10 Bible Passages to Encourage Your Marriage

Marriage is one of God’s best gifts. Marriage can also be one of the most complicated relationships in which you will participate. Committing yourself to one person for a lifetime, for better or for worse, takes work. It requires daily, hourly, ongoing perseverance.

Obviously, marriage needs love, and words and actions to fill the well of love you have for one another. It takes prayer, deep breaths and excessive patience, and communication skills that you’ll likely have to develop and practice. Marriage requires investments of time and fun, creativity and acts of service, planning, and spontaneity.

Bible passages about marriage.

When done well, marriage holds the possibility to expand your heart and your horizons in ways you could never have imagined. Marriage can make each of you a better person. Below are some Bible passages to center you on God’s love for you and God’s gift of love in your marriage.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. – 1 John 4:7a

Love is a gift from God to us and a gift we have the privilege to share with others as God works through us. We love because God loves us. We know how to love because God created us in His image; God is love and so we also can love and be loved. God is the source of our love for one another; when you begin to feel like your love isn’t enough, you can always return to God and let Him fill your love from His well.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 3:38-39

God’s love is unconditional. Nothing you do or don’t do, say, or don’t say, will ever change God’s love for you. Even when you don’t love God well, God’s love never changes. God’s love doesn’t depend on you.

The feelings of love you have for your spouse may waver, yet you can trust in God’s commitment to love. Marriage isn’t a 50-50 commitment, with each spouse investing half, but a 100-100 commitment, with each person giving love, service, and even sacrifice as Jesus did – unconditionally.

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. Love never fails. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

These few lines might be among the most read scriptures at weddings as a description of perfect love. Truly, it best describes God’s love. God is love, and God’s love never fails. People, however, do and will fail. You are not perfect. Your spouse is not perfect. You can fully expect to get angry and argue over everyday household management issues like who did the dishes last night or who spent too much money.

And still, it remains a great description of the love couples should try to cultivate in their marriage. Practice patience, kindness, humility, and admit when you’ve been wrong or made a mistake.

Ask your wife or husband about their day and their needs and listen well; do what you can to support them. Seek the best for your partner. Trust your spouse and live a trustworthy life. This passage offers great guidelines for infusing your marriage with loving words and actions.

Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called “woman,” for she was taken out of man.’ That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame. – Genesis 2:22-25

We could paraphrase Adam’s response to meeting Eve like this: “Finally, here she is! This is the part of me I’ve been missing.” As God unites two people in marriage, He creates something new. One flesh, not two, is a beautiful mystery. It can also be a challenge to remember when you’ve got hot tempers over differences of opinion.

Come back to this passage to remember that God gave you as gifts to each other. He united you. Your physical bodies and your personalities are different, but you belong to one another. Feeling unashamed means you and your partner should be as supportive of each other as you are of your own body, caring for the other’s needs just like you feed and care for yourselves.

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. – Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Marriage is a partnership unlike any other. You work together for the good of your relationship, your home, your children, and your extended family. You work together to support one another in your responsibilities and as you shoulder life’s complications.

You lie down together to keep warm and to express love for each other. You do your best to shelter one another physically and emotionally. And as you acknowledge God’s presence in your lives, God weaves together three strands – God plus the two of you – into a cord that contains a strength you don’t possess as individuals.

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

As Jesus sent His disciples out two-by-two to minister in the surrounding countryside, God also uses married couples to spread His love. As individuals and as a couple, your relationship witnesses to others what God’s love looks like. How did Jesus love His followers? Unconditionally. Sacrificially. He served them, taught them, led them, considered their needs, and met them. He gave His life for them so that they could be with God. As you love each other well, people will take notice.

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. – Ephesians 4:2

You are not always right, and your partner is not always wrong. Both need to be willing to set down the arguments and listen. Oftentimes in a relationship, someone will have a gentler personality while their partner expresses greater strength. However, humility, gentleness, and patience are traits worth developing for all of God’s people.

What does that look like for you? Maybe you need to take a break from a discussion and write down your feelings. Someone else might need to go for a walk to burn off steam. Prayer helps in any situation. The call is to bear with one another. Remember your love for each other and that you’re on the same team.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:29, 31-32

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry… – James 1:19

These passages on communication go together. Communication is essential in any long-term relationship, and it’s especially important in marriage. It’s worth setting time aside periodically to talk about your communication styles, strengths, and weaknesses.

You might find it helpful to commit to not insult one another or speak sarcastically. Challenge each other to speak compliments and encouraging words that build up the other every day.

If you notice a buildup of anger in one or both of you, find appropriate ways to deal with it immediately before it becomes a festering issue; for example, talking with a counselor can help. Also, develop a habit of quick forgiveness. Some couples make it a goal to see who can be the first to forgive when there’s a dispute.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. – James 1:5

Ultimately, God is for you as individuals and as a married couple. He wants your relationship to thrive. Every marriage comes up against difficult situations in life and/or relational issues that require wisdom. Develop a practice of praying individually and together for each other and your marriage. Ask God for His generous gift of wisdom to face whatever challenges you face.

Christian couples counseling.

If you’re looking for additional support for your marriage, feel free to contact me or one of the other counselors in the online counselor directory. We would be happy to meet with you to discuss practical techniques for issues that arise in a marriage from a Christian perspective.