Scriptures on Relationships: What Does the Bible Say?

Human beings were always designed for relationship. God created us to be in relationship with Him and with others. Despite this, it’s quite common to experience difficulties in relationships with friends, family members, colleagues, and acquaintances.

You may, for example, feel like you’re never able to maintain close friendships and always feel on the periphery of groups of friends. Or, you may long to have a better relationship with your colleagues outside of work, but you find yourself always turning down invitations to socialize.

There are many reasons why you might be struggling to maintain healthy relationships:

• pride
• anger issues
• your past experiences
• low self-esteem
• personal problems (e.g. financial difficulties or the loss of your job)
• addictions
• difficulties with your family of origin
• health problems (including depression and anxiety)

Scriptures on Relationships

If you’re struggling with relationships in your life, then looking at Biblical wisdom is a great place to start. In this article, we’ll be looking at five important Bible verses about relationships, including verses about friendship (for Bible verses for couples, we have an article on what the Bible says about marriage that you can check out).

Living in Perfect Harmony

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. – Colossians 3:12-14

As human beings, we all make mistakes from time to time. If you have difficulties with relationships with people because of things that have been done or said, this passage offers some excellent wisdom. Forgiving someone is never easy – especially when we’ve been hurt – but forgiveness results in stronger relationships, whether in friendships or family relationships.

Being merciful, loving, and tenderhearted towards others with whom we’re in a relationship is a recipe for relationships that stand the test of time. Accepting each other in love will draw you closer.

If you’ve hurt someone and apologized (from the heart) but they’re not able to forgive you, then, unfortunately, there’s little you can do to change the situation. The Bible doesn’t tell you to keep begging for forgiveness – forgiving others is what God expects of all His children – and it may be best to let go of relationships that are blighted by unforgiveness.

Follow Jesus’ Commandment

This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends since I have told you everything the Father told me. – John 15:12-15

As one of the most poignant Scriptures on relationships, this passage reminds us of the lengths that Jesus went to in order to be in relationship with us. If you’re looking for the best model for relationships in the Bible, then Jesus is it. Sacrifice is often required for successful relationships although not to the extent of the sacrifice that Jesus made for mankind, of course.

Sacrifice in a relationship is better described as “give and take.” Sometimes you have to be prepared to give something up or let something go in order to maintain a healthy relationship with a friend, partner or family member. It may be as simple as foregoing an activity you’d planned (and were looking forward to) in order to spend time with a friend who’s received some bad news.

Sacrifice shows commitment in a relationship – whether to a friend or family member. Sacrifice tells a person that they’re loved, respected and valued and that alone can boost the strength of a relationship instantly.

The Importance of Community

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. – Hebrews 10:24-25

Relationships aren’t just between two people. The early church was built on a foundation of community and yet in the modern world the overall sense of community is dwindling. People are too busy leading hectic lives to gather as a community – but these Bible verses about relationships caution against this kind of “neglect” of gathering together.

Do you belong to a church community? If not, you may be missing out on a big part of what it means to be a Christian. When Christians gather in community together, it’s an opportunity to not only worship God but to strengthen, support, and encourage one another. Having a relationship with your Christian brothers and sisters can help strengthen other relationships in your life, too.

Bearing Each Other’s Burdens

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. – Galatians 6:1-3

A lot of relationships involve some level of supporting each other, or as Paul phrases it, bearing each other’s burdens. Supporting a friend during a crisis or a family member who is battling an addiction can be a struggle at times, but by doing it, we’re obeying the law of Christ. We all need help and support from time to time, and this kind of reciprocal support among friends can lead to life-long relationships.

In this passage, Paul also speaks about how relationships can sometimes be uncomfortable, especially if they involve giving a friend or family member advice on their lifestyle choices, for example. However, when this is done out of love for the other person, it can be beneficial for everyone.

Advice On Who You Build Relationships With

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” – 1 Corinthians 15:33

Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. – Proverbs 13:20

The Bible has lots of advice on relationships, and the book of Proverbs is particularly full of wisdom about who you build relationships with. Not all relationships are good for us, but as humans, we are often drawn to the people that might not be best for us to be in relationship with.

These two verses – one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament – show how the behavior of those that we’re in a relationship with can have negative consequences. No matter how “good” you are, keeping “bad” company will, eventually (if not immediately) lead you astray.

It can be hard to realize that the people you’re friends with are corrupting your character, especially if you’ve tried to support them and point out the folly of their actions. However, sometimes you have to walk away from bad relationships that are damaging to you and others that you care about.

Explore Christian Counseling for Relationships

If you feel like your relationships with others aren’t as strong as you’d like them to be, or you find yourself unable to be in a relationship with others, then you may want to consider Christian counseling for relationships.

Different to couple’s counseling, Christian relationship counseling can help you to integrate more into a Christian fellowship, build more meaningful relationships and explore any underlying reasons for your relationship struggles.

With a Christian counselor, you can also explore more of what the Bible says about relationships and look at other examples of relationships in the Bible. Christian counseling offers a safe space to talk about your feelings and struggles and learn skills for building stronger relationships with the people you care about.