By Linda, Italy

My mother told me since I was a child that “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings,” and “Keeping silent on the faults of good friends makes for a long and good friendship.” She told me that if I noticed problems with other people, I absolutely must not raise them to their face because this would cause a bad reaction, and that I had to turn a blind eye to everything in order to maintain friendly relations with others. From that time on, I kept my mother’s words in my heart. Whether in school, or among relatives and friends, I never spoke out about other people’s problems when I noticed them. I remember when I was in middle school, my deskmate told me that others thought she was rather willful and domineering, and were unwilling to spend time with her. She asked me if she really was like that. Actually, I knew she had these problems, and wanted to tell her the truth, but then I thought, “If I tell her the truth, will she feel embarrassed and not want to spend time with me anymore?” Therefore, contrary to what I was thinking, I said, “I don’t think so. Don’t listen to other people’s nonsense.” After hearing this, my deskmate said happily, “As I thought, you’re better than the rest. Others always dislike me. You are the only one who understands me.” After that, our relationship got even better. I thought that this was a good way to conduct myself.

Later, I accepted Almighty God’s work of the last days and started doing image production duty in the church. Sister Chloe’s technical skills were relatively poor. When we discussed design ideas, we always asked her if she had any difficulties, and would patiently answer her questions. I thought that she would make fast progress like this, but later I discovered that after we discussed ideas, Chloe would not start production immediately. Instead, she would listen to hymns for a while and then spend some time browsing news on the internet that had nothing to do with her duties. In the end, the images she produced were very crude. I saw that she was perfunctory in doing her duty, so I wanted to point out her problems. At a gathering, I asked Chloe why she was so slow in making images. She said it was because she encountered difficulties. I said, “If you encounter difficulties, you should communicate with us promptly. This way the problems can be solved as quickly as possible and progress won’t be delayed.” I originally wanted to expose how she had been perfunctory in doing her duties during that period. However, I noticed that she was getting impatient, and so I swallowed the words I was going to say. Afterward, other sisters also sought out Chloe to fellowship with her. She said that I didn’t understand her difficulties and was too demanding of her, but she accepted it from God and would turn around her attitude toward doing her duty. I was a little worried after hearing this, and thought, “Now that Chloe has a prejudice against me, how will we get along in the future? Will my other sisters think that I have bad humanity and am inconsiderate?” Afterward, I noticed that Chloe was making images faster than before, and thought she had turned things around somewhat. However, a few days later, I found that she still had no sense of urgency in doing her duties, and was even watching videos of the nonbelieving world. She also often complained, saying things like, “The supervisor always asks us to innovate, but innovation is not that easy! We have all just started doing this duty. Isn’t demanding so much from us just forcing us to do things beyond our capabilities?” and “Whenever I make an image, there are always so many problems that get pointed out. She’s too hung up on the details!” Although another sister and I often stopped her from saying these negative things, she didn’t hold herself back very much. I knew that I should dissect the nature and consequences of her actions, otherwise she would affect other sisters in doing their duties. However, when I thought about the prejudice she had formed against me after I talked to her last time, and how she had even said in front of my other sisters that I was forcing her to do things beyond her capabilities, I hesitated. I thought, “What if I continue to expose and dissect her problems and my relationship with her becomes strained? Maybe I should report her situation to the supervisor instead. But then if Chloe finds out about this, will she think that I am stabbing her in the back and say that I have bad humanity?” After thinking it over, I still didn’t have the courage to point out and report her problems.

