Last time we gathered, we fellowshiped on the second part of what needs to be let go of in the context of “how to pursue the truth”—namely, letting go of people’s pursuits, ideals, and desires. On this subject, we listed four things in total: first, interests and hobbies; second, marriage; third, family; and fourth, career. Last time, we fellowshiped about interests and hobbies. One of the elements of letting go of people’s pursuits, ideals, and desires is the people’s pursuits, ideals, and desires that arise as a result of interests and hobbies. Having listened to My fellowship, does everyone have a correct attitude and perspective on interests and hobbies? (Yes.) The point of us fellowshiping is to let go of the pursuits, ideals, and desires that arise as a result of interests and hobbies, but to let these things go, you must first understand what interests and hobbies are, then understand how you ought to treat them, and how to let go of these things that arise as a result of them. It does not matter whether we fellowship on the positive or on the negative. In short, the goal is to enable people to comprehend what interests and hobbies are, and then to correctly treat and apply them, to give them the appropriate space or value for existing, and at the same time, to enable people to let go of the pursuits, desires, and ideals which are incorrect, inappropriate, which they ought not to have, which influence their belief in God and the doing of their duty. One could say that the pursuits, ideals and desires that arise from your interests and hobbies will influence your life, survival, and your view of survival; of course, they will have an even greater influence on the path you walk, and your duty and mission in this life. So, from a passive perspective, the pursuits, ideals, and desires that interests and hobbies bring to people are not the goals they pursue, nor are they the direction they pursue—much less are they the view on life and the values that they ought to establish in this lifetime. By fellowshiping on what interests and hobbies are, I tell people how to correctly know and treat them, and then get them to know whether their pursuits, ideals, and desires are correct or not from the perspective of the influence interests and hobbies have. That is to say, I use both the positive and negative sides to allow people to clearly see how to correctly treat interests and hobbies. For one thing, if someone has a correct knowledge and an accurate comprehension of interests and hobbies, and they are able to treat them accurately, then they are also truly letting go of the ideals and desires that arise from interests and hobbies. Once you have a correct understanding of interests and hobbies, the methods and the ways you treat them will be correct and relatively in accordance with principles and with God’s requirements of man. In this way, you will be enabled to let go of the pursuits, ideals, and desires that arise from interests and hobbies in a positive way. Additionally, this fellowship also allows you to clearly see the various detrimental influences that the pursuits, ideals, and desires which arise from interests and hobbies bring, or the oppositional, negative influence they produce, which then allows you to actively let go of these inappropriate pursuits, ideals, and desires. After our fellowship on all this, are there not some who will say: “The various kinds of people in this world all have different interests and hobbies, and their individual interests and hobbies give rise to different pursuits, ideals, and desires. Suppose we went according to our current way of speaking, and people had not gone to pursue their ideals and desires—would this world have developed? How could fields like mankind’s technology, culture, and education, which touch on mankind’s survival and life, still have developed? Would mankind still be able to enjoy their current lifestyle? Would the world have developed to this current state? Would the world not be like a primitive society? Would we have today’s modern human lifestyle?” Is this an issue? It is possible that no matter what topic we fellowship on, you all accept it from the perspective of “God’s words are the truth, they should be accepted and submitted to,” so most of the time, you do not have differing opinions with which to refute the words I fellowship to you. But that is not the same thing as there not being anyone—or there not being a third party—who would bring up such doubts, is it? If there really was someone who brought up such a question, how would you respond? (I feel that the perspective expressed in this question is wrong, because people’s interests and hobbies do not control the development of technology, nor do they control the progress of the ages. The development of technology and the progress of the ages are all under God’s sovereignty. You can’t say that someone with an interest or hobby can push the world’s development forward, that they can change the world.) You are speaking on a macroscopic level. Are there any different ways of looking at it? It depends on whether or not you really understand the truth. Do you think that after hearing these words of fellowship, the unbelievers will bring up such a question? (Probably.) So if they bring up this question, how can you answer in accordance with objective facts, with the truth? If you cannot answer, then they will say that you have been hoodwinked. You not being able to answer at least proves one fact, which is that you do not understand this aspect of the truth. Are you not unable to answer? (We are unable.) Then let us talk about this matter.

