Social Buffering is Bad for Leadership - 2 Chronicles 17-20

 2 Chronicles 18:7 (ESV)

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 always evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.”

This verse is pulled right out of the middle of an entire section.  So, before we pull a principle for life out of it, we should first establish the context.    Jehoshaphat is the king of Judah.  He has (wrongfully so ... see chapter 19) decided to join Ahab, the wicked king of Israel, in a fight with another nation.    Before going into the fight, however, Jehoshaphat ask Ahab to “inquire of the LORD” to obtain guidance and permission from God.   Ahab brings a number of “his” prophets to ask about God’s favor and they all agree that Ahab and Jehoshaphat should go to war, together.  They prophesied good would come of the venture.    However, Jehoshaphat asks if there is another prophet among them that could be asked. It must be assumed that Jehoshaphat, a godly king, could see that Ahab’s selection of prophets were just “yes-men” for Ahab.  This is where our above verse comes into to play.   Ahab did know of another prophet.  But, Ahab never asks that prophet because that prophet (the prophet’s name was Micaiah) would always say something Ahab thought was “evil against him.”   What Ahab was doing, as a leader, was avoiding anyone who disagreed with him and his previously held bias.   He did what can be referred to as “social buffering.”  He was not willing to listen to anyone who disagreed with him.   We “social buffer” when we only hang out with and listen to and engage with, those of our same bias and social equivalency.   In one sense “social buffering” is a positive function in our lives.  We surround ourselves with those who support us and lift us up.  Animals social buffer.  They hang out with their own kind, elephants with elephants, lions with lions, etc.   What can’t happen with leaders, however, is social buffering.  When that happens they will never address and/or engage with contrarian views.  They will only hear what they think is supported by “everyone,” when, in reality it is social buffering.   They buffer away anyone who disagrees with them.   This is a dangerous step with leadership.  It is a positive step to gather support and comfort from others, but in leadership it does what happened to Jehoshaphat and Ahab.  They end up going to war and Ahab is killed and Jehoshaphat is almost killed.   He is later condemned by a prophet from Judah (19:1).   Social buffer to gather support.  Social buffer to find comfort among friends.   Don’t social buffer if you are a leader and trying to find truth.   That hinders real leaders making great decisions about life for those they lead.