By Fang Xiaoyu, China

My family and teachers told me from a young age that I should study hard, and that only by getting into university could I have a good life; otherwise, I would spend my life suffering and poor. My family was poor, and people in the village looked down on us, so I thought that if I could get into university, I could then find a good job, and then the people in the village would no longer dare look down on us. I remembered a phrase in my elementary school textbook, “Through reading, one can gain both love and wealth.” I believed that if I studied hard, I would gain great knowledge from books, and that the more knowledge and better education I had, the wealthier I would be, and that only knowledge could change my fate. When my family talked to me about believing in God, I agreed verbally, but in my heart, I thought, “Right now studying comes first. I’ll believe properly once I get into university and have a good job.” So, I never attended gatherings. Occasionally, my family would show me God’s words, but I’d just read them like a storybook, while my heart would be focused on building a bright future by getting into university.

My grades were pretty good at the time, and the people in the village praised me for my good grades and sensibility, saying I would be sure to succeed. My relatives would often encourage me to study hard, saying our family would definitely have a university graduate. Hearing this, I was both happy and surprised. Because my family was poor, and others had looked down on us, I felt really inferior among others, like I was below everyone else. I’d never expected people to think highly of me because of my good grades, so it seemed to me that being well-read could indeed earn others’ respect and admiration. But I then thought about how my grades weren’t the best yet, so I had to push myself to study hard to achieve better results. Later, I got into the county’s most prestigious high school, and I felt confident that I had a good chance of getting into university, and by then, those who knew me would surely look at me in a new light. When I reached my senior year of high school, my teachers often said, “The college entrance exam determines the height of your life,” “In today’s society, competition is fierce, and it’s survival of the fittest—only the adaptable survive,” and “If you don’t work hard when you’re young, you’ll regret it when you’re old.” I realized that only by obtaining a diploma from a top university could I have a good future, and to achieve this goal, I studied even harder. I often skipped lunch breaks to do problems in the classroom; even going to the cafeteria felt like a waste of time. After each exam, I would care greatly about my score and ranking. When my rank went up, I felt pleased, but when my rank didn’t improve or dropped, I felt really dejected and restless. Even though I studied hard, most of the time, my class ranking was just around twelfth or thirteenth, and I was in a lot of pain and under a lot of pressure. But I thought that only if I could get into university would I have a good life and not be looked down upon, so I kept studying hard, not daring to ease up at all.

Three months before the college entrance exam, something happened that deeply affected me. The school held a mock exam, and a repeat student failed to reach the cutoff score for a key university by just a few points, and ended up jumping to his death. When I heard about this, I was deeply unsettled. His score was much higher than mine, but because of just a few points, he ended his life! I was sitting in the classroom at the time, and I looked around me at the desks piled high with books and at my classmates diligently studying, and I suddenly felt utterly lost. I couldn’t help but think, “A young life just came to an end because of a few points—is this worth it? Do we students only live for scores? Are scores more important than life? Can exam rankings really determine a person’s fate? Why couldn’t he see beyond this?” But when I thought about the difference between myself and this repeat student, I saw that the only difference was that I hadn’t yet reached the point of choosing suicide. Just like him, I too was desperately striving for high scores to get into a good university. I asked myself, “Is university my only way out? So what if I can’t get into university? Can knowledge really change a person’s destiny?” So many questions that I couldn’t answer drifted through my mind. I thought of my grandfather. He was well-educated and had read a lot of books, but he spent his whole life as a farmer. Knowledge didn’t change his fate. Then there’s my cousin. After graduating from university, she went to work in a big city, and people in the village admired and praised her, but she still complained that the job wasn’t good enough. I didn’t know if, after all my efforts, I’d end up like my grandfather, whose knowledge was of no use, or like my cousin, admired by others but never content. What if I really did get into a good university, graduate, and get a good job, and I gained the admiration of others, and then got married and had a family—would I make my children study hard like I did, striving to get into university? Each generation repeats this pattern of life, but could this really be the only way to live? Was there no other path? I felt an unprecedented sense of confusion about the path I had ahead of me in life, and I didn’t know why I was alive or what I should pursue that would be meaningful.

