Eugene Peterson described the partnership of believers like this: “moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-13).

I have had glimpses of that experience. Chuck had been my unlikely partner in a small computer company. Cal had become a dear friend while planning a charity golf tournament. Jay’s skills were a complement to my skills when we became PTA co-presidents. Dave and I together became a bridge for area churches to help with food issues in the local schools. Danelle, my bride, continues to be a balancing voice at home and at work. Chad, my partner at CAM, and I create new initiatives that are wonderfully weaved with an equitable amount of ideas that become our ideas rather than tracing any credit.

As coaches, we are often the catalyst to create this place of “graceful response”. To do this, we need to firm up three areas on the human side of partnership: the value of people, the value of purpose, and the value of partnership. Jesus ordained these three when he declared in Matthew 22:35-40 that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love people, and that everything hangs on these two commandments.

The Value of People

One time I heard a speaker say we’ve all heard the phrase, “It takes all kinds,” referring to people. He wanted us to know a truth his father had taught him: “It doesn’t take all kinds. There just are all kinds.” His inference was that you don’t want everybody in your organization. I know what he was trying to say, but something felt wrong with his conclusion.

At the outer layer of people, you will find all kinds of layers of protection. This has built up from their family of origin, bad experiences, poor self-talk, and lack of someone to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). But at the inner layer, every person reflects the image of God, and God announced humanity is “very good” (Gen 1:31). There are “all kinds” of bad attitudes, but there are only “one kind” of people – good people.

Biblically, the value of people begins in Genesis. In chapter one, Moses wrote that God created men and women in God’s own image. And yet chapter two is where the value really stands out. After God created Adam and placed him in the Garden, God makes this startling statement, “It is not good for the man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18).

A search is made amongst the created animals, but none has enough innate value to overturn the loneliness of man. Another human is necessary. God does not make a clone of Adam. He makes a human very different from the man. She is diverse in almost every way. Eve joins Adam in the service of caring for the garden. Her presence changes the situation from “not good” to “good.”

Jumping forward to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 4 that each believer brings plenty of value to be considered an essential part of the Christian community. One way to consider value is to look at diverse giftedness. Paul uses the analogy of the body to say that everyone can find their place within the body. Some are meant to be the feet, some the heart, some channel various senses. But everyone has value. We don’t have to decide their value. We must discover it.

Value of Purpose

We are human beings, not human doings. However, our value is in our identity, which can not be identified outside of the groups to which we belong. Three of my pastor friends identify by their initials (PK, PT, and PT) – Pastor Keith, Pastor Tom, and Pastor Travis. Their identity is directly tied to their purpose and ultimately to their grouping. We can’t talk about identity without talking about purpose, and this purpose is tied to a valuable group of people.

Going back to Genesis, it is interesting to note that Genesis wasn’t written to stand by itself. It belongs to the first five books of the Bible, together known as the Pentateuch (meaning five books). Think trilogy plus two. Moses’ audience for these five books was the Hebrews freed from Egyptian slavery on the verge of entering the promised land and founding the new nation of Israel. The purpose of Genesis was to establish the value of these people was substantial enough to found a new nation.

Adam and Eve had been God’s people in the Garden. The nation of Israel would be God’s people in the world. Their purpose, via Abraham in Genesis 15, would be to bless all the nations of the world.

Paul also speaks of human purpose. In Ephesians 4:11-12, God gave all kinds of Christian leaders to equip people for “works of service.” The body of Christ is here to continue the work of the Hebrew nation. We are here to bless all the people of the world. We are transformed from selfish people to serving people. This is both our identity and our purpose. As outsiders join us, we recognize their value and assimilate their giftedness for this one purpose – to be a blessing to others.

Value of Partnership

A few years ago, I discovered my High Performance Pattern. The HPP changed my life in many ways, but the most impactful was the awareness that I only perform at a high level when I have a partner. I didn’t take this well at first. I got defensive. I made excuses. I don’t need anyone’s help. (Notice how all my responses start with “I,” showing my outer layer of defensiveness.)

Immediately after God created Eve, we read “the two became one flesh.” They were both naked (vulnerable and trusting of one another) and felt no shame. God had created all kinds of systems, separating land and water, night and day, plants and animals, and they were all “good.” But the system God created in the garden was “not good.” Another was needed.

If Eve’s only purpose was to bear children, God wouldn’t have had Adam check out the animal kingdom first. The dog was loyal. The ox was strong. The pig was delicious, but none of these was a suitable helper for Adam. Even the word “helper” can lead us down the wrong path. God is sometimes referred to as man’s helper, and by that, we are to understand God was willing to partner with us.

Paul sees the potential more clearly than any other Biblical writer. He writes in Ephesians 4:16, “From Christ, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Reading more deeply into this verse, complicated by its complex sentence structure and need for translation, the gist is that a synergy is created by diverse individuals and groups working side by side. The phrase “We can do more together than apart” is a foundational truth for Paul. Paul says definitively, “It takes all kinds.”

We create partnerships by “speaking the truth in love” (Eph 4:15) and “growing and building each other up in love” as each one “does its work.” We don’t easily work better together, at least not at first. It takes the work of self-awareness, emotional intelligence, building trust, and navigating conflict. And it’s worth it. The power of an aligned organization with a powerful identity harnessing diverse gifts will always be more powerful than a large group of non-partnered individuals.

Conclusion

Two conclusions can be drawn from the value of people, purpose, and partnership. One conclusion is that this is a model for us as coaches with our clients. The other is that this is a model for our clients as they navigate their own personal journey.

As coaches, we start with the value of people. We approach everyone as healthy, creative, and responsible. We don’t subscribe to “There are all kinds of people.” We subscribe to “It takes all kinds of people.” Every person, “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), deserves to be made aware of their personal value to humanity. This is part of the gospel.

Then, we examine purpose. Each coaching session is to help the client get from where they are to where they want to go. The reason for their journey is their purpose. We help them see their destination more clearly and often dive deeply into the client’s identity to fully understand their God-given purpose. We build motivation so that they can endure the hardship of the journey.

Finally, we would do well to consider our relationship with our client as a partnership. We are not the expert, though we do bring expertise and knowledge. I don’t ask new clients to hire me. I ask them to partner with me. As coach and client, we are better together than apart. We model the value of partnership for our client.

The second conclusion is applying these three truths about people, purpose, and partnership to our clients. The hiring of a coach highlights the clients worth. Since the coach is a partner and not a last hope before being fired, the client feels an assignment of value that is at least equal to the fee paid to the coach. Note that lowering your fee may lower the value assigned to your client.

The client then examines deeply their identity and their purpose. What makes it critical that they move from where they are to where they want to go? Purpose becomes clarified. Decisions become easier because they are either destined to take the client closer to their clarified destination or further away.

Finally, and why this is a good model for clients, is because they will need to take one step past value and purpose. Where does the client fit in God’s bigger picture? To whom do they belong? Who is their small band of sojourners? Who is in their larger organization of like-minded people? Who can become their partner while enhancing their own personal identity? This third level is a deep, Biblical, and wonderful level to explore with your clients.