The relationships we forge can either make life blissfully sweet, or miserable and unhappy. We see them all around us, although many people don’t know how to build happy, healthy spiritual bonds between themselves and others. Relationships are a gift from a loving God, and He wants us to be happy in them. When we study the Bible, we see that Jesus is always in the center of successful relationships.

Worldly relationships that leave out God can be painful and destructive. Many of them are built around fear or other negative emotions. When we proactively reach out to others and share Jesus’ love, we begin laying the groundwork for healthy relationships. It can start with something as simple as encouraging someone else.

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.
(Heb. 10:24, NKJV)

Jesus was all about mercy, compassion, and kindness. Instead of condemning the woman caught in adultery, He forgave her. He never pointed the finger of blame, and He had harsh words for hypocrites who set themselves above everyone else.

Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.
(Matt. 7:1-5, MSG)

Sharing Jesus enriches any relationship, whether it’s between spouses, parents, children, neighbors, friends, or co-workers. The lessons found in the Word of God about how to treat others are radically different than what we see in the world. Treating others the way we’d like to be treated makes a positive difference. “And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise” (Luke 6:31, NKJV). Jesus preached this during His earthly ministry, and it’s still true today.

When Jesus ministered to the crowds, He had compassion on them. He saw saw how lost and hurting they were, just like today. He reached out to the people in love, knowing full well that not all of them would accept His message. In Him, we have the perfect example to follow in all our relationships.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
(Eph. 4:31-32)

Getting along with others is easier if we set aside selfish motives, and put others first. Remembering the saying “Walk a mile in my shoes” helps us to get a different perspective from our own, increasing our understanding of someone else’s emotional needs. Having empathy for others’ feelings makes us less likely to say or do hurtful things. When we remember how Jesus conducted Himself with others and apply those same principles, God will bless our relationships.