Not long after, the supervisor learned that Chloe had been doing her duty in a perfunctory manner for a long time and so reassigned her duty. The supervisor also pruned me, saying, “You saw Chloe doing her duty in a perfunctory manner and spreading negativity for a long time, but you didn’t expose her or report her. You are a people pleaser, and did not protect the work of the church in the slightest. You are too selfish! You should reflect on this carefully.” The words of the supervisor were like a series of slaps to my face. At that moment, I desperately wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into. Later, I felt very uncomfortable when I thought about what the supervisor had said. I asked over and over in my mind, “Why didn’t I have the courage to expose or report Chloe’s problems?” One day during my devotionals, I read God’s words and gained some knowledge of my state. Almighty God says: “Most people are willing to pursue the truth and want to practice the truth, but a lot of the time they merely have the resolve and a desire to do so; inwardly, however, the truth has not become their life. So when you encounter evil forces disturbing and sabotaging the church’s work—for example, when you are faced with false leaders handling matters in violation of the principles and not doing real work, or evil people and antichrists doing evil and disturbing the church’s work and thereby causing harm to God’s chosen people—you do not have the courage to stand up and speak out. Why do you not have this courage? Is it because you are timid or inarticulate, or do you not dare to speak up because you can’t see things clearly? It is not due to any of these things; it is primarily the consequence of you being constrained by your corrupt dispositions. One of the corrupt dispositions you reveal is a deceitful disposition: When something happens, the first thing you consider is your own interests, the consequences of your actions, and whether they will be beneficial to you. This is a deceitful disposition, is it not? Another is a selfish and base disposition. You think, ‘What does them harming the interests of God’s house have to do with me? I’m not a leader, so why should I get involved? It’s got nothing to do with me, and it’s not my responsibility.’ Such thoughts and words are not something that you intentionally think up, but are produced by you unconsciously—these are the corrupt dispositions that people reveal when they encounter an issue. These corrupt dispositions govern your thoughts, they bind your hands and feet, and control what you say. In your heart, you want to stand up and speak out, but you have misgivings, and even if you do speak out, you beat around the bush and leave yourself wiggle room, or you prevaricate and simply don’t speak the truth. Discerning people can see this, and in reality, you also know in your heart that you haven’t said all you should, that you haven’t achieved results, that you were merely going through the motions, and that the problem hasn’t been solved. You have not fulfilled your responsibility, yet you brazenly say that you have, or claim that you did not see things clearly at the time. Do these claims align with the facts? Is it what you really think? Are you not completely under the control of your satanic dispositions? … You have no power over what you say and do. You cannot say what you really think or tell the truth, even if you want to; you cannot practice the truth, even if you wish to; you cannot fulfill the responsibilities that you ought to, even if you would like to. Everything you say, everything you do, and every behavior you engage in is deception, and it is all perfunctory. You are completely shackled and controlled by your satanic dispositions. Even if you want to accept and practice the truth, you are not your own master. Your satanic dispositions control you, and so you live by these dispositions and say and do whatever you want. You have entirely become a puppet of the corrupt flesh; you have become a tool of Satan” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Part Three). As I pondered God’s words, I felt pierced to the heart. I was the kind of person God had exposed. I knew all about Chloe’s problems but I didn’t dare to expose or dissect them. Even when I said something, I said nothing of any substance: I only mentioned half of it and kept the rest to myself, afraid of offending Chloe. In order to preserve myself and maintain my relationship with her, I kept silent on her problems. How selfish and deceitful I was! Chloe had been consistently doing her duty in a perfunctory manner without any sign of repentance. She also spread negativity among her brothers and sisters; she was playing the role of Satan. Not only did I not stop her, but I even covered for her and did not report her problems to the leaders. Wasn’t I acting as Satan’s accomplice and shield? I enjoyed everything that had come from God, but I bit the hand that fed me, and didn’t fulfill any of my responsibilities at all. I was truly unworthy of living before God! When I thought this, I felt guilty and uncomfortable, and really regretted what I had done.

