---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Here's the paradox. We can fully embrace…"
description: "\"“Here's the paradox. We can fully embrace God's love only when we recognize how completely unworthy of it we are.”\" — Ann Tatlock"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/ann-tatlock-43172_god-s-love_here-s-the-paradox-we-can-fully-embrace_2075776.jpg"
---

#  Here's the paradox. We can fully embrace God's love only…

![“Here's the paradox. We can fully embrace God's love only when we recognize how completely unworthy of it we are.” quote by Ann Tatlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/ann-tatlock-43172_god-s-love_here-s-the-paradox-we-can-fully-embrace_2075776.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/ann-tatlock-43172_god-s-love_here-s-the-paradox-we-can-fully-embrace_2075776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/ann-tatlock-43172_god-s-love_here-s-the-paradox-we-can-fully-embrace_2075776.jpg)

> ““Here's the paradox. We can fully embrace God's love only when we recognize how completely unworthy of it we are.””

[Ann Tatlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

True acceptance of divine love requires acknowledging our unworthiness, creating humility.

**In simple terms:** Humility unlocks love.

Key Takeaway

Recognize unworthiness to receive love.

Themes

spirituality humility grace self-awareness

Mood

contemplative hopeful

Type

inspirational spiritual

When to use this quote

- prayer
- counseling
- personal reflection
- community worship

Key Concepts

theology self-worth paradox of love

Questions to Reflect On

- How does acknowledging unworthiness affect self-esteem?
- What practices foster healthy humility?

A Different Perspective

Humility can lead to self-deprecation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[God'S Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-s-love/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Paradox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradox/)

## Related quotes

> [Churchgoers feel righteous, responsible, and obedient to God's will. They view anyone unlike themselves as devoid of values, and therefore unworthy of God's love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/churchgoers-feel-righteous-responsible-and-obedient-to-god-s-will/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [Refusing to accept God's love because we're unworthy - of course we're unworthy! - is another golden calf.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/refusing-to-accept-god-s-love-because-we-re-unworthy-of-course-we-re/)

[Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/)

> [The spirit of being truly sorry is one of the surest ways to embrace God's love and mercy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/the-spirit-of-being-truly-sorry-is-one-of-the-surest-ways-to-embrace/)

[Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/)

> [Let me say, I fully embrace equality, and I believe in the innate value of every single human being and that all students, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-devos/let-me-say-i-fully-embrace-equality-and-i-believe-in-the-innate-value/)

[Betsy DeVos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-devos/)

> [Have you said 'I LOVE YOU' to \* Yourself \* today? If YOU Haven't, then you can certainly imagine how many others haven't. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-allen/have-you-said-i-love-you-to-yourself-today-if-you-haven-t-then-you/)

[Eric Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-allen/)

> [I must admit that self-tanner is one beauty arena I've been hesitant to explore, let alone fully embrace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/i-must-admit-that-self-tanner-is-one-beauty-arena-i-ve-been-hesitant/)

[Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/)

> [“Until 'you' FULLY embrace who 'you are', no amount of money, no person or external things will EVER make you happy or bring you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yvonne-pierre/until-you-fully-embrace-who-you-are-no-amount-of-money-no-person-or/)

[Yvonne Pierre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yvonne-pierre/)

> [I fully embrace myself as a hypocrite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bo-burnham/i-fully-embrace-myself-as-a-hypocrite/)

[Bo Burnham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bo-burnham/)

> [“Once you fully embrace your sensuality, life becomes an adventure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/once-you-fully-embrace-your-sensuality-life-becomes-an-adventure/)

[Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/)

> [“I know that life doesn’t come with guarantees. We can only live the moment that’s in front of us. I believe with all my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inglath-cooper/i-know-that-life-doesn-t-come-with-guarantees-we-can-only-live-the/)

[Inglath Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inglath-cooper/)

> [Instead of resisting any emotion, the best way to dispel it is to enter it fully, embrace it and see through your resistance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/instead-of-resisting-any-emotion-the-best-way-to-dispel-it-is-to/)

[Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/)

> [“We embrace the suck so that we can fully embrace what doesn’t suck, to fully receive it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirna-valerio/we-embrace-the-suck-so-that-we-can-fully-embrace-what-doesn-t-suck-to/)

[Mirna Valerio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirna-valerio/)

> [By experience; by a sense of human frailty; by a perception of "the soul of goodness in things evil;" by a cheerful trust in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-william-robertson/by-experience-by-a-sense-of-human-frailty-by-a-perception-of-the-soul/)

[Frederick William Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-william-robertson/)

> [God's love is as objective as light. Because the sun in a sense is light, or the source of light rather than being lit,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/god-s-love-is-as-objective-as-light-because-the-sun-in-a-sense-is/)

[Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/)

> [we need not avoid our active lives, but simply bring to them a new vision and shift of gravity. for in the center we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/we-need-not-avoid-our-active-lives-but-simply-bring-to-them-a-new/)

[Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/)

## More by Ann Tatlock

> [“Funny how even a grain of hope can manage to eclipse a whole world of despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/funny-how-even-a-grain-of-hope-can-manage-to-eclipse-a-whole-world-of/)

[Ann Tatlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/)

