If people in Mill City judged Christianity only by the way you love, what would they see?
Jesus once said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Those words cut to the heart. They mean that our proof of faith isn’t found in what we know, or how often we gather, but in how we love.
The early church understood this. Outsiders who disliked their message could not deny their love. Tertullian, a North African Christian writer, recorded this around AD 197: “See, they say, how they love one another.” That kind of visible love turned heads then. It can turn heads here.
Why Love Matters Most
I’ve learned that we can be busy for God and still miss the heart of God. Scripture says love is the highest virtue. Paul wrote, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Faith can move mountains. Hope can hold us steady in storms. But without love, both collapse.
John went further. “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). That one still stuns me. Love is not something God does on the side. It is who He is. When we love, we reflect Him. When we don’t, we deny Him.
Love That Surprises
I wonder how many times I’ve settled for loving only the people who love me back. Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). That command is not easy, but it is the kind of love that makes people stop and ask, “Who are these people?”
Imagine our town pausing to say, “These Christians even love those who hurt them.” That would surprise people in the best way. But Jesus also warned us: “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). I know I can’t love like that on my own. None of us can. This kind of love only grows as we stay close to Him.
A Story Worth Reading
Dream with me for a moment. What if families in Mill City were marked not by grudges but by reconciliation? What if neighbors cared for each other in quiet, practical ways? What if the church carried one another’s burdens with joy? What if even enemies were prayed for with sincerity?
These are daily choices and when repeated, these choices become habits. Habits shape character. Character becomes witness. Over time, a whole town can see Christ through people who love like Him.
That is why on October 12, Mill City Christian Church will begin Love Like Jesus, a forty–day journey to practice what Scripture commands. Together we will open the Bible, pray, and take steps of love: in our homes, our church, our neighborhoods, even toward our enemies.
I believe the benefits will be real. Families will grow stronger as we practice forgiveness. The church will grow closer as we carry each other’s burdens. Our town will feel the difference when needs are met and kindness is offered without asking for anything in return. And I believe some may come to know Christ because they see His love lived out in us.
So, let me return to the question that won’t go away: If people in Mill City judged Christianity only by the way you love, what would they see?
For forty days, let’s write a story worth reading. Let’s show this town that we belong to Jesus by the way we love.
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