“And above all,” reads Colossians 3:14, “put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

Have you ever paused to truly ponder what it means to “put on love”? I mean really dig into it, beyond a fleeting thought? I hadn’t — not deeply, at least — until a recent lecture stopped me in my tracks. At first glance, “put on love” might seem straightforward: just be loving, right? But love looks different to everyone. What the world calls love often clashes with the kind of love Scripture calls us to embody. As Christians, we’re not just called to be different for the sake of standing out. No, our calling is higher — to reflect Christ and the truth of His word. This means there are right and wrong ways to be distinct, ways that either glorify God or fall short of His purpose.

The lecture I mentioned unveiled a perspective that hit me like a revelation: to “put on love” is, in essence, to “put on the Lord.” When I heard that, my heart leapt with a resounding, “Wow! That makes perfect sense!” After all, Scripture declares that God is love (1 John 4:8). If we’re called to put on love, and God Himself is love, then to put on love is to clothe ourselves in the Lord Himself.

This kind of love — God’s love — sets a standard far above the world’s fleeting definitions. It’s a love that’s sacrificial, steadfast, and, above all, holy. Thus, it will look radically different from what the world celebrates — from what the world accepts. More than that, we shouldn’t expect the world to even understand it. But isn’t that the point? Our love, rooted in God’s truth, is meant to shine as a beacon, drawing others not to us, but to Him. However, if our love is going to be countercultural, that means we are going to face immense pressure to conform, hatred for standing firm, and backlash for being hateful, even if what they perceive as “hate” are truly the only acts of real love, namely, speaking and living out Truth.

To stand against the forces that seek to extinguish Christ’s love in a world awash with counterfeits, we must first recognize their flawed definitions. There’s a selfish “love” that’s more accurately called pride, fueling the world’s obsession with “bodily autonomy.” People chant, “My body, my choice,” or “love is love,” elevating themselves as their own gods. Meanwhile, those who uphold the sanctity of life or the biblical design for marriage (much less the biblical and biological definition of male and female) are branded as bigoted haters.

We live in a culture that claims to value truth but worships subjectivity — the very antithesis of truth. If everything is subjective, truth ceases to exist, for truth is unchanging and absolute. Yet Scripture proclaims a different reality: Psalm 119:160 declares, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” Connecting the dots: God is love, and His word declares that He “is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). True love is consistent — unwavering in nature and aligned with God’s word.

Consider John 14:15, where Jesus declares, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Here, love moves beyond being defined by God’s character to being demonstrated through obedience to His commands. So, what does it look like to show this love? It looks like pursuing righteousness, sharing the gospel, and standing unyieldingly for biblical truth in every sphere of life. To put on love is to live boldly for Christ, reflecting His heart in a world desperate for the real thing.

To put on love is to be willing to take slander for the sake of Christ, “having good conscience” because “those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame” (1 Peter 3:16). To put on love means to accept that we will be hated for His namesake, “but he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 10:22-24). To put on love is to know that persecution is inevitable for “all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:12). But “blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).

Do you see the pattern? For every bit of slander, hatred, persecution, or threat we receive for being clothed in Christ, we are rewarded by, in, and for His goodness. This world, dear reader, is not our home. We’re in the world, but we’re not of it (John 17:16). No, this is the land of the prince of darkness (John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2). Though Christ reigns supreme, “Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). We have no guarantee of comfort here, nor should we desire it.

Putting on Christ boldly means we long for the day when we are with Him face-to-face. And when that day comes, do you know what it means? No more pain, suffering, slander, persecution — you name it. Do you know what else it means? We will be surrounded not by counterfeit loves that entice us toward destruction, but perfect, complete, holy, heavenly love — not just with Christ, but with all of His people. There’s perfect love found in our Savior, and in eternity, we’ll finally see it in full — without blemish. It’s a love so pure and complete that it’s hard to fathom this side of heaven.

Yet, while we are still dwelling on this side of heaven, let us clothe ourselves in Christ. Let us put on love — His love — boldly, faithfully, and unapologetically, trusting that every step we take in obedience brings us closer to the day when we will see Him in all His glory, surrounded by the perfect harmony of His eternal love. Let us put on His love, knowing, right now, we’re the closest to hell we’ll ever be, and the farthest from heaven we’ll ever be. Put on His love, even in a world that mocks you for it, because it is the only true love there is.

In one final thought, I want to encourage you not to grow weary in doing good — in loving your neighbor. This world has always been drenched in darkness, but it appears especially bleak right now. Death, hostility, hate, and more are right on our doorsteps, threatening to break in. But we dwell in God’s house, we have the Holy Spirit within us, and God has promised never to abandon those whom He loves.

Stand firm. Pray fervently. Trust God. Love boldly.