We stand or fall by the value we place in the people God has positioned in our lives. Many people have been hurt or abandoned by someone they loved or trusted. Churches have been split and ministers have become emotionally and spiritually crippled when a close friend or fellow minister has disappointed or turned against them.This often causes them to shut themselves off emotionally to keep from being hurt again. This is never a good solution. It leads to isolation and loneliness. As church leaders we cannot allow this to happen. The relationships you form have a decisive impact on the success or failure of your mission in life. Love is the cornerstone of the Gospel and we cannot love if we do not keep our hearts open. It is the nature of a close relationship to make us vulnerable, but that is precisely where God wants us to be. How do you nurture real relationships, while at the same time protecting your heart? What do you do when a good relationship goes bad? You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control what happens in you.