Since yesterday was Valentines Day my FB feed was full of couples surrounded by logos of love and romance. Even I decided to forward a humorous meme about love, my heart and my beard; and while I have little doubt these couples do love one another I began to wonder what is the most important foundation stone in a loving relationship?

Certainly we cannot build our strongest relationships on a single day, a box of candy, jewelry or a nice dinner. For most, Valentines Day is that “special day” where perhaps we do something a little different or try to express our love and appreciation in a more meaningful way; but one great Valentines Day cannot rebuild or mask a relationship that may be needing serious repair.

While gifts and movie are very enjoyable they  are still unable to underpin a meaningful relationship, which brings me back to those essential foundation pieces. While everyone’s answer will be slightly different I decided to turn to Scripture and discover what a relational, and loving God, considers necessary for a strong relationship. (See Nehemiah 9:23)

While much is often said about Nehemiah’s wall building project what is often lost in the narrative is the “why?” Why did Nehemiah have to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem? Setting aside the prophetic and political the answer of “why” comes down to Israel’s lack of faithfulness. Both literally and metaphorically when the walls are down it is a sign your fidelity has been compromised.

You may be experiencing broken walls in your marriage, work, family, friends and even God….yes, GOD! It is here we are quick to say, “We love God….we would never be unfaithful to Him!!!” Yet, sadly and too often we use Sunday, or some other random day, to be our spiritual valentines in a feeble attempt to rekindle a cold relationship or gloss over our fallen walls.

Let’s not go there! The passage of Nehemiah (see below) tells us all we need to know about how God responds to fidelity or the lack thereof. Nehemiah tells us how loving God is even when we are far from loving Him. The Scriptures remind us how faithful God is even in the “bad” seasons of life; and so as I ponder what are those crucial foundation pieces for a meaningful relationship….and I have come to this conclusion: Fidelity…..Be Faithful!

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Of course, the expectation of faithfulness is not too much to ask for if we really love Him….So, do we REALLY love Him? Our relationship with God is bigger than one day, a simple praise song, a passing prayer or a FB meme. Our relationship with God is 24/7 and requires a level of genuine faithfulness; and if you are concerned this is a call to rules and regulations don’t worry……it’s not. But perhaps a few of our broken walls need to be rebuilt and we need to set up some barriers that we have allowed to slip? Maybe we all need a few more rules to help us preserve our fidelity, because it matters to God.

…Something to consider, pray and build on as you aim to develop a meaningful and faithful relationship with Jesus. – JOSHUA

“Against the dark background of Israel’s unfaithfulness shines the bright light of the faithfulness of God. When Israel obeyed Him, He was faithful to bless; when they disobeyed Him, He was faithful to chasten; when they asked for mercy, He was faithful to forgive. God is willing to give His people many privileges, but He will not give them the privilege of sinning and having their own way. God’s purposes are more important than our pleasures, and He will accomplish His purposes even if He has to chasten us to do it.”

Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined (p. 115). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.