Love That Costs: Why True Love is Never Easy

The Beautiful, Difficult Reality of Love

Have you ever loved someone so much that you willingly gave up something important for them—your time, your comfort, maybe even your own desires? Love sounds beautiful in theory, but when it comes to real life, love is messy, inconvenient, and often painful. The question is—are we willing to love anyway?

Love is something we all crave. We want to be loved deeply, freely, and unconditionally. But when it comes to giving love, we often hesitate—because real love is costly.

True love isn’t just warm feelings or poetic words; it’s sacrifice. It requires something from us. It demands time, patience, and sometimes, even pain.

Jesus showed us this kind of love when He laid down His life for us.

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” — 1 John 3:16

Love that truly matters will always come with a cost. And that’s why love is never easy.

Love and Sacrifice: You Can’t Have One Without the Other

If there’s one thing I’ve realized, it’s that love and sacrifice are inseparable. You cannot claim to love someone and refuse to give of yourself.

When we love, we give up something of ourselves—our time, comfort, energy, or personal desires—for the sake of another.

I see this in my own life in simple ways, like serving at church on Sunday mornings when I’d rather sleep in. Love calls me to give up comfort for the sake of something greater.

The same applies to relationships. If I truly love someone, I will choose them over my own convenience. I will put their needs before my own. Love that costs nothing isn’t love at all—it’s just convenience.

“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” — Amy Carmichael

Why Loving Sacrificially Feels So Hard

Love is difficult because it requires us to put ourselves second. And if we’re honest, that’s not something we naturally want to do.

I learned this when I devoted countless hours to supporting BTS, a Korean music group, in their journey to break into American radio.

Back in 2017, mainstream U.S. radio wasn’t open to playing non-English songs, and BTS, despite their massive global success, faced resistance. Fans like me worked tirelessly behind the scenes—campaigning, coordinating, reaching out to stations—to help break the barriers that limited their music from being heard.

It wasn’t easy. It meant sacrificing sleep, time, and personal comfort. But I did it out of love—because I wanted to see them succeed and bring joy to others.

That’s what love does—it pushes past selfishness and inconvenience. Whether it’s for family, friends, or even a passion project, love calls us to give, even when it costs us something.

“The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation.” — Corrie ten Boom

But if love is so difficult, how do we push through?

How to Love When It Feels Too Hard

The answer? Gratitude.

Whenever I struggle with choosing love over convenience, I remind myself of what Jesus did for me.

Before going to the cross, Jesus wrestled in Gethsemane. He felt the weight of what was coming. He knew He would be betrayed, humiliated, and suffer immense pain. Yet, He chose love anyway.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13

If Christ was willing to sacrifice for me, how can I not do the same for others?

That’s why I choose to love, even when it’s inconvenient. That’s why I serve, even when I don’t feel like it. That’s why I push past selfishness—because love isn’t just about feeling good; it’s about doing good.

Soul Insights

1. Love Without Sacrifice is Just Convenience

If I only love when it’s easy, I’m not truly loving—I’m just avoiding discomfort. Love means choosing to give even when it’s hard.

2. The Greatest Love is a Choice, Not Just a Feeling

Jesus didn’t “feel like” dying on the cross—He chose to. True love isn’t about fleeting emotions; it’s a commitment to act, even when emotions fade.

3. Love Stretches Us to Become More Like Christ

Each time I love sacrificially, it challenges my selfishness and makes me more like Jesus. Love is God’s refining fire—it teaches patience, humility, and compassion.

4. Love is Best Understood from the Receiving End

If I struggle to love, I should think about a time when someone sacrificed for me. How did it feel? What impact did it have? Remembering the power of receiving love helps me to give it.

5. Love That Costs Nothing is Worth Nothing

A love that never demands anything of me isn’t real love—it’s self-preservation. If I’m unwilling to sacrifice, then I’m not truly loving.

5. Encouragement for Those Struggling to Love Sacrificially

If you find it hard to love when it’s inconvenient, you’re not alone.

Here’s what I’d encourage you to do:

• Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. If you were in their position, how would you want to be loved?

• Pray for strength. Love isn’t something we can do well on our own—we need God’s help.

• Start with small sacrifices. You don’t have to make grand gestures—just start with one act of love a day.

• Remember that love is never wasted. Even when it’s not appreciated, every act of love changes you—it refines your heart.

“At the end of life, we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by: ‘I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was homeless, and you took me in.’” — Mother Teresa

Final Thoughts: Love is Never Easy, But It’s Always Worth It

Real love will cost you something—your time, your comfort, your pride. But love that costs nothing isn’t really love at all.

This week, I challenge you:

Find one small way to love sacrificially. Maybe it’s being patient with someone who tests your nerves, helping a friend when it’s inconvenient, or simply showing kindness when you’d rather not.

Because in the end, the love we give is the love that truly matters.

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” — 1 John 3:18

What’s one small way you can love sacrificially today? Let’s commit to putting love into action.

Soul Path Insights