How many times have you heard yourself or others say, “I don’t have enough … .” Whether it be money, friends, clothes, time, etc. For example, the assertion that there aren’t enough homes for the homeless; food for the masses; or solutions to problems of abuse, discrimination, violence, and terrorism. The list is endless and overwhelming, pointing to what appears to be an inevitable and great lack of good in the world today. 

One day, as I prayed for fresh inspiration regarding such challenges, the following words came to my thought, “Thou shalt not lack.” This phrase brought new depth to my understanding of the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament of the Bible (see Exodus 20:3–17) as well as the “new commandment” (see John 13:34) given by Christ Jesus in the New Testament. Many of these commandments begin, “thou shalt” or “thou shalt not.” These imperative words command our attention and obedience.  

I reasoned that “thou shalt not lack” could be an additional commandment and could be applied in such a way as to pray and find healing solutions to today’s world challenges. 

We can start by putting the first two Commandments into practice, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me,” and “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.” These commandments help us strive to have no lack in trust, commitment, and obedience to our all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God. In fact, because God is Love, Love is pouring forth abundance to us, Love’s beloved children, and therefore we cannot know a sense of lack.  

The Fifth through Tenth Commandments teach us how to treat our fellow man—that we should honour our parents, not kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet. We can recognize that, in truth, God’s children cannot lack brotherly love, forgiveness, chastity, grace, loyalty, and justice, because these are our innate God-given qualities. And by focusing on the deeper spiritual meaning of these Commandments and striving to demonstrate them in our daily lives, we can find inspired ways to shelter those in need and find solutions to all sorts of problems plaguing mankind.

Christ Jesus’ “new commandment” makes it very clear how we can have no lack of love when he commands his disciples to, “love one another; as I have loved you,” (John 13:34). As we hold fast to this Christ-like love, our hearts will begin to overflow with enough unselfishness, compassion, and forgiveness to drown out the world’s barrage of fear and torment, and we’ll realize that we cannot lack an understanding of God’s kingdom of heaven, right here on earth. 

God’s children cannot lack brotherly love.

Over the years, I’ve had many occasions to overcome the belief of lack in my life. Seventeen years ago, after going through a divorce, I found myself single again after 20 years of marriage. During this time, I knew I had to look to God for companionship and for guidance about how to become financially secure. I thought of the woman in the Bible who was in danger of losing her children due to debt. When Elisha asked her, “What hast thou in the house?” the woman replied that she had only a pot of oil. Elisha commanded her to borrow and fill as many pots as she could with oil and then sell the oil to pay her debts. She did as he told her and was able to pay all her creditors (see II Kings 4). 

My prayer with this Bible story was simple and specific. I turned my thought to God to know what I had “in the house.” I realized that I could rent out the empty bedrooms in my home and that would provide me with income as well as company. I also very plainly said in my prayers, “Father, I need some company,” when I felt alone in my house. Shortly after that, I found some European tenants who were happy to have a nice place to stay.  

Also, I became First Reader for my Christian Science branch church. This position not only provided extra income, but beautifully fed my need for spiritual growth. I also felt like I was serving my community by sharing readings on topics that related to praying about local and worldwide challenges, such as unemployment, homelessness, financial hardship, and relationship problems.

A few months later, right after September 11, 2001, my weekly hours working part time as an office manager at a financial services company were cut in half. I prayed again, knowing that God would supply all that I needed. The thought came to me to apply for Social Security payments and to take in an additional renter in my home. After a few months of praying diligently, I was grateful to be scheduled to work more hours again. Also, I started a home-based business baking and selling homemade sweets. This not only gave me more income, but made it possible for me to buy Christian Science literature to share with individuals who struggle with various challenges.  

Through all these provisions, I’ve found that God meets all my human needs abundantly and that Love can do the same for all mankind when they call on God through prayer.