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I think one of the struggles that leaders face is not wanting to hear what they need to hear. Sometimes leaders fall in love with an idea, they call it vision, and they circumvent a very necessary part of the vision process…hearing from God and hearing council from Godly men. 

Listen…A vision not submitted to the process is not a vision…it’s a pipedream.

Don’t make the mistake of calling a man-made pipedream a God-led vision.

I read 2 Chronicles 18:4-34 this morning. King Ahab desperately wanted to go to war against Ramoth-Gilead. He wined and dined King Jehoshaphat and formed an alliance with him and convinced him to fight along side of him against Ramoth-Gilead. Jehoshaphat said…I’ll do it, but first let’s inquire first of the Lord to make sure that this is His vision and not just a pipedream. They called 400 prophets together and asked them…”should we go to battle or refrain?” I can picture Ahab standing behind Jehoshaphat shaking his head up and down emphatically coaching the prophets into giving him the answer he wanted. Every one of the 400 prophets affirmed the “vision” and said yes…God will give them into you hands. Ahab was thrilled…process over…due diligence completed! Jehoshaphat said hold on…one more step. There is one more prophet that we need to inquire of. His name is Micaiah. Ahab rolled his eyes…not him…anyone but him…he never prophesies anything good about me! Micaiah was coached before he got there to agree with the 400 prophets. Talk about pressure! He didn’t cave…he listened to God and said, “don’t do it! God is NOT in this…I don’t know what these 400 other prophets are smoking, or maybe it was bad sushi, but I’m telling you…You will die if you go to battle!” Ahab was livid! He ordered Micaiah to be thrown into prison. Ahab went to war with the warning words of Micaiah playing like a recording over and over in his head. Just in case there was some truth to Micaiah’s words, Ahab decided it would be best to disguise himself. He put on his big nose mustache & glasses and went to war. The Syrian army were sent out to seek out and destroy Ahab. While they were looking for him, a stray arrow comes down and hits Ahab between the scale armor and the breastplate and kills him…not only is Ahab dead, but his pipedream is now dead! 

When leaders push a pipedream forward and disguise it as vision, there will be casualties!

Leaders, are you surrounded by Godly men that you allow to speak into your life or have you surrounded yourself with people that only tell you what you want to hear?

I’d rather have “1″ Micaiah than 400 yes men!