Later, I read Almighty God’s words, and my doubts were resolved. Almighty God says: “In the vastness of the cosmos and the firmament, countless creatures live and reproduce, follow in an endless cycle the law of life, and adhere to one constant rule. Those who die take with them the stories of the living, and those who are living repeat the same tragic history of those who have perished. And so, mankind cannot help but ask himself: Why do we live? And why do we have to die? Who commands this world? And who created this mankind? Was mankind really created by Mother Nature? Is mankind really in control of his own fate?” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 3: Man Can Only Be Saved Amidst God’s Management). Didn’t God’s words speak exactly to the doubts I was having? But I’d never shared these innermost thoughts with anyone, so how could God know? It seemed that God understood my thoughts, and even more so, that He knew the current state of all humanity’s lives. At that moment, I felt God’s almightiness in my heart, and at the same time, God’s words drew me to keep reading. I continued to read God’s words: “Since mankind’s contrivance of the social sciences, the mind of man has become occupied by science and knowledge. Science and knowledge then have become tools for the ruling of mankind, and there is no longer sufficient room for man to worship God, and no more favorable conditions for the worship of God. The position of God has sunk ever lower in the heart of man. Without God in their hearts, the inner world of man is dark, hopeless and empty. Subsequently many social scientists, historians, and politicians have come to the fore to express theories of social science, the theory of human evolution, and other theories that contradict the truth that God created man, to fill the hearts and minds of mankind. And in this way, those who believe that God created everything have become ever fewer, and those who believe in the theory of evolution have become ever greater in number. More and more people treat the records of the work of God and His words during the age of the Old Testament as myths and legends. In their hearts, people become indifferent to the dignity and greatness of God, to God’s existence, and to the tenet that God holds sovereignty over all things. The survival of mankind and the fate of countries and nations are no longer important to them, and man lives in a hollow world concerned only with eating, drinking, and the pursuit of pleasure. … Science, knowledge, freedom, democracy, enjoyment, and comfort bring man only temporary consolation. Even with these things, man still inevitably sins and complains about the unfairness of society. Having these things cannot hinder man’s longing and desire to explore. This is because man was made by God and their senseless sacrifices and explorations can only increasingly bring distress upon them, and cause man to be in a constant state of anxiety, not knowing how to face the future of mankind or how to face the path that lies ahead, to the extent that man even becomes frightened of science and knowledge, and even more so frightened of the feeling of emptiness. In this world, regardless of whether you live in a free country or one without human rights, you are utterly incapable of escaping the fate of mankind. Whether you are the ruler or the ruled, you are utterly incapable of escaping the desire to explore the fate, mysteries, and destination of mankind, much less are you capable of escaping the bewildering feeling of emptiness. Such phenomena, which are common to all of mankind, are called social phenomena by sociologists, yet no great man can come forth to solve such problems. Man, after all, is man, and the status and life of God cannot be replaced by any man. What mankind needs is not just a fair society in which everyone is well-fed, equal, and free; what mankind needs is the salvation of God and His provision of life to man. Only when man receives God’s provision of life and His salvation can their needs, their desire to explore, and the emptiness of their hearts be resolved” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 2: God Presides Over the Fate of All Mankind). After reading God’s words, I understood that humans are created by God, and that the root of our emptiness and helplessness is that God no longer holds a place in our hearts. Looking back, I believed in the existence of God when I was young, but after going to school, there was never any mention of God in the textbooks. They said humans evolved from apes, and also “Knowledge can change your fate,” “Other pursuits are small, books excel them all,” and “Science is supreme.” Such ideas and statements come from Satan, leading people to idolize knowledge and science. I don’t know when, but I too came to accept these statements, placing great value on knowledge and seeing it as extremely important, and in pursuit of knowledge, I’d come to treat faith as something secondary. I was now filled with confusion about life, and many times, I felt an inexplicable emptiness. In reality, this was because I had drifted too far from God. Although studying had broadened my knowledge and expanded my horizons, and I had received praise and admiration from others, knowledge couldn’t answer the confusion I had about life, nor could it show me the correct path in life. My heart remained confused, helpless, and in pain. I read that God says: “Without God in their hearts, the inner world of man is dark, hopeless and empty.” “What mankind needs is not just a fair society in which everyone is well-fed, equal, and free; what mankind needs is the salvation of God and His provision of life to man.” I understood that only by believing in God and receiving His salvation can one be freed from all emptiness and pain. From then on, I knew I had to earnestly believe in God and read His words, and I could no longer neglect my faith. Moving forward, I began attending gatherings once a week, and being able to read God’s words made me feel very at ease.

After the college entrance exam, I had more time to read God’s words, and I often spent time with the brothers and sisters living a church life. I saw that in the church, the truth rules, and that there is no distinction of wealth or social status, nor seniority or age among the brothers and sisters. Everyone can open up, fellowship, and help each other when we reveal corruption, and we don’t look down on or compete with one another. I really enjoyed this kind of life. But before long, the university admission letter arrived, and I became hesitant as to whether I should attend university. In truth, I really wanted to go to university, because after studying for all these years, my goal had always been to go to university, and to find a respectable job with good salary and benefits so that I wouldn’t be looked down upon, and so I wouldn’t have to suffer from poverty. But I also worried that I wouldn’t have enough time to gather and read God’s words if I went to university. In my uncertainty, I asked my family, and they said, “You should pray to God earnestly before making a decision so that you won’t regret it later.” I then prayed to God about my difficulty, “God, I don’t know whether I should attend university. I feel like it’s been so hard to get in, and I really want to go, but I’m afraid that if I go, the busyness of studying will stop me from gathering regularly. God, please guide me to make the right choice.”

