It’s Valentine’s Day. And it’s Ash Wednesday. That seems like a strange combination, doesn’t it? Love and ashes. Romance and dust. What do they have to do with each other?
Everything. In fact, it’s a gift from God to get to think about them both on the same day. To truly understand the grace of God, you and I need to see what happens when ashes meet love.
We get confused and think love is all about beauty and romance. You love someone because they are beautiful. You love someone because they fill you up. You love someone because they’re good to you.
But when they stop being beautiful… When they stop filling you up… When they stop giving you what you want… Then what? Then you move on and decide to love someone else, right? How shallow we are!
Love is different. True love is different. God’s love is different. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Notice two truths that powerful little verse declares: 1) We are sinners. We are dust. 2) God loves us. Christ died for us. Those two things shouldn’t go together. It should be impossible for them both to be true. “Love sinners? Die for sinners? No way!” Yes way. It’s called grace. “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
The true love of God doesn’t depend on how beautiful you are. Actually, God’s grace is what makes you beautiful. The true love of God doesn’t depend on how well you fill God up. Actually, God’s grace is what fills your heart and soul. The true love of God doesn’t depend on you doing what God wants. Actually, God’s grace is what compels us to live for him. You are lovely, because you are loved by Jesus.
So today I hope you make time to think about both: Love and ashes. Confess your sins. Repent of them. Fall on your knees before God. And rejoice at the true love of Jesus, who takes dust and ashes and makes them into the children of God. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Love and ashes. Jesus and sinners. What a combination!

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