By Lin Ran, China

In July 2023, I was making videos for the church. But since I hadn’t practiced for long, and my technical skills were average, some difficult videos were handled by my partner, Sister Jiang Xin, while I only worked on simple, easy-to-make videos. I thought to myself, “I’ve just started, I don’t know many principles, and my skills aren’t great, but since Jiang Xin is here, I’ll just learn gradually over time.” After some study, I made some progress, but whenever I saw a video that was difficult to make, I would make an excuse not to do it, thinking, “Making this kind of video will be too hard, it requires so much effort and I’d have to pay such a price!” Since I picked only the easy videos to make, the work was relaxing and I felt no pressure. I saw Jiang Xin constantly researching, seeking, and pondering, and I thought, “Jiang Xin is more skilled than I am and even she needs to research sometimes, if I were to make those videos, it would require me to pay an even greater price. That would be so difficult and exhausting! I’ll stick to making simple videos.” In this way, I did my duty for a while without feeling any pressure. Later, when Jiang Xin encountered difficulties making videos, she would ask me to research and discuss problems with her. I found this really difficult and annoying, so I simply didn’t help with this. I kept pushing all the difficult videos onto Jiang Xin as a matter of course, and didn’t try to challenge myself at all. When I saw that a lot of work had piled up on Sister Jiang Xin and that she was under a lot of pressure, I didn’t want to help her out. Over time, I started feeling sleepy in my duty and didn’t make any progress for a long time. I felt that my state wasn’t right, and asked myself, “I always use the excuse that I’m new and still unclear on this job, so I keep accommodating myself, pushing all the difficult videos onto Sister Jiang Xin, not wanting to pay a price or put in effort. Isn’t this me running from difficulties and folding in the face of adversity?”

Later, I looked up relevant words of God. God says: “When doing a duty, people always pick light work, work that isn’t tiring, and that does not involve braving the elements outdoors. This is picking easy jobs and shirking hard ones, and it is a manifestation of coveting the comforts of the flesh. What else? (Always complaining when their duty is a little hard, a little tiring, when it involves paying a price.) (Being preoccupied with food and clothing, and the pleasures of the flesh.) These are all manifestations of coveting the comforts of the flesh. When such a person sees that a task is too laborious or risky, they foist it off on someone else; they themselves only do leisurely work, and they make excuses, saying that they are of poor caliber, that they lack work ability, and cannot take on this task—when in fact, it is because they covet the comforts of the flesh. … Are people who covet the comforts of the flesh suitable for doing a duty? As soon as someone brings up the subject of doing their duty, or talks about paying a price and suffering hardship, they keep shaking their heads. They have too many problems, they are full of complaints, and they are filled with negativity. Such people are useless, they are not qualified to do their duty, and should be eliminated” (The Word, Vol. 5. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers (2)). God exposes that some people always pick the easy jobs and shirk the hard ones in doing their duty, and that whenever they see difficult work, they push it onto others, and choose only the easy and simple tasks for themselves. Such people indulge in physical comfort and are unworthy of doing a duty. Reflecting on myself, I realized that I exhibited the same behavior. When partnering with Jiang Xin, I saw that making those complex videos required seeking, pondering, researching, and paying a price, and I found this to be annoying and a real headache, so I used the excuse of being inexperienced to push these things onto Jiang Xin. I picked only simple and easy-to-make videos, so I felt no pressure and was relaxed. Later, when Jiang Xin encountered difficulties making videos and needed my help to research and discuss things, I found it annoying and didn’t want to bother putting in the effort. In doing my duty, I pushed the tasks that required effort and sacrifice onto others, indulging in comfort, and being slippery and evasive. Such behavior made me lose all my integrity and dignity. Doing my duty in this way would surely lead to me being spurned and eliminated by God. Only at this point did I feel a little scared. I couldn’t continue being unmotivated, perfunctory, and preoccupied with the flesh.

