Relationships shape us more than almost anything else. The friends we choose, the people we date, the mentors we trust, the community we surround ourselves with, all of it profoundly influences who we become. Yet we live in a culture that treats relationships as casual, disposable, and primarily about what we can get rather than what we can give.
C.S. Lewis once wrote,
“Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things which give value to survival.”
He understood something we often miss: relationships aren’t just about utility or meeting our needs. They’re about becoming more fully human, more like Christ, through the iron-sharpening-iron process of doing life with others.
These verses reveal what Scripture says about godly relationships, the qualities that should mark our friendships and connections, and God’s design for how we relate to one another. The company you keep matters more than you realize.
Godly relationships don’t just happen. They’re cultivated intentionally through shared values, mutual encouragement, and commitment to each other’s spiritual growth.
Bible Verses About Godly Relationships
1. Proverbs 27:17 – Iron Sharpens Iron
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
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2. 1 Corinthians 15:33 – Bad Company Corrupts Good Character
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
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3. Proverbs 18:24 – A Friend Who Sticks Closer Than a Brother
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
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4. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 – Two Are Better Than One
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.
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5. Proverbs 13:20 – Walk With the Wise and Become Wise
Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.
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6. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Encourage One Another and Build Each Other Up
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
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7. Hebrews 10:24-25 – Spur One Another On Toward Love and Good Deeds
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 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.
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8. Proverbs 17:17 – A Friend Loves at All Times
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
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9. John 15:12-13 – Love Each Other as I Have Loved You
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.
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10. Proverbs 27:6 – Wounds From a Friend Can Be Trusted
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
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11. Romans 12:10 – Be Devoted to One Another in Love
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
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12. Galatians 6:2 – Carry Each Other’s Burdens
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
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13. Proverbs 22:24-25 – Do Not Make Friends With a Hot-Tempered Person
Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.
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14. 1 Peter 4:8 – Love Covers Over a Multitude of Sins
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
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15. Colossians 3:13-14 – Put On Love
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
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16. Proverbs 16:28 – A Perverse Person Stirs Up Conflict
A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.
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17. 1 John 4:7 – Everyone Who Loves Has Been Born of God
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
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18. Ephesians 4:32 – Be Kind and Compassionate to One Another
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
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19. Proverbs 12:26 – The Righteous Choose Their Friends Carefully
The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
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20. John 13:34-35 – By This Everyone Will Know
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.
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21. Romans 12:15 – Rejoice With Those Who Rejoice
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
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22. Proverbs 27:9 – The Pleasantness of a Friend Springs From Their Earnest Counsel
Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.
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23. 1 Samuel 18:1 – Jonathan Became One in Spirit With David
After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself.
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24. Philippians 2:3-4 – Value Others Above Yourselves
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
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25. James 5:16 – Confess Your Sins to Each Other
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
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26. Proverbs 17:9 – Whoever Would Foster Love Covers Over an Offense
Whoever would foster love covers over an offense, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
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27. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
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28. Proverbs 20:6 – A Faithful Person Who Can Find?
Many claim to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find?
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29. Ruth 1:16 – Where You Go I Will Go
But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”
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30. Galatians 5:13 – Serve One Another Humbly in Love
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.
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31. 2 Corinthians 6:14 – Do Not Be Yoked Together With Unbelievers
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?
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32. Proverbs 11:13 – A Trustworthy Person Keeps a Secret
A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
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33. Romans 15:7 – Accept One Another as Christ Accepted You
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
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34. Proverbs 27:10 – Better a Neighbor Nearby Than a Relative Far Away
Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.
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35. 1 Peter 3:8 – Live in Harmony With One Another
Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.
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Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Godly Relationships
The people you surround yourself with will either pull you closer to Christ or drag you away from Him. Scripture is clear that bad company corrupts good character and that we should walk with the wise if we want to become wise. This isn’t about being judgmental or isolating yourself from non-believers. It’s about recognizing that your closest relationships profoundly shape your values, habits, and trajectory.
Godly relationships are marked by mutual encouragement, accountability, and commitment to each other’s spiritual growth. They’re iron sharpening iron, not two dull blades rubbing together and staying dull. True friends wound you with truth when necessary because they love you too much to let you stay stuck. They celebrate your victories, carry your burdens, and point you back to Jesus when you drift.
The challenge is that godly relationships require vulnerability, time, and intentionality. You can’t build deep friendships through occasional surface-level interactions. It requires opening your life to people, letting them see your struggles, and being willing to invest in their growth as much as your own. But the reward is relationships that make you better, stronger, and more like Christ.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of relationships. Forgive me for the times I’ve chosen friends based on convenience rather than godliness, or for isolating myself instead of pursuing meaningful community.
Give me wisdom to choose my closest relationships carefully. Surround me with people who will sharpen me, encourage me, and point me toward You. Help me to be that kind of friend to others as well. Make me quick to encourage, faithful to pray, and willing to speak truth in love even when it’s hard.
Show me if there are relationships in my life that are pulling me away from You. Give me the courage to create healthy boundaries where needed and the humility to pursue reconciliation where possible. Help me to be devoted to others in love, to carry their burdens, and to celebrate their victories.
Let my relationships be a testimony of Your love and a source of strength for the journey ahead.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.