Do They Know We Are Christians By Our LOVE?

I am not really a hymn person, however I have been thinking a lot about the old hymn "They'll Know We Are Christians."  Here are the lyrics to the chorus: 

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love,
Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

I think I was thinking about this because I was thinking of the New Year and how many of us are resolving to seek the Lord more, to look more like Him and show Him to the world.  Then I started contemplating what we DO look like to the world.  

My husband has been a youth pastor for several years and I have been fortunate enough to meet many teens whom I have fallen in love with over the short course of our ministry.  Kids like to tell you about all of the people they have been inviting to come to church, it's an easy way to reach out to friends and I like to think they have fun at youth group and hear God's Word in a way that really applies to them.  One night at church, shortly after telling us they had invited friends from school to youth, two of the kids were arguing back and forth, calling each other names, and one of them stomped on the other's foot in the course of their debate.  And perhaps it was a knee-jerk reaction, but the more I think of it, I believe it was what God wanted me to say at the time.  I looked at both of the teens as said, "If this is how you treat people at school, it's no wonder no one wants to come to youth group with you."

What kind of message are we sending to others?  Are we stomping on their feet, calling them names, and then inviting them to church with us?  Or do they know we are Christians by our love?

1 Peter 2:9 says this: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.

I am taking a challenge this year to declare His praises.  After all, He called me into His wonderful light and I want others to know I am a Christian by my love.