Later, I read God’s words: “Is knowledge something that everyone considers to be a positive thing? At the very least, people think that the connotation of the word ‘knowledge’ is positive rather than negative. So why are we mentioning here that Satan uses knowledge to corrupt man? Is the theory of evolution not an aspect of knowledge? Are Newton’s scientific laws not a part of knowledge? The gravitational pull of the earth is also a part of knowledge, is it not? (Yes.) So why is knowledge listed among the things that Satan uses to corrupt mankind? What is your view on this? Does knowledge have even a shred of truth in it? (No.) Then what is the essence of knowledge? On what basis is all the knowledge that man acquires learned? Is it based on the theory of evolution? Is not the knowledge that man has gained through exploration and summation based on atheism? Does any of this knowledge have a connection to God? Is it connected with worshiping God? Is it connected to truth? (No.) So how does Satan use knowledge to corrupt man? I just said that none of this knowledge is connected with worshiping God or with truth. Some people think about it like this: ‘Knowledge might not have anything to do with truth, but still, it doesn’t corrupt people.’ What is your view on this? Were you taught by knowledge that a person’s happiness must be created with their own two hands? Did knowledge teach you that man’s fate was in his own hands? (Yes.) What kind of talk is this? (It is devilish talk.) Absolutely right! It is devilish talk! Knowledge is a complicated subject to discuss. You may state simply that a field of knowledge is nothing more than knowledge. That is a field of knowledge that is learned on the basis of not worshiping God and on not understanding that God created all things. When people study this type of knowledge, they do not see God having sovereignty over all things; they do not see God being in charge of or managing all things. Instead, all they do is endlessly research and explore that area of knowledge, and seek out answers based on knowledge. However, is it not true that if people do not believe in God and instead only pursue research, they will never find the true answers? All that knowledge can give you is a livelihood, a job, income so that you do not go hungry; but it will never make you worship God, and it will never keep you far from evil. The more people study knowledge, the more they will desire to rebel against God, to subject God to their studies, to test God, and to resist God. So, what do we now see that knowledge is teaching people? It is all the philosophy of Satan. Do the philosophies and rules of survival spread by Satan among corrupt men have any relation to truth? They have nothing to do with truth and, in fact, are the opposite of the truth” (The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique V). God exposes how Satan uses knowledge as a trick to corrupt people. I saw that knowledge only helps us understand basic facts or common sense, and that it can assist us in work and life, but Satan incorporates extra elements into our learning, instilling in us atheism, evolutionism, Marxism, and other ideologies. These lead us to deny God more and more and to drift ever further from Him. I remembered a sister telling me that her daughter had believed in the existence of God when she was young and that she’d followed her in faith, but that later, after she went to university, when the sister talked to her daughter about believing in God, her daughter no longer acknowledged the existence of God. In truth, I was the same. When I was young, I’d believed in the existence of God, but in the textbooks and the knowledge taught at school, the word “God” was never mentioned, and everything was just about materialism and evolution theory, saying that everything in the world formed naturally and that humans evolved from apes, which made me begin to doubt the existence of God. I realized that Satan truly uses knowledge to corrupt people. But at the time, I had no awareness of this, and I still yearned for knowledge, wanting to continue swimming in the ocean of knowledge. The more knowledge I acquired, the deeper I would become poisoned. If, in the end, I became someone who denied God because of having too much knowledge, then it would be too late. Would this not be ruining myself? The consequences of this were terrifying.

One day, I read more of God’s words: “From the moment you come crying into this world, you begin to fulfill your responsibilities. For the sake of God’s plan and His ordination, you play your role and start your life’s journey. Whatever your background may be, and whatever the journey ahead of you may be, in any case, no one can escape the orchestrations and arrangements of Heaven, and no one can control their own fate, for only He who is sovereign over all things is capable of such work” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. God Is the Source of Man’s Life). I understood that a person’s fate is in God’s hands, and that people have no ability to change their fate. How my fate will unfold, what kind of work I will do, what kind of life I will have, and whether I will be poor or wealthy—all of these are under God’s predestination and sovereignty, and I cannot change them, much less can they be changed just through knowledge or a diploma. Just like my grandfather; God had predestined him to be a farmer, and even though he read a lot of books and learned a lot, this couldn’t change his fate. Then there’s my dad. He has a high school education and even served in the military, but he was just an ordinary worker. After a few years, the factory he worked at shut down, and he ended up returning home to work on the farm. From these examples, I realized that a person’s fate is truly not in their own hands, and that having more education doesn’t necessarily lead to a good job or future. I’d wanted to change my fate through studying, but that idea was truly foolish and ignorant. Once I realized this, I became willing to entrust my future into God’s control, and I became willing to submit to God’s sovereignty and arrangements.

