As we conclude our reading of the beatitudes, we cannot help but notice that, as we focus on our relationship with God, our relationships with others improve. Without God in the mix, the beatitudes are little more than hollow maxims. However, when our eyes are firmly trained on God, they represent eight characteristics or qualities of life—characteristics that separate children of God from the rest of the world. Everyone who considers him or herself a Christian is meant to manifest all of these characteristics.