Some people say: “If mankind did not pursue their ideals, then would the world have developed to its current state?” The answer is “yes.” Is that not simple? (It is.) What is the simplest, bluntest explanation for this “yes”? It is that whether or not mankind pursues their ideals does not have any influence on the world, because the world’s development up to the present has not been pushed forward and led by mankind’s ideals; rather, the Creator has led mankind to the present, to today. Without their pursuits, ideals, and desires, mankind would have come to today just the same, but without the leadership and sovereignty of the Creator, they would not have. Is such an explanation suitable? (Yes.) What is suitable about it? Does it answer the question? Does it explain the essence of the question? It does not explain it; it merely answers the question theoretically, in what could be called the terms of a vision. But there is a more detailed, essential explanation which has not been voiced. What is that detailed explanation? Let us first talk simply. In all mankind, people follow their own kind, each kind of person having their own mission. The mission of those who believe in God is to testify of the sovereignty of the Creator, to testify of His conduct, to complete what He has entrusted to them, to do their duty well, and in the end, to be saved. This is their mission. To speak in more detail, it is to spread God’s word and His work, and then by accepting His leadership and experiencing His work, to throw off their corrupt disposition and be saved. This kind of person is chosen by God. They are the kind of person who cooperates with the work He does in His management work. The mission of this kind of person is to do their duty well and complete what God has entrusted to them. One could say that such people are a unique group among all mankind. This unique group of people bear a unique mission in God’s management work, in His six-thousand-year management plan; they have a unique duty and a unique responsibility. So when I say to let go of the pursuits, ideals, and desires that arise from interests and hobbies, I am requiring these people—by which I mean you all—to let go of personal pursuits, ideals, and desires, because your mission, your duty, and your responsibility are in the house of God and in the church, not on this earth. That is to say, you all have nothing to do with the development and advancement of this world or with any of its trends. One could also say that God has not bestowed upon you any mission regarding the development and advancement of this world. This is His ordination. What is the mission that God has bestowed upon those He has chosen, those He will save? It is to do their duty well in the house of God, and to be saved. One of the things He requires of people in order to be saved is to pursue the truth, and one of the ways He requires people to pursue the truth is to let go of people’s pursuits, ideals, and desires. So these words and requirements are not directed at all mankind; rather, they are directed at you, at every one of God’s chosen people that He has selected, and at everyone who wants to be saved—and of course, they are directed at everyone who is able to do their duty in God’s management work for the salvation of mankind. What is the role that you are able to play in the work of God’s management plan? You are the ones God is going to save. So when it comes to the ones God is going to save, what does this “salvation” include? It includes accepting God’s words, His chastisement and judgment, His ordination, His sovereignty and arrangements, submitting to all His words, walking in His ways, and ultimately, worshiping Him and shunning evil; by so doing, you will be saved, and enter into the next age. This is the role you play among all mankind, and is the unique mission that God has bestowed upon you among all people. Of course, speaking from your perspective, this is a special kind of responsibility and duty that you have among all mankind. This is speaking of this issue from the perspective of those of God’s chosen people that He has selected. Secondarily, among all mankind, God has given this unique group of people a unique mission. He does not need them to have any obligation or responsibility toward the development of, advancement of, or anything else having to do with the world. Besides this unique group of people, God has bestowed various missions upon the remaining people of all kinds that He has not chosen, regardless of their nature essence. In mankind’s different time periods, different social environments, and among different races, their different missions cause them to play all kinds of roles, filling up all walks of life. Because of the various roles God has ordained them to play, they each have their own interests and hobbies. Under the preconditions of those interests and hobbies, all kinds of pursuits, ideals, and desires arise in them. Because they have all kinds of pursuits, ideals, and desires, in different eras and in different social environments, the world produces all kinds of new things and new industries—for example, technology, medicine, business, economics, and education, or light industries like textiles and handicraft, as well as aviation and maritime industries, and so forth. Thus, the leading figures, outstanding individuals, and unique enthusiasts who arise in every field as a result of their various pursuits, ideals, and desires have their own missions at different times and under different