With One Of television's most popular shows being "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" you would think that everyone wants lots of money, but that isn't so. In an AARP-Modern Maturity survey of Americans 18 and older, 27 percent of the men and 40 percent of women said "No" when asked if they would like to become wealthy (Modern Maturity, July–August 2000). And more than 50 percent defined wealth as half a million dollars, or even less. Only 8 percent said it would take a million dollars to make them feel wealthy. The desire to be wealthy was the lowest in the 65 and older group. A researcher concludes, "Most of us just want enough to feel comfortable and secure."

How important is wealth? Perhaps Christ Jesus' treatment of three rich men provides an answer. The first two were a rich publican, Matthew, who many scholars agree was also known as Levi, and an even richer chief of the publicans, Zacchaeus. Jesus dined in the homes of both. The result: Matthew became one of Jesus' disciples, and Zacchaeus promised to make restitution for any misdeeds. (See Matt. 9:9, and Luke 19:2–9.) Perhaps Jesus recognized in them a hunger for something more than material wealth. It must have been an underlying love for God that made them receptive to reform. They found happiness in their growing love for God.

By contrast, one of Jesus' parables tells of another rich man who built big barns to store all that he had so that he could take it easy—eat, drink, and be merry. According to the parable, God said to the man, "Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (Luke 12:20, 21). Pride and covetousness were rebuked. Humility before God was rewarded.

Being "rich toward God" requires an unselfish love for God and our fellow beings. How much money one has or doesn't have is not the key to feeling truly rich. People with little money may feel more secure through their understanding of God's loving provision than a multimillionaire. And there are certainly people with great wealth who have a genuine love for God and use their wealth to help others. In either case, a pure and humble love for God is the key to lasting security and satisfaction. God is the only true supplier of good, and His provision for you is infinite.

How can you and I feel closer to God? How can we love Him more? These two verses from a hymn map out a way to pray:

A sincere and humble desire to be a better person and a more faithful follower of Jesus Christ brings peace as nothing else can. Recognizing the abundance you already have from God, you and I will join the ones that know a million dollars is not the key to security or happiness.

Most of the AARP survey participants recognized the need for spirituality, and highly valued religion in their life. More than three fourths in the older age groups and two thirds in the younger group believed "that strong religious faith is absolutely essential for them to consider their lives a success." This should not be surprising, because a yearning to know God better is natural.

God is the Father and Mother of us all, and loves each one of us. "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need," writes Mary Baker Eddy (Science and Health, p. 494). We can be in no place where God's love is not already present. God is the intelligence and substance of the universe. We are His children—spiritual, pure, perfect, and well cared for. Admitting these truths gives us the stamina it takes to help establish a world where we are all brothers and sisters—not a collection of mortals, some good and some bad, some poor and some rich. Divine Love is indeed the source of the good and intelligent ideas that fulfill all human needs.