The Real Cost of Love and Why It’s Worth It - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - May 26, 2026
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins”--1 Peter 4:8
When experiencing love lost, whether through suffering a heart-wrenching break-up, death, or betrayal, have we ever felt like love costs us too much: too much heartache, loss, and quality of life ever to love again?
The tearing apart of our heart and all that comes with it can seem overwhelming and something we can believe at times that we don't ever want to experience again.
If so, we can find comfort in knowing God knows how we feel. After all, He was the first to suffer the high cost of love, to have those He had created, given life to, and provided every comfort on earth to, betray Him through sinning and believing a lie over His truth.
God Paid the Priceless Cost of Love
God showed us that love is costly, even to the point of death. As the Apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?"
Love is costly, as the Bible explains. Although God's love comes freely to us, it was so costly that only He was qualified to cover the cost.
1 Peter 1:18-19 explains, "For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."
God paid the ultimate price, as John 3:16 reminds us, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
As Paul explains in Romans 6:23, God paid the highest price: "For the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Love Requires Giving
God modeled for us that love requires cost, giving us His Son. Likewise, loving God requires us to give Him our lives, which, sadly, is a hindrance to many who are reluctant to surrender and entrust their lives to Him.
Understanding more than most the high cost of love and giving our lives to God, Paul in Romans 12:1 pleads with us, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship."
Even if stung with painful losses in love, God commands us to continue to love, to risk the sorrow and loss that could come through it. Paul reminds us in Romans 12:9, "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."
As well, Ephesians 5:1-2 urges us to, "Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Costly Love Doesn't Always Mean Receiving Love In Return
In John 13:34, Jesus says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."
Paul embraced Jesus' command and, in his concern for the early Christian Church, was willing to spend everything he had in love.
His heartfelt words are recorded in 2 Corinthians 12:15, recognizing that this doesn't mean others will love us just because we love them. "So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?"
Even though God gave us His all, many reject His costly gift of love, and it's a very sad day for those who turn away from Him. In Jonah 2:8, we read Jonah's prayer, and his understanding of those who reject God's love, "Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God's love for them."
Let's Pray:
Dear Father, thank You for the priceless cost You paid for love that leads us to Salvation. Help us to keep loving one another even when it is costly for us, as You have commanded us to do. In Jesus' name, Amen
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/kieferpix
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
Related Resource: Discouragement Often Comes after Calling | Ezra 3
In this episode of The Bible Explained, Jen walks through Ezra chapter 3 and explores the Israelites’ return from exile as they begin rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. She highlights how the people, though fearful and greatly outnumbered, chose unity, obedience, and worship by first rebuilding the altar and restoring sacrifices to God. The episode focuses on the emotional moment when the temple foundation is laid—some rejoice with gratitude while others weep, remembering the former temple’s glory. Through passages in Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah, Jen emphasizes God’s encouragement not to “despise small beginnings,” reminding listeners that God often works through humble starts, difficult seasons, and imperfect circumstances. The episode closes with a practical encouragement: when God calls people to a purpose, opposition and discouragement will come, but faithful perseverance and trust in God’s presence are what carry the work forward. If this podcast helped you understand the Bible in a clearer way, be sure to follow The Bible Explained on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