social environments. At the same time, in their particular social environment, they are also continuously fulfilling their mission. In this way, in mankind’s different time periods and social environments, society continuously develops and advances as a result of the realization of the pursuits, ideals, and desires of these unique individuals. And of course, it continuously brings mankind different qualities of material life. For example, a few hundred years ago, there was no electricity, so people used oil lamps. In these unique circumstances, a unique person came along and invented electricity, and mankind started to use electricity for illumination. As another example, in one particular social environment, another unique person appeared. He saw that writing on bamboo slips was too much trouble, and he hoped the day would come in which one could write on a thin, flat surface, which would be both convenient and easy to read. Then he started to research the techniques of paper manufacturing, and through his continuous research, exploration, and experimentation, he ultimately invented paper. Then there was also the invention of the steam engine. In a unique time period, a unique person came along who thought that working by hand was too exhausting, too wasteful of human energy, and too inefficient. If there were a machine or some other method that could replace human labor, then people would save a lot of time and be able to do other things. Thus, with research and exploration, the steam engine was invented, and then all kinds of mechanical things were invented one after another which used the motive principles of the steam engine. Is that not right? (It is.) Thus, at different times, the continuous realization and verification of the pursuits, ideals, and desires of one person or a group of people gradually and continuously advance and develop both light and heavy industry, causing the quality of life and the living conditions of all mankind to continuously improve. Light industries, like textiles and handicraft, are now developing to increasing levels of quality, fineness, and precision, and mankind’s enjoyment of them grows. Heavy industries, like all kinds of transportation, such as cars, trains, steamships, and planes, bring great ease to people’s lives, making it easy and convenient for people to travel. This is the true process and detailed manifestation of humanity’s development. In short, whether light industry or heavy industry, no matter the aspect, everything is initiated and produced by one unique person’s or a group of unique people’s interests and hobbies. Because of their unique interests and hobbies, they have their own pursuits, ideals, and desires. At the same time, because of their unique pursuits, ideals, and desires, in mankind’s different time periods and in the social environments they live in, the various fields among them give rise to more advanced things of all kinds, more convenient things, things which are more beneficial to raising the quality of life among all mankind. This brings ease to mankind and raises their quality of life. We will not talk about all this. We will instead take a look at the origins of these unique individuals. Where do these unique individuals in different time periods come from? Are they not ordained by God? (They are.) This point is certain beyond a doubt, and no one can deny it. Seeing as they are ordained by God, their missions are also related to God’s ordination. What does that mean, “related to God’s ordination”? It means that God has bestowed unique missions upon these unique individuals, causing them to come forth at particular times, to do what they want to at particular times, and then spurring on humanity at different times through the unique things those individuals do. Because of these unique individuals, the world is continuously undergoing subtle changes and renewals. This is how humanity develops.

What is the difference between those who have these unique interests and hobbies and the chosen people God has selected? The difference is that although God has ordained a unique mission for these people, they are not the ones He has ordained for salvation, so His requirements of them are just that they must do something unique in their unique age, their unique time. They complete their mission, and then at their unique time, they leave. While they live on the earth, God does not do the work of salvation on them. They just have a mission for the development and advancement of this society and mankind, or in order to change mankind’s living conditions at different periods. They have absolutely nothing to do with the work of the salvation of mankind in God’s management plan, so no matter what kind of mission they complete, how great their contributions to mankind are, or how profound an influence they have on mankind, they have nothing to do with God’s work of the salvation of mankind. They belong to the world, to its trends, its development, and its every field and industry; they have nothing to do with God’s work of the salvation of mankind, so they have nothing to do with each word He speaks, each word He provides to mankind, the truth and life He expresses, or the various requirements He has of mankind. What does this mean? It means that the utterances of God to all mankind, to the whole universe, all the way down to the specific requirements and principles He talks about, are not directed to all people; of course, they are much less directed to those unique people who have an important