In God’s Kingdom, we follow a calling, not ambition. Unrestrained ambition will leave a trail of death in our path, not life.

Toward the end of David’s life, as he was dying, one of David’s sons, a man named Adonijah, said, “I will make myself king” (I Kings 1:5). He began to gather chariots and charioteers and a team of men to run before him to announce his ambition. 

Adonijah began to sacrifice animals to celebrate his aspirations, but he did not invite Nathan the prophet to the celebration. Nathan knew Solomon was to become king. When he heard what was happening, he went to Bathsheba, David’s’ wife, and revealed Adonijah’s plans. 

Nathan, the prophet who had earlier in David’s life confronted his sin with Bathsheba, remained a faithful man honoring David through the remainder of his life. With Nathan’s counsel, David ordered Solomon to be anointed king to end Adonijah’s attempt to take the throne. When a crowd of supporters began to follow Solomon to his throne, Adonijah realized his coming doom and fled his celebratory party to take hold of the horns of the altar inside the sacred tent.

After Adonijah was forcefully removed from the tent he was brought to stand before Solomon the newly anointed and established king. Solomon said if Adonijah became loyal, he would live. If not, he would die. Then Solomon told Adonijah, “Go on home” (vs. 52). Adonijah was not able to remain loyal and was eventually killed for his disloyalty.

It is dangerous to step outside the boundaries of our calling and make assumptions about our lives based on ambition. Ambitions created by our assumptions can blind us and lead us to places not intended for our lives.

The Lord will always speak a word of calling over our lives. Those words will keep us safe when the ugly head of ambition is raised inviting us to assume things about our life not assigned by the Lord. A revelation of our calling is always the safest path to walk when we follow the Lord.