The People Factor: How Building Great Relationships and Ending Bad Ones Unlocks Your God-Given Purpose (2 page)

Relationships can be our source of greatest joy or our place of greatest pain. In fact, if anything is more painful than physical illness or injury, it is the emotional ache of a human heart. If any situation is as serious as the widespread outbreak of disease or the devastation of natural disasters, it’s the epidemic of broken or unhappy relationships that covers the globe today. It exists in every culture and every demographic—maybe even in you. Like the rampant spread of H1N1 or SARS when those diseases were so frightening, the growing destruction that results from bad relationships must be stopped. This is a cause to which I have dedicated my life.

Like you, I have watched while shaking my head over celebrities, politicians, and business leaders who were phenomenally talented but lost everything because they made bad choices in relationships. People such as Tiger Woods, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ted Haggard, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, and Lisa Nowak (a former astronaut and navy captain now serving prison time for attacking a romantic rival) are synonymous with achievement—at least they once were. At one time, these people touched the pinnacle of success in their respective fields. They are educated, trained, practiced, and skilled; they diligently prepared for greatness. They even had an abundance of leadership books available to them. But they all suffered disgrace and bear permanent scars on their character for one reason: relationships. Their stories made the front covers of popular magazines and the headlines of cable and Internet news. But famous people are not the only ones who suffer because of their relationships. It can happen to anyone.

In fact, suffering and struggling because of relationships happens every day in all kinds of ways. Most of the time, these situations do not capture media attention, but they all have stories behind them. The stories are not simply the details of “why so-and-so got a divorce” or “why he left the company” or “why the children have been removed from the home.” These accounts are not as much about what took place behind the closed doors of a home or a business as they are about what happened in a person’s heart and mind. They are not about who gets the house or where that bruise came from or what she will do if she cannot find a new job. They are about
why
a person cannot stay in a marriage,
why
someone abuses others, or
why
a person is known for not being a team player.

These situations and countless others all stem from the same source: the level of understanding and skill a person possesses about relationships. We simply must know what makes a relationship healthy and what makes it toxic. We have to learn to identify the warning signs of a relationship that is in trouble and gain the ability to leave it wisely, at the right time, and for the right reasons. We need to be able to assess people not for the petty purpose of being judgmental, but for the greater purpose of recognizing the people God has called us to walk closely with on the amazing journey He has planned for our lives. We need to lovingly undertake the important task of evaluating a person’s character so we will know if we should allow a deep relationship, keep the acquaintance casual, or avoid the relationship altogether. In addition, we are in desperate need of information to help us improve our relationships and develop the necessary tools to put the information into action.

Years ago, Robert Fulghum wrote a popular book titled
All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
. I understand his point and appreciate his insights. I also learned a variety of important lessons in kindergarten, but as I grew older I realized I needed to build on the basic things I knew about relationships. As my educational path took me through elementary school, high school, college, and graduate school, I recognized the need to raise my relational IQ as much or more than I raised my level of knowledge and skill in other areas.

For example, I learned to add as a young boy, but before long I also needed to know how to multiply. I learned about the concepts of hot and cold as a very young child, but later needed to understand the balance and relationship between those two so I could operate my thermostat and keep my family comfortable. I learned to spell
cat
as soon as I could write, but the time came when I needed to know how to spell
category, catapult,
and
catastrophic.
The fundamental lessons I learned about relationships were vital and provided necessary building blocks; I simply needed to know more.

Just as I needed to raise my relational IQ, perhaps you do too. We seem to be able to easily locate books that talk about specific aspects of relationships, such as improving communication or developing skills to be more effective parents or better spouses. I have also read many books about leadership and business, looking for insight into relationships because I believe the true secret to any leader’s success lies not in degrees or pedigrees or corporate smarts, but in the ability to relate effectively to others. To my surprise, most leadership books practically ignore the vital area of relationships, even though that’s the area that makes the difference between a terrific leader and a terrible one.

One of the main reasons I have written
The People Factor
is that I could not find in one book the insights and information I needed to take me to the next level of relational skill, not only in one specific area of relationships but in relationships of all types. I did not have a concise, practical resource to recommend to audiences who listen when I speak and ask important questions about the relationship challenges they face. There was nothing to put in the hands of people who left my office after sharing their deep pain over a relationship that would teach them beyond-the-basics lessons that could help them in highly practical ways. Many of these people know the fundamentals of relationships, but they need advice and instruction about how to become more relationally savvy and strategic. So I have written the book I always wanted to read. I have put into print the lessons I wish someone had taught me years ago about relationships. I think it is valuable, even life changing, and I pray you will too.

One reason we really do need to know how to navigate this area is that when God wants to do something in a person’s life, He usually does it through a relationship. My wife, Ty, says that she and I are where we are today
because of relationships.
While that is a bold assertion, it is not an understatement. We did not arrive where we are today because an angel came down from heaven and told us to start with a few people what is now a thriving church in Birmingham, Alabama. We have a fulfilling life and a blessed ministry because a series of relationships led us to the place we know God has for us. I have long believed that the biblical purpose of relationships is to add value to people’s lives and to help each person or entity involved contribute to the other in positive, life-building ways. That conviction has guided my wife and me as we have developed relationships and made relational decisions.

