In 1984, Tina Turner recorded the hit song What’s Love Got to Do with It? The pre-chorus and chorus ask a haunting question:

It’s physical, only logical,
You must try to ignore that it means more than that.
What’s love got to do, got to do with it?
What’s love but a second-hand emotion?
What’s love got to do, got to do with it?
Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?

Turner’s lyrics reflect a common belief: that love is fragile, dispensable, even dangerous. But Scripture offers a very different answer to the question, “What’s love got to do with it?”

In the Gospel of John, the apostle records one of the most vivid and powerful moments in all of Scripture. In the upper room, just before His betrayal, Jesus does something unexpected: He lays aside His garments, wraps Himself in a towel, and begins to wash His disciples’ feet. It’s a deeply moving and humbling scene—one full of drama, emotion, and divine intention.

Even more striking is what happens next. After washing the dirty, calloused feet of His disciples—including the feet of the one who would betray Him—Jesus says:

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” (John 13:14–15)

Then, at the end of that same chapter, Jesus gives a clear command:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34–35)

So—what does love have to do with it?

Everything.

Jesus didn’t just talk about love. He demonstrated it through selfless service, humility, and sacrifice. And He commanded His followers to do the same. Loving one another as He has loved us means turning our focus outward. It’s not about improving our own lives, but about making someone else’s life better.

This kind of love requires something from us: daily intention. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, the question “What’s love got to do with this?” should be on our minds.

When we ask this question—and answer it by serving others—love becomes transformative. It can enhance the quality of every relationship we have, no matter how deep or brief.

How do we love and serve the people we encounter every day? The server at the diner. The barista in the drive-thru. Our neighbors, coworkers, families, and fellow believers. What if we approached every interaction with the heart of Christ, asking, “What’s love got to do with this?”

The answer: more than we often realize.

Love has the power to heal broken relationships, restore hope, refresh weary hearts, and point people to the God who is love. In a world searching for love in all the wrong places, we are given the opportunity—and responsibility—to show them what true love looks like. Jesus said they will know we are His disciples by our love.

So, what’s love got to do with it?

Everything.
Love is not a second-hand emotion or a sweet, old-fashioned notion. It’s the foundation of our faith. As followers of Jesus, our calling is clear:

“We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

Love is our purpose. Our calling. Our daily mission.

To love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength—and to love others as ourselves.

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