10 Verses to Encourage You in Your Relationships

Let’s be honest: relationships (whether friendly, romantic, familial or otherwise) can be complicated, especially when we love others enough to be authentic and empathetic with them. We experience each other’s wins and losses like our own.

Maybe right now you feel socially depleted or burned out. While rest, balance and boundaries are important in maintaining sustainable relationships, we also must persevere through rocky patches in order to cultivate deep and meaningful relationships.

These first five verses instruct us as to how to live out godly relationships.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:1-4

When we experience the selfless love of Christ, we will have the desire to share that love with those in our lives.

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

John 13:34-35

Loving one another shows those even outside of our relationships that we have been transformed by the work of Jesus.

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Galatians 5:13

We don’t always get to choose who is in our lives, but we do get to choose how we relate to them. When we approach others with humility, we will be able to cultivate authentic and trusting relationships. Even if others are unwilling to accept our kindness, we know that we are still honoring God by being loving.

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. ⁴ Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” (Jesus)

Luke 17:3-4

Loving others doesn’t mean we pretend like they are perfect. When conflict arises, it’s loving to address it and work through it for the health of the relationship. When the other person also puts in the work of reconciling, it’s vital that we forgive them rather than hold onto bitterness.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. 

Romans 12:15-16

There are some relationships that look like walking through life side-by-side. There will be other relationships that may only be rekindled a few times a year due to busy schedules or geographical distance. Regardless of how close you are to a loved one, when you are together, it’s important to be fully present. Few acts of love are greater than temporarily setting aside your own feelings in order to comfort or encourage someone going through an emotional time.

Now, here are five verses to encourage you to be hopeful about your relationships. While they require work and energy, they can also be a huge source of joy.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, ²⁵ not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25

(Fun fact: this verse is what kept me going when I first started a Bible study and felt discouraged by the lack of participants. But God has blessed me for continuing to meet by bringing new participants and deepening my friendships with them. I’m so glad I didn’t give up!)

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17

I always say that the best relationships are the ones where you can encourage each other to become the best versions of yourselves. While sharpening one another can lead to some friction, in the end both parties are transformed into their best design through the process.

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.

Proverbs 17:17

There are few things as comforting as a caring friend during a challenging season of life.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

John 15:13

“Life” can mean more than life versus death. When we are willing to drop everything to help out a friend or carve out time each week to be present with loved ones, we are expressing sacrificial love too.

But this verse is even more significant when considering its context. Jesus went on to add:

You are my friends if you do what I command. ¹⁵ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:14-15

We know that Jesus loves us in the deepest sense of the word because He gave up not only His livelihood in Heaven, but His physical life as well, so that we can spend eternity with Him. Though we are simply His creation, Jesus views us as His closest companions, His very own friends! How incredible is that? And we can love Him in return by obeying and trusting Him.

Today, have peace in the knowledge that you are Jesus’ beloved friend. Consider how you might go about your day differently with this blessing in your heart. How might you bless others in your life today?