role to play in the development of human society. God’s words—the truth, the way, and the life—are directed only at the chosen people He has selected. This issue is easily explained: God’s words are directed at whoever He chooses, whoever He wants to save, whoever He wants to be saved. If someone is not chosen by God, and if He does not plan on saving them, then these words of life are not being spoken to them—they have no part in them. Do you understand? (Yes.) These unique individuals have unique interests and hobbies, so they have different, higher pursuits, ideals, and desires from ordinary people. Because they have these unique pursuits, ideals, and desires, and because they have different or unique interests and hobbies, they play an important role in the course of the development of human society, and of course, at different times, they complete their important missions. Regardless of whether or not they ultimately complete their missions to an acceptable standard, they are the only ones who have anything to do with the pursuits, ideals, and desires that arise because of these interests and hobbies. Because these people have unique missions, they must realize their pursuits, ideals, and desires at particular times and under particular social circumstances. This is the mission God bestows upon them, the mission He adds unto them; this is their responsibility, and is how they must act. No matter how much stress their flesh, their hearts, or their mental worlds bear, or how great a price they pay, in order to pursue the realization of their ideals and desires, they all will—or must—complete the mission they ought to, because this is the ordination of God. No one can escape God’s ordination, nor can anyone escape His sovereignty and arrangements. So, they have absolutely nothing to do with what we are talking about regarding letting go of people’s pursuits, ideals, and desires. What does it mean that they have nothing to do with one another? It means that these words about letting go of people’s pursuits, ideals, and desires are not directed at them. No matter the time period, no matter the social circumstances, and no matter the point to which mankind develops, these words from God have nothing to do with them. These words are not directed at them, so these words are not a requirement of them. They must complete the mission they ought to under God’s ordination, sovereignty, and arrangements. They must do what they ought to at the different times and under the different social circumstances of wicked and corrupt mankind, fulfill their obligations, and complete the mission they ought to. So are they playing the part of a service-doer or a foil? However you say it is fine. In short, they are not the ones chosen by God, nor are they the ones He wants to save—that is all. So, no matter how believers let go of pursuits, ideals, and desires, it will not delay the development of the world or of mankind; and of course, neither will it delay the development of various fields and industries in the different time periods and different social circumstances of the world. Is this not the case? (It is.) What is the reason? It is that the development of mankind and of society’s industries has nothing to do with the believers, or with the people God has chosen, so you need not worry: “If we do as You say and let go of pursuits, ideals, and desires, then will this society and mankind keep developing?” Why would you be anxious? You need not be. God has plans and arrangements—you understand that, right? (Yes.) Your anxiety is superfluous, caused by you not seeing things clearly, and by you not understanding the truth.

What are the pursuits, ideals, and desires that a believer in God ought to have? You must do your duty well, to an acceptable standard, complete that which God has entrusted to you, pursue and practice the truth in the process of doing your duty, achieve entry into the truth reality, viewing people and things, and comporting yourself and acting wholly according to God’s words, with the truth as your criterion. These are the pursuits, ideals, and desires you ought to have. The worldly pursuits, ideals, and desires that arise from interests and hobbies are the things you ought to let go of. Why do you need to let them go? You are different from people outside the church; God has chosen you, you have chosen to pursue the truth, and you have made up your mind to follow the path of pursuing the truth, so your life goals and direction should experience a change, and you should totally and utterly let go of the pursuits, ideals, and desires that arise from interests and hobbies. Why do you need to let them go? Because that is not the road you ought to walk. That is the road of the unbelievers, those who do not believe in God. If you pursue walking that road, then you are not one of those God has chosen. If you pursue the ideals and desires that the unbelievers do, then you cannot pursue the truth, and you cannot attain salvation. To speak more specifically, if you cannot let go of your pursuits, ideals, and desires, and moreover want to realize them, then you are unable to submit to God’s work or fear God and shun evil, and you can never be saved. What does this mean? Being unable to let go of your pursuits, ideals, and desires, and moreover wanting to realize them, is equivalent to abandoning your pursuit of the truth, abandoning salvation, and not wanting to submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangements. Is this not the case? (It