> [“But then what do you do?" "I pray for strength." The words were simple, straightforward. Josef pushed against the floor with one foot and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/but-then-what-do-you-do-i-pray-for-strength-the-words-were-simple/)

[Ann Tatlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/)

> [“There's a story unfolding with a definite beginning and an eventual end, and even though we can't begin to imagine what the whole plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/there-s-a-story-unfolding-with-a-definite-beginning-and-an-eventual/)

[Ann Tatlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/)

> [“There's one thing you need to understand," Larry said. "We love because God first loved us, even in the face of all our unloveliness."…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/there-s-one-thing-you-need-to-understand-larry-said-we-love-because/)

[Ann Tatlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/)

> [“There is so much of suffering that I will never even begin to understand. But I am content in believing that I don't even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/there-is-so-much-of-suffering-that-i-will-never-even-begin-to/)

[Ann Tatlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/)

> [“You see, Novelka, in an odd sort of way, some of our strongest relationships are with people who have died. We miss the person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/you-see-novelka-in-an-odd-sort-of-way-some-of-our-strongest/)

[Ann Tatlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/)

> [“I only know that one day you wake up and realize it doesn't hurt quite so much. Until then you can put yourself in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/i-only-know-that-one-day-you-wake-up-and-realize-it-doesn-t-hurt/)

[Ann Tatlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/)

> [“People look for greatness only in the extraordinary and completely overlook the wonder of the ordinary.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/people-look-for-greatness-only-in-the-extraordinary-and-completely/)

[Ann Tatlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/)

[Explore all 9 Ann Tatlock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/)

## More God love quotes

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Don't rush it. When the timing is right, God will make it happen!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexa-dolmo/don-t-rush-it-when-the-timing-is-right-god-will-make-it-happen/)

[Alexa Dolmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexa-dolmo/)

> [God loves to glorify himself by suspending his gifts and blessings on our asking him for them. We should never presume to receive from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-storms/god-loves-to-glorify-himself-by-suspending-his-gifts-and-blessings-on/)

[Sam Storms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-storms/)

> [Total depravity means the entire absence of holiness, not the highest intensity of sin. A totally depraved man is not as bad as he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/total-depravity-means-the-entire-absence-of-holiness-not-the-highest/)

[William Greenough Thayer Shedd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-greenough-thayer-shedd/)

> [If you ponder the scriptures and begin to do what you covenanted with God to do, I can promise you that you will feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-b-eyring/if-you-ponder-the-scriptures-and-begin-to-do-what-you-covenanted-with/)

[Henry B. Eyring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-b-eyring/)

> [Imagine the world without God !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chizim/imagine-the-world-without-god/)

[Chizim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chizim/)

> [I know that God loves us. He allows us to exercise our moral agency even when we misuse it. He permits us to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/i-know-that-god-loves-us-he-allows-us-to-exercise-our-moral-agency/)

[Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/)

> [Never try to judge any one](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajat-dogra/never-try-to-judge-any-one/)

[Rajat Dogra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajat-dogra/)

> [Every genuine expression of love grows out of a consistent and total surrender to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/every-genuine-expression-of-love-grows-out-of-a-consistent-and-total/)

[Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/)

> [People don't do right because of the fear of God or love of him. You do right because the world doesn't make sense if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-allison/people-don-t-do-right-because-of-the-fear-of-god-or-love-of-him-you/)

[Dorothy Allison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-allison/)

> [In low theologies, hell is invariably the deepest truth, and the love of God is not so deep as hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/in-low-theologies-hell-is-invariably-the-deepest-truth-and-the-love/)

[George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/)

> [“he’d spent his whole life trying to make God love him—and that this didn’t matter in the slightest. All that mattered was that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-mallon/he-d-spent-his-whole-life-trying-to-make-god-love-him-and-that-this/)

[Thomas Mallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-mallon/)

> [My father was a minister for 50 years with Pentecostal Church of God in Christ. We prayed about everything, every day, then he always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/my-father-was-a-minister-for-50-years-with-pentecostal-church-of-god/)

[Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/)

> [The world takes us to a silver screen on which flickering images of passion and romance play, and as we watch, the world says,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-harris/the-world-takes-us-to-a-silver-screen-on-which-flickering-images-of/)

[Joshua Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-harris/)

Browse all 3,478 God love quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Here's the paradox. We can fully embrace God's love only when we recognize how completely unworthy of it we are.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ann Tatlock"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/here-s-the-paradox-we-can-fully-embrace-god-s-love-only-when-we/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "God love"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/here-s-the-paradox-we-can-fully-embrace-god-s-love-only-when-we/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/ann-tatlock-43172_god-s-love_here-s-the-paradox-we-can-fully-embrace_2075776.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/ann-tatlock-43172_god-s-love_here-s-the-paradox-we-can-fully-embrace_2075776.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5ff/ann-tatlock-43172_god-s-love_here-s-the-paradox-we-can-fully-embrace_2075776.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Here's the paradox. We can fully embrace God's love only when we recognize how completely unworthy of it we…” — Ann Tatlock",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ann Tatlock",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-tatlock/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Here's the paradox. We can fully...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/here-s-the-paradox-we-can-fully-embrace-god-s-love-only-when-we/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-tatlock/here-s-the-paradox-we-can-fully-embrace-god-s-love-only-when-we/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