Later, I began to supervise the art design work. I found that Sister Emily was rather arrogant and self-righteous, and was unwilling to accept other people’s suggestions. This was affecting the results of the image production. I knew I should point out Emily’s problems and help her turn this state around as soon as possible, but then I thought, “Would it be too hurtful if I pointed out her problems to her face? What if she can’t accept it and develops a prejudice against me? But if I don’t say it, it will affect the work. Am I not just falling into my old ways?” I prayed to God that He may give me the strength to practice the truth. Then, I found a passage of God’s words that was specific to my state: “If you have the intention and perspective of a people pleaser, then, in all matters, you will not practice the truth or uphold the principles, and so you will always fail and fall. If you do not awaken and do not ever seek the truth, then you are a disbeliever, and you will never gain the truth and life. What, then, should you do? When faced with matters that involve the interests of God’s house, you must pray to God and call out to Him, asking Him to give you faith and strength, so that you can uphold the principles, do what you should do, handle things according to the principles, hold firmly to the stance you should hold to, protect the interests of God’s house, and prevent the work of God’s house from suffering any losses. If you are able to rebel against your self-interests, your pride, and your viewpoint of a people pleaser, and if you do what you should do with an honest, undivided heart, then you will have defeated Satan and gained this aspect of the truth” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Part Three). God’s words brightened my heart. I understood that if I wanted to leave behind the thoughts and ideas of a people pleaser, I had to put the interests of the church first. No matter what others thought or whether I offended them, I had to fulfill my responsibilities and not allow the work of the church to be affected. The church arranged for me to be the supervisor because they hoped that I would take responsibility for my brothers and sisters, and protect the interests of the church. If I continued to be a people pleaser, and didn’t point out Emily’s problems, then I would be harming her and harming the work of the church. Afterward, I dissected the nature and consequences of her actions in light of God’s words. I also discussed the harm my previous arrogant disposition had caused to both the work of the church and my own life entry. What I didn’t expect was that after hearing this, Emily not only didn’t form any prejudices against me, but came to understand her problems in light of God’s words and was willing to turn things around. Neither did Emily distance herself from me because of this. She would open up in fellowship with me about the corruption she revealed in doing her duty or the difficulties she encountered. In this experience, I tasted the sweetness of practicing the truth, and my heart felt particularly at ease.

In 2024, I was elected as the group leader, responsible for group gatherings. At gatherings, I found that Sister Alice’s fellowship often went off topic, and she often used her fellowship to judge others. Once, after reading God’s words, Alice did not use them to understand herself. Instead, she said that Olivia had an arrogant disposition, and that she had given Olivia suggestions several times in the past, but Olivia had been very resistant and spoken harshly, constraining and harming her. She then talked about how she had helped Olivia out of love. When I heard her say this, I thought to myself, “Isn’t she putting others down to elevate herself by saying this? If Olivia really has these problems, she can seek out Olivia individually to point them out and fellowship with her. She shouldn’t use the gathering to vent her own dissatisfaction. Moreover, her fellowship has deviated from the topic of the gathering. I have to stop her quickly.” However, then I thought, “If I interrupt her directly, will it embarrass her and make her prejudiced against me? Forget it. I’ll just wait until the gathering is over and talk to her privately.” Therefore, I didn’t stop her. I just briefly said, “Everyone should be mindful of how long they fellowship for, so that others have enough time to fellowship.” I had wanted to talk to Alice about her problem after the gathering, but then I heard from other sisters that Alice often judged people behind their backs in the past; a sister had offended Alice before, so Alice had started to speak ill of this sister behind her back, and Alice even gave her cold looks, putting her in an awkward position. My heart tightened, and I thought, “If I point out her problem and offend her, will she treat me the same way? How awkward that would be if we have to be around each other often in the future! Maybe I should just report her situation to the leaders.” However, I then thought, “I get along pretty well with Alice. She also takes good care of me in my daily life. If I report her problems behind her back, that would be too underhanded. Wouldn’t it be tantamount to stabbing her in the back? If she found out that I was the one who reported her problems, would she hold a grudge against me and judge me behind my back? Forget it, let’s not ruin the relationship I have with her now.” When I thought this, I gave up on the idea of pointing out Alice’s problems to her.