Later, while watching an experiential testimony video, I saw a passage of God’s words that fit my state well. Almighty God says: “The Lord Jesus once said, ‘For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has’ (Matthew 13:12). What is the meaning of these words? What they mean is that if you don’t even carry out or dedicate yourself to your own duty or job, God shall take away what was once yours. What does it mean to ‘take away’? How does that make people feel? It could be that you fail to attain that which your caliber and gifts could have allowed you to, and you feel nothing, and are just like a nonbeliever. That is what it is to have everything taken away by God. If, in your duty, you are remiss, and do not pay a price, and you are not sincere, God shall take away what was once yours, He shall take back your right to perform your duty, He shall not give you this right. Because God gave you gifts and caliber, but you did not perform your duty properly, expend yourself for God, or pay a price, and you did not put your heart into it, not only will God not bless you, He will also take away what you once had. God bestows gifts on people, giving them special skills as well as intelligence and wisdom. How should people use these things? You must dedicate your special skills, your gifts, your intelligence and wisdom to your duty. You must use your heart and apply everything you know, everything you understand, and everything you can achieve to your duty. By doing so, you will be blessed. What does it mean to be blessed by God? What does this make people feel? That they have been enlightened and guided by God, and that they have a path when they perform their duty. To other people it may seem that your caliber and the things you have learned couldn’t enable you to get things done—but if God works and enlightens you, you will not only be able to understand and do those things, but also to do them well. In the end, you will even wonder to yourself, ‘I didn’t use to be that skilled, but now there are so many more good things inside me—all of them positive. I never studied those things, but now I understand them all of a sudden. How did I suddenly become so smart? How are there so many things that I can do now?’ You will not be able to explain it. This is the enlightenment and blessing of God; this is how God blesses people. If you do not feel this when performing your duty or doing your job, then you have not been blessed by God. If doing your duty always feels meaningless to you, if it feels like there is nothing to be done, and you cannot bring yourself to contribute, if you never receive enlightenment, and feel that you don’t have any intelligence or wisdom to put to use, then this means trouble. It shows that you do not have the right motive or the right path for performing your duty, and God does not approve, and your state is abnormal” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only an Honest Person Can Live Out True Human Likeness). After reading God’s words, I realized that my recent lack of progress in making videos was mainly because my attitude toward my duty was wrong. I was afraid of having to worry and exhaust myself, and was unwilling to put effort into my duty, choosing only easy tasks. I didn’t put my mind and energy into my duty, and I was always being slippery and evasive. God despised my attitude toward my duty and had taken away what I originally had. I had made no progress in my duty, and couldn’t even make simple videos well. If I didn’t repent, I might lose my duty altogether. Reflecting on when I used to practice watering newcomers, at the beginning, there were also many principles I didn’t grasp, but the sister I was partnering with fellowshipped with me and helped me. I would ask her whenever I encountered difficulties, and I summarized things, studied, and often prayed to God. At that time, I progressed quickly and was effective in my duty. Compared to now, although I hadn’t been practicing video production for long, there were some techniques I could master if I applied myself and studied them. But I had indulged in physical comfort, lacked the desire to make progress, and was unwilling to pay a price, so my professional skills had not improved and I couldn’t see God’s guidance in doing my duty. God is fair and righteous to people. If we pay a price and put our heart into our duty, we will receive God’s enlightenment and guidance, and we will make progress in both our life entry and professional skills. But if we don’t put our heart into our duty and are slippery and evasive, we will eventually be revealed, and over time, we won’t achieve what we otherwise could have achieved. Reflecting on this, I felt very guilty and remorseful. God’s intention is for me to pay a price and put my heart into my duty, to exercise my function in my duty, and to make better videos to spread the gospel and testify to God. But I had been lazy and indulged in comfort, I hadn’t truly paid a price in my duty and hadn’t done what I should have done. I had let God’s hopes down. I had been truly lacking in humanity and ignorant of what was good for me! Realizing this, I cried and prayed to God, “Oh God, I shouldn’t have performed my duty with that kind of attitude. I really am so untrustworthy! God, I am willing to repent to You. Please scrutinize my heart, and guide and help me.”

