“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” This word begins not with our worthiness but with God's love. The Father did not give his Son as wages earned by deserving people. He gave him freely, out of love.
When this love comes into view, a discouraged heart should take courage again. The Giver is infinitely great, and the gift he gives is his only Son. No gift could be higher, richer, or more precious.
Yet unbelief makes us blind. We hear that God has given his Son in love, and still we remain cold. We prize small things in the world, but fail to see the worth of Christ.
Do not treat the love of God lightly. The Gospel does not say that God waits until we are good enough before he loves us. It says that God loved, gave his Son, and opened the way for sinners not to perish but to have eternal life.
Receive Christ by faith. Do not look to your own worthiness. Look to the love of God and to the worth of the Son whom the Father has given.