We often talk about power as if it were a resource to be hoarded or a weapon to be wielded. In our daily lives, whether in the office, the marketplace, or our social circles, we see the temptation to tilt the scales. It is easy to think that if we can just push someone else out of the way, or discredit their position, our own path will become clearer. We rationalize these actions as “doing what needs to be done” or “playing the game.”
And today I read what I will consider a standard that cuts through the noise of human ambition. In the book of Lamentations 3:36 – “To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.”
This is not a suggestion or a piece of mild advice. It is a clear statement that when we actively work to undermine someone else, especially when they are trying to stand up for themselves, we are walking away from what is right; in fact, I dare say that you are working against God.
How Subversion Actually Works
To “subvert a man in his cause” is to deliberately interfere with the legitimate path or purpose of another, turning a situation into a trap rather than a fair contest. At its simplest, it is sabotage. It occurs when someone else has a valid point, a legitimate grievance, or a dream they are working toward, and you decide to pull the rug out from under them simply because you can, or because their success feels inconvenient to your own. This is not about healthy competition; it is about the cold, tactical destruction of another person’s progress.
You see this behavior manifest in the workplace when a manager or peer takes credit for a colleague’s idea, effectively muting their contribution and ensuring they never get the recognition they deserve. You see it in community disputes when influential people use their status, connections, or wealth to ensure the person without those advantages never gets a fair hearing or a seat at the table. It is present when gossip is used as a weapon to poison a reputation, systematically destroying a person’s credibility in the eyes of others before they even have a chance to step into a room and speak for themselves. This is the act of blocking someone’s path when you know they are in the right or simply when you want to control the outcome.
The act of subversion is not always a loud, explosive confrontation. Instead, it can be quiet, calculating, and hidden beneath politeness or procedure. It can also rely on the arrogant assumption that the person being undermined is either too weak to fight back, too unimportant to matter, or simply too distracted by their own life to notice they are being pushed aside. It operates on the dangerous belief that you can manipulate the outcome of a situation, tilt the scales in your favor, and move through life without anyone, including God, paying attention to the way you treat your neighbor. People engage in this because it feels efficient; it feels like a way to guarantee a result without having to deal with the messy work of merit, effort, or honest debate.
But the reality presented in the text is that this path is unjust because God does not approve of it, and even if you are not religious, the path is still unjust. You might manage to “win” the immediate argument, secure the contract, or push your rival out of the job, but that victory is built on sand. It has no lasting foundation because it was gained through injustice. When you build your success by tearing down the foundations upon which someone else stands, you are essentially declaring war on the concept of fairness itself. The temporary gain you experience is not a true achievement; it is just a mark of character compromise. While you might feel you have gained an edge, you have actually corrupted your own standing, creating a vacuum where honesty once lived and replacing it with a hollow, fragile triumph that will eventually crumble when tested by time or truth.
Power as a Responsibility
True power is not measured by the number of people you can defeat or the number of obstacles you can place in the way of your rivals. That is just the exercise of force, a crude tool that any insecure person can pick up to manufacture a sense of superiority. Genuine power is measured by how you use your position, your resources, and your influence to lift others up, or at the very least, to ensure that they are not unfairly pushed down simply because you have the capacity to do so. True strength is demonstrated when you possess the ability to alter someone else’s reality but choose to act with restraint and fairness instead.
When you hold any level of influence, you effectively become a gatekeeper in the lives of those around you. You hold the pen that writes the agenda, the key that opens the door, and the authority to decide whose voice is heard in the meeting or whose project receives the light of day. And because you are the one who decides who receives the opportunity you control, you carry a heavy moral weight. When you choose to use that gatekeeping power to block someone who has done nothing to deserve being blocked, simply because you fear their potential or dislike their presence, you are failing a core test of character. It is an abuse of your role that reveals more about your own internal insecurities than it does about the worthiness of the person you are obstructing.
You know, many of us walk around believing we are fundamentally good people. We all like to think we are the heroes of our own stories, justified in our maneuvers and protected by our own rationalizations. But the true test of your character is not found in how you treat the people who can help you, nor is it found in how you perform when you are being watched by your superiors or your peers. The real test is how you treat the person whose cause you could easily destroy without any repercussions. It is about your conduct toward the person who can not fight back, who does not have the platform you have, and who has no way to hold you accountable.
