WHAT UNITY TEACHES
ABOUT PROSPERITY

This does not mean that all we need to do is sit around waiting for God to dole out our blessings. There are definite conditions which must be met for the abundant life, though some measure of life and blessings is given to all., without regard to what they have done or left undone (sunlight, rain, breath, and many other essential gifts come to us all).

Prosperity is the name we give to the experience of knowing that God is our all-sufficient Supply of all things. Annie Rix Militz defines prosperity in this way: "The awareness of the presence of God out of which comes all good." This should make it clear that we are talking about much more than dollars and cents when we talk about prosperity. We are talking about a spiritual experience which makes a tangible difference. We are talking about an inner sense of contentment, confidence, appreciation, and "right-ness," which is shown by our way of living, including the "things" we have and use to enhance our enjoyment of life.

There is a spiritual law, the Law of Supply and Demand, which governs our demonstration of God's all-providing treasury:

1. Supply and demand are equal.
2. Supply precedes demand.
3. The demand must be made.

2. Supply precedes demand. This is a new, true way of understanding the virtually ever-present human experience of "wanting." When we "want" something, what is the cause of the "wanting?" From a limited viewpoint, we might think that this desire is created by the absence of something we believe would contribute to our sense of happiness and wellbeing. But let us be reasonable! How can something that is not here create anything at all, let alone create the moving experience of intense desire? For example, we know that the absence of food does not create hunger pangs. We are absent from food many times without having this unpleasant experience. Hunger pangs are caused by the activity of the stomach and related organs and fluids -- something that is present within.

The same principle applies to every legitimate experience of "want." It is not caused by the absence of something, but by the present activity of something. And what is that activity? It is the activity of the God-presence within, stirring us up to realize that He wants to do more for us than we have been letting Him do! Remember, whenever someone says "I want . . ." he is translating an inner feeling into words,; and the correct translation reads, "God, active through me, can provide. . ." Before we can "want" anything, God is tugging at the heart's door, trying to get our attention. Because we have not learned the language of the Divine Realm, we interpret this inner restlessness to mean, "I lack. . .," but when we understand the language of the inner life, we find that the message is one from God saying, "Look, Child, what I can do for you and through you if you will ask."

3. The demand must be made. Jesus said, "Ask, and ye shall receive." It is good to know that God is more than equal to any demand we can make. It is good to know that the experience of good desire is an experience of the activity of God. But this is not sufficient to bring into our lives a demonstration of God's abundance. One thing remains to be done by each one individually: Make the demand! The demand may take various forms, but every form is a way of saying by word, deed, or mood, "I'll take it!" , "I accept!" , "I am ready and willing to be enriched!" Physical or mental work is one form of asking, and people who are aware of spiritual law often make their demands on the Divine treasury in this way. Unity makes it plain that there are other forms of asking. One of these is to pray; i.e., to affirm and believe "God is my inexhaustible resource, and all of my needs are instantly, constantly, and bountifully met. From every direction, known and unknown, expected and unexpected, my abundant good comes to me."

Another way of making the demand (writing a mental check on the Divine treasury) is to get in line with abundance. We do this by avoiding thoughts and statements that express lack, limitation, inadequacy, and insufficiency of anything needed; by deliberately calling up the imaginative feeling that NOW we are immersed in a flood-tide of abundant good, realizing that this mental equivalent is the fore-runner of the outer good; and by giving our best to the tasks at hand.

Another way of making a demand on the Divine treasury is to make yourself a channel of blessing and opulence to others. Some say that this was Jesus' own first law of prosperity, which He stated in these words: "Give, and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over." He could hardly have make it plainer! This law uses the principle of reverse action or "boomerang" -- what you send out most consistently (thoughts, feelings, words, deeds) must return to you sooner or later, and the more conscious you are of this principle, the more quickly you will discern the return of what you send out.

Henry Ford, Sr. said: "Most people think that prosperity comes in receiving, but it comes in giving." He was acquainted with these principles, and found them eminently practical. He knew, as many others know, that we can not out-give God. . . that nothing we give can impoverish us, and all that we give enriches us.

Your church, whether you are a member or not, but the place where your spiritual nature is nourished, is an opportunity to test this principle for yourself, and make it possible for others to be reached with the message that has helped you. Our teaching places church contributions on an entirely new basis. No longer is it a matter of taking "collections" or pledges, or assessing a "head tax." Now it is a matter of each friend and member making a demand on the Divine treasury for a "refill-plus" by giving from his own treasury to the church which he finds most helpful.

Many Unity people (and others) practise tithing their incomes. A literal tithe is ten percent of your income. In Unity, the term is sometimes used to describe any systematic plan of giving to spiritual activities. The keyword is "systematic." According to Divine law, systematic and orderly giving makes-room in your life for systematic and orderly receiving. Accidental or incidental giving is likely to result in your receiving God's blessings in a way that will seem to you accidental, incidental, and unreliable. Planning to give according to a system means that you are consciously giving God a central place in your financial affairs, and Jesus said that if we put God first "all these things will be added unto you."

In Unity you will never be pressured to make a donation. This is an individual matter, and your own understanding and demonstration of the law will guide you into ways of joyous, generous giving. As we grow together in this, you will find your church is enabled to bring its teaching to more and more people in new and helpful ways. Your church knows that you have been blessed in your giving, and works and prays always to know how to double that blessing by using your gifts in the wisest and best ways it can.

Some people say, "But I have nothing to give." Others postpone church membership because of similar feelings. This is unfortunate and unnecessary. Everyone who has anything at all has, something they can give, and as they actually begin to give what they can, they will find their resources and abilities to give are increasing.

Giving is a mood, a way of life. It includes money-giving, but is by no means limited to it. The gift of a portion of your time, or a skill or a talent is often priceless -- whether given to an organization or an individual. It is understanding the spiritual law, not the size of the visible gift, that makes it possible for you to receive as freely as you have given.