2 Chronicles 17:3
And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David, and sought not unto Baalim;
One of Jehoshaphat’s great attributes was that he knew what leaders to follow. Jehoshaphat could have easily followed many other leaders, but he chose to follow David whom God had blessed. Jehoshaphat had many kings before him who had not followed David and how he led, but he understood that God’s blessings were on David, and not to follow David’s ways would be detrimental to his reign.
However, maybe the wisest part of Jehoshaphat was that he followed the first ways of his father David. Jehoshaphat understood that David’s first ways were the ways that brought God’s blessings on his life. Jehoshaphat also understood that the end of David’s life was not the ways that brought blessing, but they were the ways that brought shame and heartache to David. Jehoshaphat was wise enough not to follow David’s weaknesses but his strengths, which were the first ways.
There are two great mistakes that many make to their destruction. The first great mistake is that the fail to follow the great successes of their heritage. Just like other kings before Jehoshaphat, many today follow compromising leaders and criticize the leaders God blessed to their own destruction and failure. God gave us history to learn from, and to ignore or criticize the successes of men God has greatly used is foolish at best. I believe too many read about their contemporaries to their hurt instead of reading about the men from the past whom God has blessed. Contemporaries are still a book that is being written; whereas, the great men of the past are finished books that we can glean from their whole lives. I would much rather read the whole book of the great men from the past because I have seen their end and know what God has done through them. However, to read and follow the contemporaries is to read an unfinished book that we don't know the ending of where their ways will lead. If I were to follow a contemporary, I would follow the contemporary that holds high and follows the model of those men from the past that God has used mightily.
The second great mistake is to follow the weaknesses of great men from the past instead of following their strengths. Jehoshaphat followed the first ways of David to his benefit. Every great man has weaknesses, and to follow the weakest part of a man’s life instead of following his strengths is foolish. God shows us the weaknesses of men from the past to teach us what not to do. God does not show us their weaknesses so that we can criticize them and try to destroy what God did through their lives, but He wants us to learn from their weaknesses so that we don't make the same mistakes they did that hurt them.
However, these men God used in the past likely have more strengths than weaknesses, and you would be wise to find their strong points and follow those ways so that God can use you to the same degree that He used those men in the past. One of the greatest teachers is history, and you would be wise to study the strengths of men like Jack Hyles, Lee Roberson, J. Frank Norris, and Dallas Billington. Yes, these men had weaknesses, but copy their strengths and learn from their weaknesses, and you will find that God can use you as greatly as He did these men IF you are wise enough to follow their strengths.