'But seek first well-being...'

Today (and over the course of a few years) I made an observation that I believe to be thoroughly true.  It seems that most people who would call themselves Christians, whether they realize it or not, are much more interested in pursuing ‘well-being’ for their life than they are of seeing God’s Kingdom become a reality in the world

The prayer has changed.  Instead of praying, “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we pray for comfort, security, health, and well-being for our life.  We pray for and defend our nation in order to better secure this ‘well-being’ that we covet so much.  In fact, for many people, I believe the Christian faith serves as a means of securing this ‘well-being’ that we desires so much.  That's right, Christianity is simply one building block to the greater goal of well-being for our life.  And the cool thing about building blocks?   You can move them, change them, shift them and even get rid of them for awhile if it will help you achieve the ends you desire.

The difference between these two prayers and ‘ends’: seeking God's kingdom vs. seeking security and well-being,  is how we view suffering.  When ‘well-being’ is our chief end, there is no place for suffering in our lives.  We are unable to comprehend that a good and loving God could ever possibly allow or even want us to suffer. Redemptive suffering is a foreign concept.  In fact, God is the one who is supposed to relieve any and all suffering that we might come across… But when our greatest aim and ‘end’ is seeing God’s Kingdom being brought into fruition, we realize that there are things that are of far greater importance in this world than our security and well-being.  Perhaps God is allowing me to gradually suffer and die from cancer so that I may show my children and my community what it looks like to die well?  Perhaps God desires to strip me of all financial security so I can truly learn what it means and looks like to depend on God for my daily bread?  Perhaps God has better things in mind for me than the 4 bedroom house and 6 digit income?

Final thought: I’m glad that Jesus sought faithful obedience to God’s work and mission in the world over his well-being.  I’m glad that the disciples chose to live faithfully towards God’s work and mission in the world over their health and well-being.  May God strip us of the idol of security and well-being that we run after so that we may be free to seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.