Not long after, two sisters reported Alice’s situation to me. One of the sisters said that Alice always went off topic when fellowshipping on God’s words, which took up a lot of time in the gatherings without being of any benefit or edification to anyone. The other sister said that Alice always judged others and talked about their problems at gatherings. This dragged people into petty disputes about right and wrong, and somewhat disturbed church life. When I heard my sisters say this, I felt a little guilty. I was well aware of Alice’s problems but I didn’t point them out or report them. This was all due to my irresponsibility. During my devotionals, I watched an experiential testimony video. Two passages of God’s words quoted in it touched my heart and gave me some knowledge of myself. Almighty God says: “All of you say you are considerate of God’s burden and will uphold the testimony of the church, but who among you has really been considerate of God’s burden? Ask yourself: Are you someone who shows consideration for God’s burden? Can you practice righteousness for God? Can you stand up and speak for Me? Can you steadfastly put the truth into practice? Are you bold enough to fight against all of Satan’s deeds? Would you be able to set your feelings aside and expose Satan for the sake of My truth? Can you allow My intentions to be satisfied in you? Have you offered up your heart in crucial moments? Are you someone who follows My will? Ask yourself these questions often, and think about them often” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Utterances of Christ in the Beginning, Chapter 13). “Once the truth has become your life, if you see anyone blaspheming God, not fearing God, being perfunctory while doing their duty, or disrupting and disturbing the church’s work, you will be able to treat them according to the truth principles, discerning those who ought to be discerned, and exposing those who ought to be exposed. If the truth has not become your life, and you still live within your satanic dispositions, then when you see evil people and devils causing disruptions and disturbances to the work of the church, you will turn a blind eye and a deaf ear, and ignore it, without feeling any reproach from your conscience. You will even think that no matter who causes disturbances to the work of the church, it has nothing to do with you. Regardless of how much the work of the church and the interests of the house of God are harmed, you won’t care or ask about it, or feel any reproach from your conscience. In that case, you are a person who has no conscience or reason, a disbeliever, a laborer. You eat what is God’s, drink what is God’s, and enjoy all that comes from God, yet feel that any harm that comes to the interests of the house of God has nothing to do with you—this makes you a traitor who sides with outsiders at the expense of your own, the type of thing that bites the hand that feeds it. If you do not safeguard the interests of the house of God, are you even human? You are a demon that has infiltrated the church. You feign belief in God, pretend to be one of God’s chosen people, and want to freeload in God’s house—you do not resemble a human being, and you are clearly a disbeliever. Those who truly believe in God, even if they have yet to gain the truth and life, at the very least will take God’s side in their speech and actions; at the very least, they will not stand idly by when they see the interests of the house of God being harmed. If they try to ignore it, their conscience will feel reproached and ill at ease, and they will say to themselves, ‘I can’t just sit by and do nothing. I must stand up and say something, I must fulfill my responsibility. I must come forward to expose and stop this evil deed, to safeguard the interests of the house of God from harm, and to ensure the church life is not disturbed.’ If the truth has become your life in your heart, then you will not only have this courage and determination, but you will also be capable of seeing through this matter. Moreover, you will be able to fulfill your due share of responsibility for God’s work and for the interests of His house, and in this way, your duty will be fulfilled. If you can treat your duty as your own responsibility and obligation, and as God’s commission, and feel that only in this way are you living up to your own conscience and not letting God down, will you not then be living out the integrity and dignity of normal humanity? Your deeds and behavior will be the ‘fearing God and shunning evil’ that God speaks of. You will be practicing the essence of these words and living out their reality. When the truth becomes a person’s life, they are then able to live out these realities” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Part Three). After reading God’s words, I felt guilty and distressed. As believers in God, when we see people disrupting and disturbing the life of the church, we should show consideration for God’s intention and stand up to stop it, so that our brothers and sisters can eat and drink God’s words and fellowship on the truth in a good environment. I reflected on myself. I was well aware that Alice often went off topic at gatherings and always judged and belittled others behind their backs, and that this was disrupting and disturbing the life of the church. However, to avoid offending her, I shrank inside my shell like a turtle, acting timidly, and did not dare to stop her from doing this. Neither did I dare to expose or dissect the nature of her actions. How pathetic my life was! I was selfish and despicable, knowing only how to preserve myself. I ate and drank God’s words, but couldn’t put them into practice. I sat by as Alice disturbed the life of the church. In what way was I a believer in God? I had bitten the hand that had fed me. I was unworthy to live before God! I felt extremely guilty and uncomfortable, and hid in the bathroom, slapping myself. I asked myself again and again, “Why is it so difficult for me to say even one word of the truth? Why am I so selfish?” Back in my room, I prayed to God. “Dear God, I was wrong. I don’t want to live like this anymore. I want to practice the truth and be a person with a sense of justice. May You lead me to gain a true understanding of myself.”

