A Call Back to What Really Matters
Let’s be honest right up front.
Jesus made it really simple when He said:
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples—if you love one another.”
(John 13:35)
That was supposed to be the marker. The reputation. The one thing that made us different.
- Not how loud we preach.
- Not how clean we look.
- Not how “right” we are.
Love.
But somewhere along the way… we lost that reputation.
Love Was Always What Really Mattered
Jesus didn’t just say love was important. He lived it. He walked with the outcasts. He healed the sick. He forgave His killers. He touched people others avoided, and He loved people others gave up on.
Then He told us, go and do the same.
The apostles understood. They didn’t always get it perfectly—but they got the message.
“These three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
(1 Corinthians 13:13)
“What really counts is faith working through love.”
(Galatians 5:6)
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
(1 Peter 4:8)
“God is love.”
(1 John 4:8)
This wasn’t a side topic. It was the heartbeat.
In the Early Church, People Actually Saw It
Back in the second century, when Christians were still getting thrown to lions and blamed for everything, people noticed something different.
Tertullian, one of the early church leaders, wrote this down—what the pagans said when they looked at Christians:
“Look how they love one another… and how they’re willing to die for each other.”
“They love each other even before they meet each other. They share everything—except their wives.”
That’s wild. Even their enemies saw the love. It wasn’t fake. It wasn’t a brand. It was real, messy, sacrificial, everyday love.
And it made people stop and go: What kind of people are these?
What Are We Known for Now?
If you asked someone today what Christians are known for, what would they say?
Would they say:
“Wow, those people really love each other”?
Or would they say:
- “They’re judgmental.”
- “They’re political.”
- “They’re divided.”
- “They’re angry.”
- “They’re against everything.”
We’ve become known for everything but the thing Jesus said would define us.
That’s not just disappointing. That’s a wake-up call.
Where Did We Drift?
We didn’t stop talking about Jesus. But we stopped looking like Him.
- We started caring more about being right than being kind.
- More about being seen than seeing others.
- More about proving points than washing feet.
We traded the cross for platforms. We traded love for control. We forgot what really matters.
It’s Time to Come Back
Not to performance. Not to religion. Not to having all the answers.
Let’s come back to love.
- Love from God that fills you when you’re empty.
- Love for God that moves you, even when you don’t have words.
- Love for others that interrupts your day and stretches your heart.
Not polished love. Not filtered love. Just real, Jesus-style love.
Final Word
Jesus never said, “They’ll know you by your doctrine.” He said, “They’ll know you by your love.”
And back then, they did.
“Look how they love one another.”
That was their reputation.
So now we have to ask: Would anyone say that about us?
Let’s make it true again. Let’s be the kind of people the world doesn’t quite know what to do with—because we actually love.
- Love that’s humble.
- Love that forgives.
- Love that shows up.
- Love that doesn’t need the spotlight.
Love from God. Love to God. Love for one another. Love. Love. Love.
That’s not just the message. It’s what really matters.
— Donald Flor, Cofounder of Love Love Love