The bible is full of verses about love. In fact, the entire Bible can be summed up with one word: Love. When it comes to loving others, the Bible has a lot to say. One of the most important is 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, which talks about how love is patient, kind, and never fails.
In this post, we will explore 17 important verses about loving others. We will look at what the Bible says about how we should show love to others, why it’s important to do so, and some practical ways we can put these teachings into action in our own lives!
17 Bible Verses About loving Others
#1: “This is my commandment: Love each other as I have loved you.” – John 15:12
This verse is a great reminder of how we are supposed to love others. We are called to love others in the same way that Jesus loves us – unconditionally and sacrificially.
#2: “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” – Matthew 5:44
God wants us to love our enemies. This is probably one of the most difficult things to do, but it is so important. It’s easy to love those who love us back, but true love requires us to extend that same love and forgiveness to those who have hurt us.
#3: “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?” – 1 John 3:17
When we see others who are in need, we should do what we can to help them. It’s important to remember that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, and that we should treat others with the same love and compassion that we would want for ourselves.
#4: “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” – Colossians 3:12-17
This is one of my favorite verses about love. It reminds us that, no matter what else is going on in our lives, love is the most important thing. When we love others, it brings us closer to them and creates a bond of unity and understanding.
#5: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
This is one of the most famous verses about love in the Bible. It reminds us that God loves us so much that he was willing to sacrifice his own Son for our sake. That is the ultimate act of love, and it should inspire us to show that same love to others.
#6: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you must love one another.” – John 13:34
This is Jesus’ commandment to us about how we should love others. He tells us that we should love others just as he has loved us. This is a high standard, but it’s one that we should strive to achieve.
#7: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32
This verse is a reminder that we should show kindness and forgiveness to others, just as God has shown us forgiveness. It’s not always easy to forgive others, but it’s important to do so if we want to have a close relationship with God.
#8: “Let all that you do be done in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:14
When we do anything, we should do it with love. This includes everything from the small things, like making someone a cup of coffee, to the bigger things, like forgiving someone who has hurt us.
#9: “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.” – Proverbs 10:12
This verse is a reminder that hatred only leads to division and conflict. But when we show love, even to those who have wronged us, it can help to heal the situation and bring peace.
#10: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” – 1 Corinthians 13:13
This is another one of my favorite verses about love. It reminds us that, no matter what else is going on in our lives, love is the most important thing. When we focus on love, it brings us closer to God and to each other.
#11: “Let love be genuine. Avoid what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” – Romans 12:9
This verse reminds us that we should only show love that is genuine, and that we should avoid anything that is evil. It can be tough to tell the difference between good and evil sometimes, but we should always strive to do what is good and to show love to others.
#12: “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” – Romans 13:8
This verse reminds us that the most important thing we can do is to love each other. It doesn’t matter if we owe someone money or if they’ve done something to hurt us, the most important thing is to love them.
#13: “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
This verse is a reminder that we should help to bear each other’s burdens. We all have our own struggles, and when we help each other through them, it brings us closer together and helps us to understand each other better.
#14: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.” – Luke 6:32
This verse reminds us that even sinners show love to those who love them. It’s not complicated or difficult to love those who love us, but it’s a good place to start. We can then work on extending that same love to others who may not always love us back.
#15: “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” – Romans 12:11
This verse is a reminder that we should be passionate about our love for others. We should serve them with zeal and fervor, and always keep the Lord in mind.
#16: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
This verse is a reminder of what love looks like. It’s patient and kind, it doesn’t envy or boast, and it’s not arrogant. When we strive to live by these qualities, we can be sure that we are showing love in the right way.
#17: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:38-39
This verse reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. No matter what we go through in life, His love will always be with us.
How can we Show Love to Others in our Lives?
Following the Golden Rule
One way to show others love in our lives is by following the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12 ). Another is to remember that we are all created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27)
Supporting Them
Another way to show others love is by sacrificing for them. This might mean giving of our time, energy, or resources. It could also mean forgiving someone who has hurt us deeply.
We can show love to others by speaking kind words to them, encouraging them, and praying for them. We can also show love by being patient with them, even when they drive us crazy!
Why is it Important to Love Others as Ourselves?
The Bible is very clear on the importance of loving others. In Matthew 22:39, Jesus says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” And in Galatians, Paul says, “Love is the fulfillment of the law”
In John 15:12, Jesus says, “This is my commandment: Love each other as I have loved you.” When we love others, we are imitating God’s love for us.
Another reason it’s important to love others is because we are called to be Christ-like. And that is a very good thing.
Christ-likeness means that we are to imitate Christ in everything we do. And one of the things that Christ did was love others.
Because God loves us, and because we are called to be Christ-like. When we love others, we are being kind and compassionate.
How do we Know When We’re Loving Others in the Right Way?
We know that we are loving others in the right way when our love for them is based on biblical principles.
When we Love Others we Should Love Them:
- Unconditional
- Patient
- Kind
- Good
- Faithful
- Gentle
- Selfless
- Sacrificial
We Should Also Avoid Showing Love to Others in a Way That is:
- Sinful
- Harmful
- Self-serving
- Manipulative
- Controlling
It can be difficult to love others perfectly, but we can trust that God will help us as we strive to follow His commands.
Loving Others no Matter What
One of the most important things we can do in life is to love others. It’s something that Jesus commands us to do, and it’s something that can make a huge difference in our lives and those around us.
If you have a spouse, kids, friends, neighbors, coworkers, siblings, or parents then you know it can be difficult not to judge them.
We are particularly judgemental towards others when they do things that we don’t approve.
Many times we can start to have grudges towards the people in our lives but this doesn’t help us.
It hurts us and it sabotages our journey with God when we show hatred towards others for any reason.
It is much easier to love. To love others is to forgive them for all their wrong-doing towards us.
This prevents us from having heavy hearts. Loving others is well worth the sacrifice and God is here to help us all get through it.