Afterward, I read another passage of God’s words and came to understand the reason why I didn’t dare to point out others’ problems. Almighty God says: “There is a tenet in philosophies for worldly dealings that says, ‘Keeping silent on the faults of good friends makes for a long and good friendship.’ It means that in order to preserve this good friendship, one must keep silent about their friend’s problems, even if they see them clearly. They abide by the principles of not striking people in the face or calling out their shortcomings. They deceive each other, conceal things from each other, and plot against each other. Though they know with crystal clarity what sort of person the other is, they do not say it outright, but employ cunning methods to preserve their relationship. Why would one want to preserve such a relationship? It is about not wanting to make enemies in this society, within one’s group, which would mean often subjecting oneself to dangerous situations. Knowing someone will become your enemy and harm you after you have called out their shortcomings or hurt them, and not wishing to put yourself in such a situation, you employ the tenet of philosophies for worldly dealings that runs, ‘If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings.’ In light of this, if two people are in such a relationship, do they count as true friends? (No.) They are not true friends, much less each other’s confidant. So, what sort of relationship is this, exactly? Is it not a basic social relationship? (It is.) In such a social relationship, people cannot engage in heart-to-heart discussions, nor have deep connections, nor speak about whatever they wish. They cannot say out loud what is in their hearts, or the problems they see in other people, or words that would benefit other people. Instead, they pick nice things to say, to curry favor with others. They dare not speak the truth or uphold the principles, thereby preventing others from developing hostile thoughts toward them. When no one poses a threat to someone, does that person not live in relative ease and peace? Is this not people’s goal in promoting the saying, ‘If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings’? (It is.) Clearly, this is a crooked and deceitful way of survival with an element of guardedness, whose goal is self-preservation. Living this way, people have no confidants, no close friends with whom they can say whatever they like. Between people, there is just mutual guardedness, mutual exploitation, and mutual scheming, with each person taking what they need from the relationship. Is this not so? At its root, the goal of ‘If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings’ is to keep from offending others and making enemies, to protect oneself by not causing hurt to anyone. It is a tactic and method one adopts to keep themselves from being hurt. Looking at these several facets of its essence, is the demand of people’s moral conduct ‘If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings’ a noble one? Is it a positive one? (No.) Then, what does it teach people? That you must not offend or hurt anyone, otherwise, you are the one who will end up getting hurt; and also, that you should not trust anyone. If you hurt any one of your good friends, the friendship will quietly start to change: They will go from being your good, familiar friend to a stranger or an enemy. What problems can this kind of teaching actually resolve? Even if, by acting in this way, you do not make enemies and even lose a few, will this make people admire and approve of you, and always keep you as a friend? Does this fully meet the standard for moral conduct? At the very best, this is no more than a philosophy for worldly dealings” (The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth. What It Means to Pursue the Truth (8)). As I pondered God’s words, I understood that I could not practice the truth and did not dare point out other people’s problems because satanic philosophies and laws had taken deep root in my heart. My parents taught me since I was a child that “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings,” “Keeping silent on the faults of good friends makes for a long and good friendship,” and “Speak good words in harmony with others’ feelings and reason, as being frank annoys others.” They taught me to be very cautious and circumspect in my relations with others and never to expose other people’s problems to their face so as to avoid offending them and being subjected to revenge and harm by them. I had constantly lived by these thoughts and ideas. When I was in school, seeing my deskmate being domineering and overbearing, I never pointed out her problems, as I was afraid of offending her. I even deceived her, saying things that went against what was in my heart. After I started to believe in God, Chloe and I did our duties together. I was well aware