...not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
Think of the one person in your life that you love the most. That’s a hard one, I think, for most of us. There may be several . . . but I’m guessing that the “one” at the top is someone who has been in your life for a long time. You’ve probably invested immeasurable time and heart into the “one” you cannot imagine being without. You may feel you have given that one all you have to give.
God understands that in the deepest way. It is so far beyond my imagination to think of the Love of God for His Son, and the Love of God for us . . . so much so that He would sacrifice His perfect, sinless, absolutely selfless Son because of His Love for us, His chosen sons and daughters, all of whom would break His Heart. He knew we would ALL fail Him, disobey Him, walk away from Him, and replace Him in our own hearts with “the foolish things of this world.”
We don’t deserve His Love. We cannot earn it. We cannot measure up to qualify for His Love, no matter what we could ever do. We cannot take any credit for how much He has loved us.
God’s Love involves sacrifice . . . on His part. His sacrifice is necessary for me to be one of His own, not mine. His daughter. His son. His Beloved. His chosen ones.
That is Love. That is Love beyond our own human understanding, earning, worthiness, experience or making. His Love for us cost HIM. . . the Father for His Children.
Anything we perceive it costs us to return that Love is not really worth mentioning.
Besides, He knows, and that’s all that matters.