Love is the most important thing of all. Why? Because God is love. During Jesus’s time on earth, he summed up the entire law (613 to be exact) into two commandments. The first was to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind, and the second was to love your neighbor as yourself. As simple as those two commandments are, it’s not always easy to do them. In fact, it’s impossible to do either one of them without the strength that God gives us. Because of this, knowing Bible verses about love and strength is essential. We are nothing without God; we’re weak. But God’s strength works best in our weaknesses. Here are 30 verses that can remind us of the love and strength that God shows and provides for us.
Bible verses about love and strength
- John 3:16
- Romans 5:8
- Romans 8:38-39
- 1 John 4:9-10
- Lamentations 3:22-23
- Matthew 22:37-39
- John 15:12
- 1 Peter 4:8
- Romans 13:10
- Luke 6:35
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
- Colossians 3:14
- Galatians 5:22-23
- Proverbs 10:12
- 2 Timothy 1:7
- Psalms 46:1
- Exodus 15:2
- Psalms 18:1-2
- Isaiah 41:10
- Habakkuk 3:19
- Joshua 1:9
- Deuteronomy 31:6
- 1 Chronicles 16:11
- Nehemiah 8:10
- Ephesians 6:10
- Philippians 4:13
- Isaiah 40:29
- 2 Corinthians 12:9
- Psalms 27:1
- 2 Thessalonians 3:3
Bible verses about God's love for us
- John 3:16: “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”
- Romans 5:8: “But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!”
- Romans 8:38-39: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
- 1 John 4:9-10: “God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
- Lamentations 3:22-23: “Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!”
How to apply these verses to your life
It’s best to refer to these scriptures when: you don’t feel like you’re enough, you’re depressed, you made a mistake, you feel lonely, you feel far from God, you don’t feel loved, you don’t feel valued, etc. It’s normal to think these kinds of thoughts. We don’t have to dwell on them though. These verses help you to reflect on how God views you. It shows us the unconditional love he has for us. He offered his only son (Jesus) so you could live. He did this when we didn’t care anything about God. We need to actively respond by believing in him and choosing to live each day of our lives with gratitude. His love is an example of how we should love others.
Bible verses about loving others
- Matthew 22:37-39: “He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- John 15:12: “This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you."
- 1 Peter 4:8: “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.”
- Romans 13:10: “Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.”
- Luke 6:35: “But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil.”
How to apply these verses to your life
Loving others starts with loving God first. Fully commit your heart, soul, and mind to him. Completely surrender to him and pray every day for God to transform you by changing the way that you think. As your love for God grows, your love for others will grow too. Remember that loving others is much bigger than the way that you treat your friends, family, and loved ones. It’s also how you treat your enemies. It’s how you treat people who don’t look like you, act like you, serve the God that you serve, etc. It’s how you treat people that hurt you. It’s how you respond when you aren’t getting treated the way that you would like to be treated. It’s easy to retaliate. It’s hard to be forgiving, show kindness, and put the needs of others before your own. This is where we need to rely on God’s strength. Pray that he can give you the ability to imitate him. By choosing to respond in love, it will be eye-opening and may cause that person to become a follower of Jesus.
Bible verses about the characteristics of love
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7: “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
- Colossians 3:14: “Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.”
- Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things.”
- Proverbs 10:12: “Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.”
- 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.”
How to apply these verses to your life
Use these scriptures to be your love barometer. If you’re doing the opposite of anything that 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 is talking about (being impatient, mean, unforgiving, etc.) that should be your sign to pray. A common practice is to insert your name everywhere the word ‘love’ is in that scripture. If you can’t honestly say that you are those things, you need to pray and ask God to help you to be those things. God loves when we talk about our weaknesses. It allows us to depend on him. He’s ultimately the one that transforms us into these things. We can’t be loving people on our own strength.
Bible verses about God as our source of strength
- Psalms 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.”
- Exodus 15:2: “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”
- Psalms 18:1-2: “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
- Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.”
- Habakkuk 3:19: “The Lord my Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like those of a deer and enables me to walk on mountain heights!”
How to apply these verses to your life
As humans, we naturally like to try and do things in our own power. This causes us to become frustrated, tired, and discouraged when life isn’t going our way. When facing challenges, use these scriptures to remind yourself that God is your safe place. Remember the many times that God came through for you in difficult seasons. Praise God in the hard moments and keep on praising him when everything is going well. Keep acknowledging God as the source of your strength. Never be prideful or take credit for anything.
Bible verses about being strong
- Joshua 1:9: “Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For the Lord your God is the one who will go with you; he will not leave you or abandon you.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:11: “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”
- Nehemiah 8:10: 'Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” '
- Ephesians 6:10: “Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.”
How to apply these verses to your life
Use these scriptures when you are faced with fears. Use them as a reminder that God is always with you wherever you go. If fear is a constant battle for you, make sure to memorize these verses so you can repeat them when fearful thoughts begin crossing your mind. Be honest with God in these moments and pray that he can give you the courage, strength, and joy to walk through challenging situations with confidence. Remember to worship God in the middle of it and to be thankful that he placed you in situations where you need to trust in him. Make it a daily practice to seek the Lord and his strength through prayer and worship.
Bible verses about strength in weakness
- Philippians 4:13: “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.”
- Isaiah 40:29: “He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.”
- 2 Corinthians 12:9: ‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me.’
- Psalms 27:1: “The LORD is my light and my salvation — whom should I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life — whom should I dread?”
- 2 Thessalonians 3:3: “But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.”
How to apply these verses to your life
In the world, weakness is viewed as a bad thing. As followers of Christ, weakness is right where you need to be. God’s power works best when we are weak. It allows us to fully trust and depend on God. Be thankful when you are weak. Do what Paul talked about and boast about your weaknesses. Constantly acknowledge him as the source of your strength. Pray that he can give you the power that you can’t do on your own. Reflect on the many weak people that God used to do great things.
Evan Smith is the owner of Two Ten Creatives, a creative design company specifically for churches. He strategically finds ways to bring more visitors to churches by designing church websites and focusing on local SEO. He is a follower of Jesus, a husband, and a father.