that she was perfunctory in doing her duty and also spread negativity, disturbing others from doing their duty, but in order to preserve myself, I was never willing to expose or dissect her problems. I noticed that Alice often went off topic in her fellowship at gatherings, and even judged others. However, I was never willing to dissect her problems because I was afraid of her taking revenge on me and judging me, so I stood by and watched as she disturbed the life of the church. Through living by satanic philosophies and laws, I had become slippery and deceitful, and had no sincerity at all in my interactions with others. On the surface, I was a kind person, and got along well with Chloe and Alice. However, when I saw their problems, I didn’t provide them with any help, and didn’t show them any true love. My kindness to them was all false and hypocritical, aimed at maintaining a fleshly relationship and making them get along with me harmoniously. I truly was utterly slippery and deceitful! I realized that I had lost my conscience and reason long ago by living according to satanic philosophies and laws; had become extremely selfish and cowardly; had become an unwitting accomplice and shield of Satan. If I continued on like this without turning things around, I would certainly be loathed and eliminated by God!

Later, I read more of God’s words and gained a clearer understanding of the satanic poison of “If you strike others, don’t strike them in the face; if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings.” Almighty God says: “Is the phrase ‘call out’ in the saying ‘if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings’ good or bad? Does the phrase ‘call out’ carry the meaning of people being revealed or exposed as it does within the words of God? (It does not.) From My understanding of the phrase ‘call out’ as it exists in human language, it does not mean that. It somewhat has the nature of a malicious form of exposure; it means to expose people’s problems and deficiencies, or some things and behaviors unknown to others, or some intrigue, ideas, or views operating in the background. This is the meaning of the phrase ‘call out’ in the saying ‘if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings.’ If two people get along well and are confidants, with no barriers between them, and they each hope to be of benefit and assistance to the other, then it would be best for them to sit together and speak with clarity about the issues at hand in openness and sincerity. This is proper, and it is not calling out others’ shortcomings. If you discover another person’s problems but see that they are not yet able to accept you pointing this out, then simply do not say anything, so as to avoid quarrel or conflict. If you want to help them, you can seek their opinion and first ask them, ‘I see that you have a bit of a problem, and I want to give you some advice. I don’t know if you’ll be able to accept it. If you will, I’ll tell you. If you won’t, I’ll keep it to myself for now and not say anything.’ If they say, ‘I trust you. Whatever you say will be appropriate; I can accept it,’ that means that you have been granted permission, and you can then fellowship about their problems with them, one by one. Not only will they completely accept what you say, but also benefit from it, and the two of you will still be able to maintain a normal relationship. Is that not treating each other with sincerity? (It is.) This is the correct way of interacting with others; it is not calling out others’ shortcomings. What does it mean not to ‘call out others’ shortcomings,’ as the saying in question goes? It means not to speak of others’ deficiencies, not to speak of their most taboo problems, not to expose the essence of their problems, and not to be so blatant in calling it out. It means just to make some surface-level remarks, to say things that are commonly said by all, to say things that the person themselves is able to realize, and not to expose mistakes the person has made previously or sensitive issues. What does it benefit the person if you act in this way? Perhaps you will not have offended them or made an enemy of them, but what you have done in no way helps or benefits them. Therefore, the phrase ‘don’t call out others’ shortcomings’ itself is sly, a form of trickery, and not being sincere. One could say that to act in this way is to harbor evil intentions; it is not the correct way of interacting with others. Nonbelievers even see ‘if you call others out, don’t call out their shortcomings’ as something a person of noble morals should do. It is clearly a deceitful manner of interacting with others, which people adopt to protect themselves; it is not at all a proper mode of interaction. Not calling out others’ shortcomings itself is insincere, and in calling out others’ shortcomings, there may be an ulterior