1 Kings 22:8
And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.”
In the rest of this passage King Ahab surrounds himself with people that will tell him what he wanted to hear. He wanted to hear that the LORD was going to bless him with victory. That’s exactly what he heard from the advisors, except one. Micaiah. Ahab became angry when Micaiah prophesied his demise saying “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” Ahab ignored this warning, went into battle, and was killed.
Let this be a lesson to us. Don’t just surround yourself with “yes men” when you seek counsel. It could have saved Ahab’s life, and you never know what effect it could have on yours.
Earlier this year I needed some help making a decision. I talked to some people that I knew would probably tell me what I wanted to hear. Then, after some struggling, I figured I’d probably be happier in the end if I got an opinion from an expected naysayer. I had decided that I would follow what this person said whether I liked it or not at the time. To my surprise, this individual also confirmed my thoughts, and helped me make what I believe was the right decision.
More recently a similar incident came up, and when I asked another person’s thoughts he advised me not to do what I was planning. I listened, and have received a ton of affirmation that I was right in listening to this advice.
Now, I’ve taken it for granted that you should seek advice and wisdom from others. Please do that if you don’t already. Even the wisest man ever (Solomon) knew enough to know that he didn’t know everything. Let this story be a reminder though to not shelter ourselves from criticism. Please keep some people around that will tell you no. It can be very helpful sometimes.
PS
For another good story about the importance of getting advice and the dangers of “yes men” read about Rehoboam in 1 Kings 12
Funny you should post about this.
I just went through a situation where i needed to make a decision. And i knew what i needed to do, it was pretty obvious. But i didnt want to. I looked for advise on my Best friend, but in her desire to protect my heart she swollowed the hard words. So i then asked my mentor. HA! he knew how to break me (in a good way) and his words were a little harsh i have to admit, but he said what i didnt want to hear. which was excactly what i NEEDED to hear.
the result: Right decision!
thanks for this post.