Prepare Your People

God blesses you when people mock you. . . . Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. Matthew 5:11-12

Command Headquarters—Bahrain, Saudi Arabia—February 1991

“Well, boys, this is it. We’ll get our battle orders within the next six hours, and then it’s over the line into enemy territory. I’m going to give it to you straight—this is not going to be a cakewalk. We are in for the battle of our lives. But that’s what we’ve trained for. You men are part of the best fighting army in history. Our gear is better, our training is better, and we are better. Now, let’s get ready to give ’em what they came for.”

Good leaders prepare their people for tough times by telling them the truth.

Jesus warned his followers about the difficulties that lay ahead, and he gave them hope for the future by painting a picture of what was waiting at the end.

Have you shared both the hard reality of the mission and the joy of the reward with your team?