Afterward, I sought again to understand why I had always withdrawn when faced with difficulties. I read these words of God: “Today, although the next step of God’s work has yet to begin, there is nothing additional about the demands that are made of you and what you are asked to live out. There is so much work, and so many truths; are they not worthy of being known by you? Is God’s chastisement and judgment incapable of awakening your spirit? Is God’s chastisement and judgment incapable of making you hate yourself? Are you content to live under the influence of Satan, with peace and joy, and a little fleshly comfort? Are you not the lowliest of all people? None are more foolish than those who have beheld salvation but do not pursue to gain it; these are people who gorge themselves on the flesh and enjoy Satan. You hope that your faith in God will not entail any challenges or tribulations, or the slightest hardship. You always pursue those things that are worthless, and you attach no value to life, instead putting your own extravagant thoughts before the truth. You are so worthless! You live like a pig—what difference is there between you, and pigs and dogs? Are those who do not pursue the truth, and instead love the flesh, not all beasts? Are those dead ones without spirits not all walking corpses? How many words have been spoken among you? Has only a little work been done among you? How much have I provided among you? So why have you not gained it? What do you have to complain of? Is it not the case that you have gained nothing because you are too in love with the flesh? And is it not because your thoughts are too extravagant? Is it not because you are too stupid? … A coward such as you, who always pursues the flesh—do you have a heart, do you have a spirit? Are you not a beast? I give you the true way without asking for anything in return, yet you do not pursue. Are you one of those who believe in God? I bestow real human life upon you, yet you do not pursue. Are you no different from a pig or a dog? Pigs do not pursue the life of man, they do not pursue being cleansed, and they do not understand what life is. Each day, after eating their fill, they simply sleep. I have given you the true way, yet you have not gained it: You are empty-handed. Are you willing to continue in this life, the life of a pig? What is the significance of such people being alive? Your life is contemptible and ignoble, you live amid filth and licentiousness, and you do not pursue any goals; is your life not the most ignoble of all? Do you have the gall to look upon God? If you continue to experience in this way, will you not acquire nothing? The true way has been given to you, but whether or not you can ultimately gain it depends on your own personal pursuit” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Experiences of Peter: His Knowledge of Chastisement and Judgment). When I read words like “coward” and “beasts,” I felt pained in my heart. I had been exactly the type of person God exposes, someone who cherishes the flesh and does not pursue the truth. In doing my duty, I had indulged in physical comfort, without wanting to pay a price for anything, I had always wanted to do easy and simple tasks, and just muddled through each day. I had been like a pig, just eating, drinking, and sleeping all day long, without any thoughts or goals to pursue. I had had no burden or desire to progress in my duty, and always yielded to my flesh. This was because I had always used the satanic poisons like “Every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost,” and “Life is short, so enjoy it while you can,” as rules to live by. Before believing in God, I had been content with the status quo, sought comfort, and lacked any ambition. I had thought that with life being so short, I should enjoy each day in this world rather than making life tiring or hard for myself. After coming to believe in God, I still held onto this view in doing my duty. When I came across difficult videos, I would foist them off on Jiang Xin and look for easy tasks for myself. Later, when the sister’s work piled up and she was under great pressure in her duty, I just steered clear and took things easy, unwilling to help share the burden. I thought only about my own flesh, not about the sister’s difficulties or the church’s work. I had been so selfish and despicable! Reflecting on this, I realized that these poisons instilled by Satan had made me depraved and decadent, without any desire to progress, and living the life of a good-for-nothing. I surely wouldn’t last long doing my duty with such an attitude, and in the end, I would be revealed and eliminated by God.

Later, I came to understand God’s requirements for people from His words. I read this in God’s words: “Suppose the church gives you a job to do, and you say, ‘… Whatever job the church assigns me, I’ll take it up with all my heart and strength. If there’s something I don’t understand or a problem comes up, I’ll pray to God, seek the truth, resolve problems according to the truth principles, and do the thing well. Whatever my duty, I’ll use everything I have to perform it well and satisfy God. For whatever I can achieve, I will do my best to take on all the responsibility that is mine to bear, and at the least, I will not go against my conscience and reason, or be perfunctory, or be wily and slippery, or enjoy the fruits of others’ labor. Nothing I do will be beneath the standards of conscience.’ This is the minimum standard of human comportment, and one who performs their duty in such a way may qualify as a conscientious, reasonable person. You must at least be clear of conscience in performing your duty, and you must feel at least that you earn your three meals a day and are not just getting them for nothing. This is called a sense of responsibility. Whether your caliber is high or low, and whether or not you understand the truth, you must have this attitude: ‘Since this work was given to me to do, I must treat it seriously; I must make it my concern and do it well, with all my heart and strength. As for whether I can do it perfectly well, I can’t presume to offer a guarantee, but my attitude is that I’ll do my best to see it done well, and I certainly won’t be perfunctory about it. If a problem arises in work, I should take responsibility then, and ensure I draw a lesson from it and perform my duty well.’ This is the right attitude” (The Word, Vol. 5. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers (8)). After reading God’s words, I gained a path of practice. God had exalted me to do this duty, so I had to put my heart into doing it well. When faced with difficulties, I couldn’t be slippery or evasive. I needed to really pay a price and do my best to fulfill my duty. I had just started to practice making videos and was not proficient at it, so moving forward, I needed to work hard on improving my professional skills. When I came across difficult videos, I should take them on as long as I was up to the task, or I should partner up with Jiang Xin on them, actually pay a price, ask her about the things I didn’t understand, and learn bit by bit. This way, I would be able to apply the skills I learned to my duty.

One time, I wanted to hand off a difficult video I was making to Jiang Xin again, but I remembered my previous prayer to God to repent, and I realized that when facing difficulties in this video, I wanted to shirk responsibility again. Wasn’t I still being afraid of paying a price and not seeking progress? So I prayed to God, asking Him to lead me to rebel against my flesh and really pay a price. I also pondered how God hoped that I could rebel against my flesh and practice the truth when facing this difficulty, and through making videos, improve my skills. Understanding God’s intention, I diligently searched for information and learned some techniques, and in the end, I successfully completed the video. Although making the video took some time and effort, my skills improved. Thank God for His guidance!