Verses on Building Relationships
All the Bible is about building relationships: the one God shares amongst the trinity, the ones we struggle to maintain with each other, and the one God chooses into eternity with us. Here’s a few pieces of advice from the Bible about how we can honor our maker and one another in how we treat each other.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
The picture of godly love painted in 1 Peter is an ordinary love. But we don’t mean ordinary here as plain. The love that “covers over a multitude of sins” is ordinary because it’s well lived in and practiced daily.
Whether in friendship or marriage, it’s important that you’re willing to share your life. Sometimes that means being able to visit one another and spend time in person; sometimes that means calling when you say you will. Regardless, lasting and meaningful relationships require you to allow another person to know you as you are. We have to support one another with what we have available, whether that’s a check-in text or a place to stay.
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
One of my favorite things to do with my closest friends and family is to listen to them share about something they’re passionate about. I’ve learned a lot this way: the crop rotations of indigenous tribes, the practical effects used in Jurassic Park (1993), and the surprisingly vast world of bug camouflage techniques.
When we love someone, we come to care about what they care about. Sometimes, this means going out of our comfort zone. At the natural end of this line of logic, this kind of love means your family has grown.
As the “beloved disciple,” John cared for Jesus’ mother as his own. The secret of Christlike love is that the love only multiplies. The joy of this growing love is that we bear it together; it strengthens us even as it asks more from us.
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
There’s strength in numbers: it’s a cliché for a reason. We were made in the image of a triune God, the product of a self-giving love. Relationships require the effort of mourning with others, but they also require the humility of receiving help. We’re often told to be stronger, more independent, less visibly in need. That’s an impossible, never-ending quest. Worse, isolation actually makes us weaker.
Next time you find yourself trying to go it alone, take a moment to ask yourself Why do I feel like I have to do this by myself? What do I lose if I ask for help? Honesty isn’t always easy, but it’s well worth the wasted effort of playing the hero. Cutting ourselves off from others limits our potential to our own wisdom and capabilities. Faith in Christ instead requires us to recognize—and even embrace—our limitations in favor of Christ’s strength.
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
When you know someone well, you gain a complicated superpower. And as everyone knows, power comes with responsibility. In this case, that’s the responsibility of telling and hearing hard truths.
As the Proverb says in its poetic way, a confrontation with a friend is more trustworthy than flattery from an enemy. In meaningful relationships, the other person’s opinion matters. That closeness is an opportunity to help one another grow. Enabling bad habits or ignoring character flaws doesn’t actually help anyone. In fact, it can have dire consequences.
Loving someone means being willing to wade into difficult discussions with love. One rule I have with my friends is to assume the best of the other person. When they come to me with a question of conscience, they can expect I will do my best to receive criticism with grace. It’s not easy to confront a friend—or to be confronted, but as another Proverb (27:17) says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.
This last piece of advice is impossible to follow perfectly, but it’s also the most important. Building relationships that last takes hard work; it requires us to be vulnerable, to expand our circle of care, to hear and tell difficult truths, and to put aside our selfish impulses. Ultimately, Jesus’ command to us is to love him with our entire lives.
When we attempt to see others as Jesus sees them, our patience and assumptions will be tested. Can I really forgive them for this? Am I willing to walk with them through this? Am I willing to let them walk with me through this? Christ models a love that answers yes, not from a sense of downtrodden duty but from a place of security.
When we are confident in God’s love for us, the risk of offering love to others is diminished. Supported by the endless mercy and fondness of Christ, we are called to spend our lives serving and loving others. And, as we build strong relationships, we are also called to become comfortable with being known and loved in return.
Conclusion
Building relationships is worthwhile, challenging work. The Redeemed was founded because of both how challenging and how worthwhile it is to build and live into meaningful relationships.
If you’re not sure where to begin—or how to continue, we suggest tuning into The Redeemed Man podcast for stories of redemption and advice on relationships of all sorts.
The Redeemed also offers free, online small groups. Each week, members meet to engage with Scripture, share challenges and triumphs, and support one another in our faith walk.
Connect with The Redeemed Community
If you’re inspired to practice building lasting relationships and would like to journey alongside like-minded believers, consider joining one of The Redeemed’s small groups. Whether you prefer meeting in person or connecting online, our community is here to support and grow with you.
Join us and discover how our relationships make us stronger than ever.
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