.

The real man's constant state is one of well-being. Mary Baker Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 258): "God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis. Mind manifests all that exists in the infinitude of Truth." The manifestation of Mind is always in the realm of Mind. Jesus' mission was to show mankind the way to spiritual consciousness, to the recognition of Mind's full manifestation, including infinite supply.

We should not seek more matter or matter's rearrangement, but spiritual gain only. Our true success is found through generous service, through the intelligent use of our present capacities, through courage and ingenuity, through persistence and hard work.

A common complaint is that someone else or something outside of ourselves is responsible for our limitations and that we can do nothing about it. A wife may think she is poor because her husband does not have a good job. The disciples thought that they could not feed the multitude because there were only a few loaves and fishes.

The truth is that one's whole salvation, including his abundant supply, is an individual experience. Our relation to our neighbor or to our employer, the economic situation, someone's notion about our being too young or too old, can no more prevent our individual demonstration of supply than these arguments can stop us from being honest or in earnest. When we learn to perfect our own actions and our talents through increased spiritual understanding, we find that our concept of man is lifted up, and we see that affluence is natural for all. Our adversary is the belief of lack, not a competitor or fellow worker. True supply is indivisible because it is substance bestowed by infinite Love; it is universal.

With deepest compassion Jesus showed his disciples how to live a life of spiritual enlightenment, how to find in each circumstance its full inherent blessing. We shall not win our way today with anything less than a life patterned after the Master's example. Jesus' disciples saw the need of the multitude but assumed their own inability to meet the need. Jesus saw the need and did something about it. A measure of the successful man is his ability to discover opportunities for service where the unenlightened thought sees nothing worthy of effort. The world's need is the Christian Scientist's opportunity.

There are many ways to serve. We can serve by our intelligent action, by the proper performance of our job, by our generosity, our love, and in countless other ways. Serving, however, does not mean merely catering to others' material wants. Charity is noble and should not be neglected, but there is more than charity demanded of the advancing Christian Scientist. True service means sharing the full fruits of our unfolding experience and spiritual understanding.

Jesus knew that the time for the demonstration of God's grace and ample love for man is always at hand. It is never too late for us to demonstrate good. We are never too old to be wanted, to be needed, to be abundantly supplied. We are never past the opportunity to progress in spiritual living.

Human laws that have set an arbitrary limit to usefulness because of age are unnatural and should be corrected. As we understand that the man of God's creation is governed by divine laws, we shall find that doors are open which lead to heavenly good and that doors are closed which would restrict or limit progress. There is continued opportunity for each of us, and the greater our true maturity, the more apparent this opportunity will be and the more satisfying and full of present and eternal reward.

Supply, then, is not an accumulation of things but is evidence of the development of Christian character, of the unfoldment in human experience of our real being in God's likeness. It is evidence of right ambition, of the pure desire to know and to live the truth. Through spiritual awakening we find true insight. We develop talents and find joy in the highest service available to us at the moment.

The light of the Christ corrects illusions and reveals the presence of good and the absence of lack. It brings to each of us the comforting assurance that this present hour both needs us and rewards us. Unlimited supply is the natural possession of man in God's likeness.