Any relationship that pulls us away from God, His Word, or His plan for our lives must be put aside. Let me be clear that my designation of “any relationship” does not always apply to marriage. Many principles in
The People Factor
can easily be applied to marriage, but this is not primarily a book about marriage. This is a book about the larger realm of relationships in general. It is important to understand that unlike professional and platonic relationships, marriage is a unique covenant relationship created by God to last until “death do us part.” Marriage is an honorable covenant and a great marriage is something worth working for. Nevertheless, there are clear reasons, biblical and other, why some marriage relationships should end sooner rather than later. Abuse of any kind is one of those reasons. If you are or have ever been part of an abusive relationship, please understand that God created relationships to help you, not to harm you in any way.

There is a reason God created Eve from Adam’s rib. The rib is one of the closest bones to a person’s heart. This suggests that Adam was supposed to protect Eve and to protect her heart. I believe the reason God did not make Eve out of a bone in Adam’s hand or foot is that such an action might have indicated that it was permissible for Adam to physically harm or even walk over Eve. I do not believe that God intends abuse of any kind in any relationship, and I would urge anyone who is being abused to exit the relationship quickly and seek professional help.

Two scriptures that clearly affirm the necessity of maintaining godly relationships and walking away from ungodly ones are found among the wise sayings of the book of Proverbs. Proverbs 27:17 teaches: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 13:20 says, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Ty and I learned these lessons long ago, and we have used them ever since because we know God uses relationships to lead us to the places and opportunities He has for us.

The same is true for you. You are where you are in life today because of your relationships. If you like where you are, great! But you are in the minority. If you do not like where you are and you hunger for a richer, more fulfilling experience in every area of your life, this book is a great place to start. I guarantee that if you put its principles to work, you will soon be a stronger, happier, healthier person. You will be a better spouse, a better friend, a better boss, a better parent, and a better human being if you will embrace the advice and carry out the instructions in these pages.

The insights and principles you will find in this book are based on the greatest, most effective relationship book of all time, the manual for all successful lives and relationships: the Bible. Everything you could ever need to know to have purposeful, thriving relationships is in the Good Book. It’s a Book about a lot of topics, but from start to finish one of its primary subjects is relationships.

The One who wrote the Book is the same One who creates relationships, leads us into relationships that will bless us, and helps us avoid alliances that will hurt us. He knows everything there is to know about the inner workings of people and relationships, and He has put it in His Word. Think of it this way: if you were to buy a car and have something go wrong with it, you would not call a plumber to fix it; you would go to the dealer or manufacturer. The same principle applies to relationships. When you want to know about them or speak with someone who can fix them, you go to the person who started them and knows all about them: God.

One of the tragedies of our contemporary society, I believe, is that we often look for relationship advice in sources that are not truly trustworthy. We may think we can trust them, but much of the material available today does not ultimately lead us into truth, freedom, and maturity. We look to television personalities and people who are “experts” in the world’s eyes, but have no vital connection with the Author of every relationship. This book will help you with powerful insights and instructions from the only credible relationship source on earth: God’s Word.

I think it’s only fair to warn you, though: The principles and practices in this book are not overnight miracles. You will have to apply them day after day, week after week, year after year. You will need to put them to work in your relationships when it is easy and when it is not. But I really believe once you start, you won’t ever want to stop.

In each chapter of the book, I have included two specific,
practical tools to help you remember and apply the insights you gain in
The People Factor.
The first one is titled “Relational Reminders” and consists of a brief list of bullet points summarizing the key principles of every chapter. The second feature I trust you will find helpful is a series of questions called “Raising Your Relational IQ.” Reading and understanding the material in the book will certainly help you become smarter relationally, but these questions will take you to the next level of relational skill because they provide you with an opportunity to think about your relationships, and to apply the lessons of this book to your everyday life.

Are you eager to get started? So am I. Let’s go.

PART 1

The Critical Laws of Relationships

LIKE IT OR NOT, LAWS GOVERN THE ENTIRE universe. We have laws that ensure order in cities and nations, laws of nature, laws of physics, and laws of supply and demand. Everyone on earth is subject to certain laws, and there are at least two facts we must know about them. First, if something is really a law, it works every time. Just think about the law of gravity—what goes up must come down, and it always does. Second, the breaking of a law carries consequences. Sometimes the consequence is physical injury, sometimes it is prison, sometimes it is a fine or a fee, and sometimes it is a terrible feeling of guilt.

Just as laws regulate societies and teach us what to expect in the physical world or in the realm of mathematics, science, or economics, laws also govern the complex world of relationships. They are true in every relational context, and as too many people have discovered, the consequences for breaking them can be painful. The first step toward building strong, purposeful, healthy relationships
is to know what these laws are and understand how to make them work for you, not against you.

Observing laws for the sake of obedience to rules and regulations is called legalism, and it produces a life of dry, boring drudgery. But really grasping the truth about these laws and abiding by them for the sake of a larger purpose leads to a life of fulfillment, security, and joy. I believe many people have miserable lives because they have miserable relationships. Learning to live by the laws of relationships will bring dramatic improvement to your life because it will enable you to make great decisions about new relationships and maximize the ones you already have.

1

You’ve Got to Be You

THE LAW OF BEING REAL

DID YOU SEE ANY OF THE MOVIES IN THE
Batman
trilogy starring Christian Bale? What about
Inception
? How about
The Avengers
or
Iron Man
? In these films, the main characters wear masks or pretend to be people they are not. Similarly, in the classic film
Roman Holiday,
Gregory Peck’s character, Joe, hides the fact that he is a newspaper reporter who stands to gain five thousand dollars for securing an interview with Audrey Hepburn’s character and simply pretends to be her friend. At the same time, Hepburn’s character is a princess masquerading as an ordinary girl.