The OneSample

Prayer: Father, thank You for revealing Your heart to us through Your word. I pray that You would continue to show us Your character in our lives. I pray that You would give us the ability to seek it out well, and be an example of Your love to those around us.

Where True Love is Found

I think a big question on a lot of our minds when it comes to dating is “What kind of qualities do I look for in a relationship?” Of course we want them to be nice, good-looking, kind, and enjoy ALL of our stories, but most of us want something deeper than that. The Beatitudes written in our passage are there to express Jesus’ heart. He gives us an idea of what kind of characteristics line up with His own.

He speaks about being persecuted for His name, living in poverty, struggling towards righteousness, and humbling ourselves. If Jesus desires for us to live in-line with His heart, I believe our desire for the one we are supposed to date should be no different. Now, there is no one that is perfect out there. However, when you are evaluating potential people of interest, do you keep the heart of God in mind? Are you yourself striving to emulate the heart of God?

At the end of this passage, we are called to be the salt and light of the world. Christ is telling us that the characteristics of the heart of God, like those written in the Beatitudes, are those that bring true joy, satisfaction, and impact on the earth. Not only do we want to have joy in our lives and dating relationships, we want both to spread the love of Christ to others. Look for those who take the role of salt and light seriously when considering dating. Look for those who desire to follow God’s commandments even against the tendencies of the world, because God’s commandments are where true purpose and love is found.

Look in the Word:

• What are some things that you notice about the heart of God in this passage? How does it compare to the heart of the world?
• What do you think it means to be meek?
• What comparisons can you see between salt and being a follower of Christ?

What’s Next? 

• Which Beatitude seems easiest to follow for you? Which seems most difficult?How can you exhibit the two beatitudes you chose this week?
• Who is someone in your life that you are close to that does not know Christ? Ask God that He would give you the opportunity to share the attributes of Jesus that you learned about in this passage with that person. Ask God that He would give them the desire to ask you more about what it means to know Jesus.