is.) So in the end, it is as I said: If you want to pursue the truth, you should first let go of the pursuits, ideals, and desires that arise from interests and hobbies. You must let go of them, because the pursuit of worldly ideals and desires has nothing to do with those who pursue the truth and salvation; that is not the road you should walk, nor is it the goal and direction you should establish and have in your life. If you often plan and calculate for it in your heart, racking your brains to ponder and consider it, then you should let go of it as soon as possible. You cannot have one foot in both camps, wanting to pursue the truth and attain salvation, while also wanting to pursue the world, and realize your own ideals and desires. In this way, you would not only be unable to attain or realize either one, but moreover—and most importantly—it would affect your salvation. Ultimately, you would miss out on God’s work of human salvation, let slip the best opportunity for God’s salvation of mankind, and lose out on the chance to be saved. In the end, you would fall into disaster, beating your chest and stomping your feet, and it would be too late for regret—this would be your sorry fate. If you are smart, and have already made up your mind to pursue the truth, then you should let go of the ideals and desires you once had or are still pursuing. Silly people, idiots, the unwise, and muddled people—these people want to pursue the truth and be saved, but they do not want to let go of their worldly pursuits, ideals, and desires. They want to have it both ways. They think that acting this way is taking advantage, that it is smart, when in fact, it is the stupidest course of action of all. Smart people will utterly abandon their worldly pursuits, ideals, and desires, and choose to pursue the truth and be saved. No matter the degree to which the world develops, and no matter the state of affairs or development of various fields and industries, none of it has anything to do with you. Let those who belong to the world, those devils who live on the earth, do whatever they ought to. That which we will do is, for one thing, to complete the duty we ought to do, and for another, it is to enjoy the fruits of their labor. How wonderful! For example, the computers and the software they invent are very beneficial to you doing your duty and working. You take and use it, make it serve you; you make it assist you as you do your duty, assist you in better completing your work, increasing the efficiency with which you do your duty, and bettering the results thereof, while also saving more time. How wonderful! You do not need to rack your brains researching: “How was this software invented? Who does it come from? How should I put effort into this software, into this technical area?” Racking your brains like this is useless. Your thoughts and energy are not meant for this. You do not need to contribute your energy or brain cells to this matter. Let those worldly people who ought to do so contribute; after their contributions, we take and use it. How wonderful! Everything is ready-made. God arranged everything in advance, so you do not need to pursue it, and in these matters, you need not be anxious or put effort. In these matters, you need not take anything upon yourself, nor worry or concern yourself about anything. All you need to do is do your duty well, pursue the truth, achieve an understanding of the truth, and enter into the truth reality. Is this not the most correct path in life? (It is.)

Do you now understand the issue of pursuing ideals and desires? Some people say: “If people did not pursue their ideals, then would the world still have forward development?” I say it would. Do you comprehend this answer? Do you understand? (Yes.) Then do you also clearly see the essence of the issue we are talking about? Is this not in fact how it is? (It is.) When it comes to the last word—the world’s development, progress, and affairs—let the devils who belong to the world, or the so-called “humans” who belong to the world, deal with it. It has nothing to do with those who believe in God. What is the mission and responsibility of those who believe in God? (To do their duty well, to pursue the truth, and to achieve salvation.) That’s right. This is very specific and practical. Is this not simple? (It is.) Those who believe in God need only to pursue the truth and walk in His ways, and they will ultimately be saved. This is your mission, and is God’s greatest expectation and hope for you. God arranges the remaining matters, so you need not be anxious or worried. When the time comes, you will enjoy all that you ought, eat all that you ought, and use all that you ought. Everything will surpass your imagination and expectations, and will be abundant. God will not let you go without, nor be poor. There is a line in the Bible which says that the Lord’s burden is light. What does the original say? (“For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).) Is that not the meaning? (It is.) Requiring you to let go of your own pursuits, ideals, and desires is not meant to make you mediocre, nor to make you lazy, nor without pursuits, nor to make you a walking corpse, a soulless person; rather, it is meant to change the incorrect direction and goals of your pursuits. You are meant to let go of the pursuits, ideals, and desires you ought not to have, and to establish correct pursuits, ideals, and desires. Only in this way can you walk on the correct path of life. So is this problem done being