I heard this statement a few years ago and I believe it is accurate of what people expect from Christianity.  People are wanting to receive the benefits of faith, without being obedient to God.  They desire for God to provide peace, joy, and other blessings yet they are unwilling to surrender to God’s will.  They desire to get everything they need but fail to seek the Kingdom of God first.  Notice how this verse provides a simple formula for living out our faith.  Thoughts + Actions = Blessings.

This verse found in chapter six of Matthew is a part of the famous Sermon on the Mount.  Earlier in Matthew 5:20, Jesus stated that if you are not more righteous than the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Through our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, Christians have already entered the Kingdom of Heaven through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.  They no longer need to seek salvation, because it is already present in their lives.  The emphasis is placed on making their faith in God the main priority. Our thoughts should always be in pursuit of growing in our knowledge of God and being obedient to God.

Another misunderstanding that people tend to believe is that a Christians life will be comfortable and easy if they follow God. That is not the promise that this verse makes nor is it found anywhere in the Bible, despite what you may hear from some popular preachers. When the focus and priority is placed on selfish desires, you will not experience God’s blessings.  When God becomes the priority in our lives, we discover that our needs change.  We are promised that we will go through times of struggle and suffering.  However, because God is always watching and present, you will experience the comfort of God.   And that becomes everything we need!

Read Matthew 6:19-34