ARIZONA TODAY
LYLE J. RAPACKI, Ph.D.
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COMMENTARY AND PERSONAL REMARKS
By Lyle J. Rapacki, Ph.D.
Host and Commentator – ARIZONA TODAY
September 25th, 2021
ARROGANCE –
The season of campaigning is already in full bloom, and so are many examples of arrogance among those who claim they wish to work for the American People. Few even mention being a Servant of the People or a Servant Leader for that matter. The days hearing from those seeking public office as an extension of their civic duty apparently is long gone, even forgotten. What a shame we have so few who will stand and publicly claim such a mantle. Having worked with elected and other public officials for over 15 years, I have seen, first-hand, those who once elected can have free access around a state capitol, preferred parking, and are called by lofty titles seemingly forget who they serve. I believe you can climb too high for your own good, you can ascend heights and have preferred seating and become so elevated that a spirit of arrogance easily finds you! It’s difficult to focus on people when you are so far above them; you are so in-the-know, so important that the very people you once stood in line with and complained about the arrogant leaders are not seen any longer. After-all, you are above them, you are so important that you simply have lost touch. Sophisticated political Ads and posters speak otherwise, but daily the arrogant leader is in a bubble with like-minded folks.
May I provide a biblical example? Now don’t hit delete, hang in there because the example is relevant for the present. You see, King David prior to being so elevated was once a man who tended sheep, was not sure when his next meal would come, endured long stretches wandering the wilderness, wondered where he could lay his head and rest from the constant harassment and stalking he endured by another King who intended to kill him. David is now King and has built Israel into a very credible and strong nation, well-to-do and still prospering, large in every fashion, and David was the architect. At the height of his ruling David saw a beautiful woman bathing while out on his balcony and ordered that she be brought to him. He then had sexual relations with her, and even impregnated her while her husband, a military commander, was off fighting a battle in King David’s service. David, from his balcony, viewed a truly beautiful woman but he did not see the woman Bathsheba as the human being, wife, citizen of Israel, creation of God that she was. His height of power and office, of importance and sense of entitlement and unchallenged influence caused him to lose his vision. Being in exalted positions will do that to a person if they are not on-guard. Most reading my words may never have the chance to experience such heights of power and influence, but in a smaller manner this same form of self-importance occurs in all strata’s in society. So allow me to ask you:
Do you see people or do you merely see their function? Do you see people who may need an affirming word, a pat on the back, an “atta-boy” even a nice “hello or good day?” Or do you see people who are beneath you? People in positions and jobs much lower than yours? You see…the story about King David ordering Bathsheba to be brought to him in the palace was not a story about lust, it was, and is a story about power. It is a story of a man who reached such a pinnacle of success, of influence, and yes of power, that he had reached a position too high for his own good. “First pride, then the crash – the bigger the ego the harder the fall” (Proverbs 16:18). What about this – God doesn’t simply dislike arrogance, He perfectly hates it!” “I hate pride and arrogance” (Proverbs 8:13). So I ask you to seek humility. Humility does not imply thinking less of yourself but that you think of yourself less. Don’t exaggerate yourself or your importance, instead develop a sane and balanced estimate of your capabilities in accordance with the gifts God has allowed you (Romans 12:3). Burn this reminder into your life – “People come into this world with nothing, and when they die, they leave nothing” (Ecclesiastes 5:15). Resist the place of celebrity, strive instead to become a Servant Leader regardless of your station in life. “Sit in a seat that is not important. When the host comes to you he may say, ‘friend move up here to a more important place.’ Then all the other guests will respect you” (Luke 14:10).
Whether as a candidate for public office or in another capacity, don’t ascend the balcony of high and mighty. Work to remain a “Servant Leader.” Have someone around you who will tell you, and to whom you will truly listen, that you are becoming high and mighty, losing touch with how you got to your position in the first place. Burn into your thinking that whatever position in which you may be, you are important and are capable of serving others and making the world a better place for your having been here.
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LYLE J. RAPACKI has provided intelligence and threat assessment consultations and briefings to selected members of the Arizona State Legislature since May 2010. His reports and consultations expanded to include elected and law enforcement officials across the country. He is the Host and Commentator for ARIZONA TODAY carried by Prescott eNews in Prescott, Arizona and then distributed to 25 platforms nationally, viewed by over 1.3 million. He is the author of the successful booklet: “Our Forefathers Truly Appealed to Heaven” which you can order at: ARIZONA TODAY – Prescott eNews, P.O. Box 2825, Prescott, Arizona 86302 - $20
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