If you have the power to ruin someone’s day, to sabotage their project, or to smear their reputation with a single word, and you deliberately choose not to, that is when you are actually showing strength. That choice represents a disciplined commitment to righteousness that far outweighs the cheap thrill of winning a battle at someone else’s expense. When you opt to protect that person’s dignity or simply allow them the space to succeed on their own merits, you demonstrate that your sense of self-worth is not dependent on the degradation of others. It proves that you operate by a standard higher than your own ego, confirming that you are capable of wielding influence as a force for good rather than a weapon of destruction.
The “Do Better, Be Better” Mindset
If you want to live a life that actually matters, you have to move past the urge to compete for the sake of competing. We often tell ourselves that the world is a zero-sum game, where for me to gain, you must lose, but this is a lie. It is a mindset that encourages us to tear down others just to feel a bit taller.
To “Do Better, Be Better,” we must recognize that our cause is not the only one that exists. There are thousands of others out there fighting their own battles, seeking their own version of justice, and trying to make something of their lives. When we see someone else working toward something, our first instinct should be: “Does this conflict with my goals in a way that requires me to destroy them?” Trust me when I say that most of the time, the answer is no.
When you stop trying to sabotage others, you free up an incredible amount of mental energy. You stop worrying about what others are doing and start focusing on the quality of your own work. You stop looking for ways to trip up your neighbor and start looking for ways to make your own path more robust.
Lamentations reminds us that God is watching the person who is being pushed around. If you are the one doing the pushing, you are putting yourself on the wrong side of the equation. And this is particularly relevant for those of us who have any level of authority or social standing. If you are in a position where you can dictate how things go, you have a duty to be a protector, and this does not mean you have to agree with everyone. It does not mean you have to support causes you believe are wrong, but it does certainly mean that you must be fair.
And being fair means giving people a chance to speak. It means not hiding evidence, not manipulating the truth, and not using your connections to silence someone you simply do not like.
When we subvert others, we essentially declare that we are the final judge of who deserves to succeed, and that is a dangerous place to be. When we act with integrity, we acknowledge that there is a higher authority and that our actions must align with a standard that is greater than our own ego.
Subversion is a shortcut; it is the path of the impatient. It says, “I do not have the time or the skill to win this fairly, so I will win it by making sure you lose.” And shortcuts usually have a high cost, because when you build a life, a career, or a reputation on the back of sabotaging others, you never truly feel secure. You are always looking over your shoulder, wondering if someone is doing to you what you did to others. You are trapped in a cycle of paranoia.
On the other hand, someone who consistently acts with integrity builds a reputation that outlasts any single win. If you are known as someone who plays fair, someone who is tough but honest, you gain something more valuable than any temporary victory. You gain trust! And you gain the respect of those around you! When you win, people know you earned it. When you lose, people respect the way you handled yourself.
Putting It Into Practice
How do we actually apply this? It starts with a simple check before you act.
Question Your Motives: Before you take an action that will negatively affect someone else’s cause, ask yourself: “Am I doing this because they are wrong, or am I doing this because I want to win at their expense?”
Seek Transparency: Can you defend your actions in public? If you have to hide what you are doing, or if you would not want your actions printed in the newspaper, it is probably a form of subversion.
Practice Empathy: Put yourself in the other person’s shoes. If you were the one trying to get your project off the ground, how would you feel if someone used their influence to block you for no good reason?
Stand Up, Don’t Tear Down: If you disagree with someone, speak your truth. Argue your case. But do it directly! Address the idea, not the person! Do not go behind their back to poison the well.
Read Also: The Lifting Rule: Why You Must Prescribe, Not Just Criticize
Read Also: The Mandate for The Formidable Character with Virtue
Read Also: The Ancient Lie: Why Reinventing Morality is a Luciferian Temptation
Conclusion
The challenge laid out in Lamentations 3:36 is one of the most practical tests of our lives. It forces us to examine our hands and our hearts. Are we building, or are we destroying? Are we helping the world become a place where merit and truth matter, or are we making it a place where the person with the most influence gets to crush anyone they choose?
True strength is the ability to refrain from the urge to destroy. It is the discipline to win, or even to lose, with your head held high and your conscience clear. As we move forward in our work, our relationships, and our personal goals, let us commit to being people who value fairness over shortcuts. Let us be those who refuse to subvert the causes of others, trusting that a life built on integrity is the only one worth living.
After all, my dearest readers, if we want to be better, we have to start by treating others better. It is the only way to build something that actually lasts.