Good Men with Bad Habits
1 Kings 1:6
"And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom."
You will often hear someone describe another person as a "good man" or a "good lady." What is sad is how many good people have such great potential, but their bad habits destroy the possibility of what they could become. I recall such a person in the early years of my ministry. Anybody would have described this person as a good person. Sadly, this person who had so much potential ruined it with their bad habits. Eventually, their bad habits ruined all the good qualities to the point that they were thought of no longer as a good person.
Adonijah was a young man whom God described as a good man. Sadly, Adonijah allowed his bad habits to overshadow and eventually overtake the good qualities he had in his life. Instead of working on the areas that were taking away from his good qualities, he rode off the immediate perception of what others thought about him to his own destruction. There is no doubt in my mind that Adonijah could have been an important part in Solomon's kingdom if he would have worked at removing the bad habits in his life. I have found that the bad habits Adonijah had will destroy your good qualities if you likewise don't properly deal with them. Let me show you these qualities so you can avoid them in your life.
First, Adonijah practiced self-promotion. Promoting one's self is one of the worst habits that you could have. We live in a society that thinks self-promotion is how you move up in life, but in God's society you must allow God to promote you. Though the world may be successful in moving themselves up through self-promotion, that is not how God expects a Christian to be promoted. You must remember that if you acquire position through self-promotion, then man can take you down because man set you up. However, if you allow God to promote you, then you will find that man cannot take you down for man did not promote you.
Second, Adonijah was was a wasteful person. One of the worst habits you must conquer is wasting what God has given you. Just because you have something doesn't mean you have a right to be wasteful with it. You should learn to be wise in your handling of possessions and money. Many a good person has acquired a bad name through wastefulness.
Third, Adonijah was assumptive about what he deserved. He thought he deserved to be king. Don't fall for the trap of assuming you deserve something. Live your life not looking for anything from anyone, and if you do this everything anyone gives you will be a bonus. You would be best to simply do what you are supposed to do and let God worry about giving you what you deserve.
Last, Adonijah commonly chose friends and methods that led him in the wrong direction. Many good people have been destroyed because they didn't know how to choose the right direction. Christian, your direction will determine your destination. Friends and methods will determine your direction, so be sure to choose these wisely.
Many good people have been destroyed by these four bad habits. If you find yourself lacking in one of these areas, immediately start working on them so that you don't ruin the potential God has placed inside of you. Daily ask God to help you keep a right perspective of yourself and what He has given you. A right perspective of yourself and your possessions will keep you from ruining the potential God has placed inside of you.