In his youth Abba John the Eunuch questioned an old man, “How have you been able to carry out the work of God in peace? For we cannot do it, even with our labour.” The old man said, “We were able to do it, because we considered the work of God to be primary, and bodily needs to be subsidiary; but you hold bodily necessities to be primary and the work of God to be secondary; that is why you labour, and that is why the Saviour said to the disciples, “Seek you first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.”

[Apophthegmata Patrum]