resolved? If people did not pursue their ideals, would the world keep developing? The answer is “yes.” Why is that? (Because God has ordained a mission for those who belong to the world; they will do this work.) That’s right, it’s because God has His ordination and arrangements, so you do not need to be anxious. The world will develop, and it does not need believers in God to take upon themselves this mission, to fulfill this responsibility and obligation. God has things arranged. You do not need to worry about who God arranges. It is enough for you to pursue the truth, walk in God’s ways, and achieve salvation. Do you need to worry about anything else? (No.) No. So, letting go of people’s pursuits, ideals, and desires is a path you ought to practice. You need not worry about what will become of the world or of mankind after you let go of your ideals and desires. That is not something you need to worry about. It has nothing to do with you. God has things arranged. It’s that simple. Do you understand? (Yes.) By fellowshiping in this way, have I not resolved the problem at its roots? (You have.) If someone asked you again, how would you look at and explain this problem? If someone who does not believe in God were to ask: “You always talk about not pursuing ideals, letting go of ideals and desires. If everyone were to practice according to you, then would the world still exist? Would humanity keep developing?” then you can answer by saying: “Each person has their own aspirations; you cannot force them.” This is a popular saying in the world. You should say: “God requires people to let go of their pursuits, ideals, and desires; that is the truth. If you are willing to accept this, then you can let go of these things. If you are unwilling to accept this, then you can also choose to not let go of them. God will not force anyone. Letting go of your pursuits, ideals, and desires is voluntary on your part, and it is your right. Not letting them go is also voluntary, and is also your right. Every individual has their specific mission. Among all mankind, each person has their own mission, their own role they should play. People’s choices are different, so the paths they walk are different. You choose to pursue the world, to realize your ideals and desires in the world, and to embody your values, while I choose to let go of my pursuits, ideals, and desires to follow God, to listen to His words, to walk in His ways, and to satisfy Him. Ultimately, I will be able to attain salvation. You do not pursue this path, which you are free to do. No one can force you.” How is this answer? (It is good.) If you can accept the idea of “letting go of people’s pursuits, ideals, and desires,” then these words are directed at you. If you cannot accept it, then there is no indication that you must listen to and accept these words. You can choose not to listen; you can choose to forfeit God’s management work for the salvation of mankind, and abandon your chance at salvation. This is your right. You can also not let go of your pursuits, ideals, and desires, and go out into the world and self-assuredly, boldly realize them. No one will force you, and no one will condemn you. This is your right. Your choice is also your mission, and your mission is the role that God has ordained you to play among men. That is all. This is the true state of the facts. Whatever you choose, that is the kind of road you will walk; whatever kind of road you walk, that is the role you will play among men. It’s that simple. This is the true state of the facts. So, it is still the words from before: “Each person has their own aspirations; you cannot force them.” But where does that aspiration come from? At its source, it is ordained by God. If you do not choose to accept the truth and do your duty, then this means God did not choose you, and you do not have an opportunity for salvation. To speak plainly, you do not have this blessing; it was not ordained by God. If you are not interested in believing in God or pursuing the truth—if you do not pursue this aspect—then you lack this blessing. Those who are ordained to come into the house of God are willing to do their duty there. Whatever God says, they listen; if He wants them to let go of their pursuits, ideals, and desires, they do it. If they cannot let go of them, then they rack their brains pondering how to do so. Someone like this is willing to pursue salvation. This is the deepest need and requirement of their soul, which is ordained by God, so they have this blessing, which is their good fortune. The role God ordains for you is the one you should play. That is the source. Those who are not blessed pursue the world, while those who are blessed pursue the truth—is that not a fact? (It is.) So if someone asks you again, will you be able to answer? (Yes.) What is the simplest answer? (Each person has their own aspirations; you cannot force them.) Each person has their own aspirations; you cannot force them. Requiring you to let go of your pursuits, ideals, and desires is just meant to give you a path of practice. You can choose to let go of them, and you can choose not to let go of them. Each person has their own aspirations; they cannot be forced. If you accept, then these words are directed at you. If you do not accept, then these words are not directed at you, and letting go of pursuits, ideals, and desires has nothing to do with you; you are free. Is this issue resolved? (Yes.) It is resolved, so no one will keep harping on this matter, right? (Right.)