intent” (The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth. What It Means to Pursue the Truth (8)). “God’s chosen people should, at the very least, possess conscience and reason, and interact, associate, and work together with others according to the principles and standards that God requires of people. This is the best approach. This is able to satisfy God. So, what are the truth principles required by God? That people be understanding of others when they are weak and negative, being considerate of their pain and difficulties, and then inquire about these things, offer help and support, and read them God’s words to help them solve their problems, enabling them to understand God’s intentions and stop being weak, and bringing them before God. Isn’t this way of practicing in line with the principles? Practicing in this way is in line with the truth principles. Naturally, relationships of this kind are even more so in line with the truth principles. When people are deliberately causing disturbances and disruptions, or deliberately doing their duty in a perfunctory way, if you see this and are able to point these things out to them, reprimand them, and help them according to the principles, then this is in line with the truth principles. If you turn a blind eye, or condone their behavior and cover for them, and even go so far as to say nice things to praise and applaud them, these ways of interacting with people, dealing with issues, and handling problems, are clearly at odds with the truth principles, and have no basis in the words of God. So, these ways of interacting with people and dealing with issues are clearly improper, and this really is not easy to discover if they are not dissected and discerned according to God’s words” (The Word, Vol. 5. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers. The Responsibilities of Leaders and Workers (14)). God’s words untied the knot in my heart. I used to think that pointing out other people’s problems and deficiencies was calling them out, and would hurt them. Now I understood that if we discover anyone doing their duty in a perfunctory manner or disrupting and disturbing church life, we should act according to principles and point out their problems in a timely manner; where necessary, we can prune them. Even if we speak harshly, as long as what we say is in accordance with the facts, and our intention is to help them and protect the work of the church, this is all positive, and people who accept the truth can treat it correctly. If, after pruning, they do not accept or repent, we can also report them to the upper leaders. This is not calling them out or stabbing them in the back. It is protecting the work of the church. Calling someone out is done with an ulterior motive, with prejudice and hostility toward them. It is fixating on their minor problems and making a big deal of them; it is ridiculing, belittling, and mocking them; it is intentionally hurting them. It cannot bring them any edification or benefits, and can only make them negative and miserable. This is what calling people out is. I also had a mistaken view inside myself, believing that reporting other people’s problems to the leaders was making malicious accusations or stabbing them in the back. In fact, promptly reporting problems when they are discovered is protecting the work of the church. It is a responsibility that people ought to fulfill. Stabbing someone in the back or making malicious accusations is distorting the facts and spreading baseless rumors to slander that person behind their back. It is aimed at tormenting others to achieve your own despicable goals. This time, I discovered that Alice’s fellowship in gatherings was off topic and she often judged others. Other sisters also said that this was Alice’s consistent behavior, and even after many fellowships about it, she still hadn’t turned it around. I should have pointed out her problems, and reported them to the leaders as quickly as possible so that they could understand her situation promptly and could make the appropriate arrangements based on her behavior. This was the only way to ensure that church life was not disturbed.

After a gathering, I pointed out Alice’s problems in light of God’s words, exposing that the way she judged others in the gatherings was disturbing the life of the church. Alice didn’t accept it at first, but she reluctantly admitted it after other sisters joined in to fellowship on and dissect her problems. She even cried and said that this was indeed her problem. Not long after, I learned that she was judging others in front of one of her sisters again, so I reported her situation to the church leaders. The leaders exposed and dissected her problems, and from then on, I have never seen her behave in a judgmental manner again. I thank God for leading me to practice some truth. My heart feels very at ease. It’s God’s words that have led me to these changes.