In Christian Science I’ve learned that man is the expression of God’s infinite being and that this spiritual fact can be demonstrated on the human scene. I’ve also found that “gratitude is riches” and “complaint is poverty,” as a hymn from the Christian Science Hymnal (Vivian Burnett, No. 249) says.

At one point when I was between jobs, I was stressed about finances and was watching my spending carefully. As I sat in church one Sunday, trying to decide whether I should contribute my usual amount to the collection, I thought of something a Christian Science practitioner had shared: that an open palm that is ready to give is also ready to receive. It represents abundance flowing in and out. A fist, which is closed and can’t give or receive, represents scarcity. 

With that insight, I decided to give my normal amount. I felt at peace because my study and practice of Christian Science had shown me that God is the infinite source of all good, and that man is God’s complete expression, lacking nothing.