“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

In Bible study one thing I have learned is that repetitions in text are no accident. We see in these two verses the word love is repeated four different times. Do you think perhaps that God is trying to tell us something?

Based on the passage what will people know if we love one another? They will know if we are His disciples or not. Really we can only be disciples of Jesus or of the world. There is an easy way to determine which category we fit into—by our love for one another.

Ponder this today. If a hidden video crew were to follow you around all day today, whose team would they determine you to belong to? As you prepare your children’s breakfast? As you teach them new concepts? As you shop at the grocery store? As you fill your car up with gas? As you interact with people? What team would that tape reveal you to belong to?

In my life I have observed a situation where people whom I believed to be believers handled another believer in the most unloving way. I could not believe my eyes. It threw my whole world in confusion. That is the power that this action of love has over others watching us. Whether they truly were believers or not is not mine to judge. The issue is that if they were truly believers, these actions ruined their witness.

Let us be a people who live lives that are evident of God’s love. Let it be so obvious to others that we belong to Christ because of it. Let us live every moment of life as a video crew is taping our life ready to do an instant replay at any moment. Wouldn’t that change some things?

Father, thank You for Your gracious love. Help us to be full of Your love toward others making it evident that we belong to You alone. Let it never be a question of us if we are Yours or not. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Angela Parsley, of the international ministry Refresh My Soul Ministries, is a wife and homeschooling mother to her 2 young daughters. Angela is also a contributing author to a devotional book entitled, “Standing on the Promises of God” and Radical Revolution, a devotional site for teen girls through Proverbs 31 Ministries.