During that time, I also read more of God’s words, and one passage in particular left a deep impression on me. Almighty God says: “Young people should not be without aspirations, drive, and an enthusiastic desire to better themselves; they should not be disheartened about their prospects, and nor should they lose hope in life or confidence in the future; they should have the perseverance to continue along the way of truth that they have now chosen—to realize their wish to expend their entire lives for Me. They should not be without the truth, nor should they harbor hypocrisy and unrighteousness—they should stand firm in the proper stance. They should not just drift along, but should have the spirit to dare to make sacrifices and to struggle for justice and truth. Young people should have the bravery to not succumb to oppression by the forces of darkness and to transform the significance of their existence. Young people should not resign themselves to adversity, but should be open and frank, with a spirit of forgiveness for their brothers and sisters. Of course, these are My requirements of everyone, and My advice to everyone. But even more, these are My soothing words for all young people. You should practice according to My words. In particular, young people should not be without the resolve to exercise discernment in issues and to seek justice and the truth. You should pursue all things beautiful and good, and you should obtain the reality of all positive things. You should be responsible toward your life, and you must not take it lightly. People come to the earth and it is rare to encounter Me, and it is also rare to have the opportunity to seek and to gain the truth. Why would you not prize this beautiful time as the right path to pursue in this life? And why are you always so dismissive toward the truth and justice? … Your lives should be full of justice, truth, and holiness; your lives should not be so depraved at such a young age, leading you to fall into Hades. Do you not feel that this would be a terrible misfortune? Do you not feel that this would be terribly unjust?” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Words for the Young and the Old). These words of God helped me find the right direction in life. God is the source of all beauty and goodness. I believe in God and read His words, and from them, I can differentiate between positive and negative things, and discern various evil trends, and I also know how to live out normal humanity, and so on. These are all things I need. If I didn’t pursue the truth and chose instead to keep pursuing knowledge, I would just be influenced by all kinds of satanic philosophies and poisons, and become ever more corrupted. Just like when I was in school, I clearly knew my grades could only be so good, but I was unwilling to accept this and studied really hard to get into a good university. As a result, I tormented myself and drifted ever further from God. We were originally created by God, and we should believe in Him and pursue the truth, but because of Satan luring and misleading me, I only knew to go to school and study, and didn’t understand that I should believe in God and worship Him, and I didn’t understand that life should be about pursuing the truth and salvation. I was completely focused on my studies, and I wasted so much time. I saw that God had expressed so many truths and that there was still so much I didn’t understand, and I was filled with regret. If I’d just gathered properly a few years earlier, wouldn’t I have understood more truths? If I carried on to university for a few more years, God’s work might have already ended, and as such, I would definitely miss my chance at salvation. After reading God’s words, I felt God’s urgent intention. God is waiting for humanity to come back before Him and accept His salvation so that they will no longer suffer Satan’s harm. I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

I read more of God’s words: “If you are of high station, of honorable reputation, possessed of abundant knowledge, the owner of plentiful assets, and supported by many people, yet these things do not prevent you from coming before God to accept His calling and His commission and to do what God asks of you, then all that you do shall be the most meaningful cause on earth and the most just undertaking of mankind. If you reject the call of God for the sake of status and your own goals, all that you do shall be cursed and even despised by God” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 2: God Presides Over the Fate of All Mankind). After reading God’s words, I understood God’s intention more clearly, and I was really encouraged in my heart, because God clearly states what kind of people will receive His approval and blessings, and what kind of people will be cursed and detested by Him. Those who come before God regardless of any hindrances and offer themselves to God in body and mind are those who will receive God’s approval and blessings. If someone rejects God’s call and commission for the sake of pursuing personal interests, this is rebellion against God, and such a person is spurned by God. I thought about how as a created being, if I only pursued knowledge and not the truth, then I would be wasting the breath God had given me for nothing. If I could use these years to do my duty as a created being instead of pursuing studies at a university—telling more people the good news of God coming to do the work of saving mankind, and helping more lost people like me to return before God—then this would be the most meaningful thing to do. I thought of Peter. He excelled in both studies and conduct from a young age, and his parents hoped he would succeed academically and stand out in the world, but Peter didn’t pursue further knowledge or higher education to attain fame, gain, and status. Rather, he chose to believe in God and preach. Despite his parents’ opposition, he stopped his studies after finishing high school at 17. Although he made a living by fishing and lived an ordinary life, because of his yearning for God, he continually sought to know and to love God, and in the end, he received God’s approval. Peter’s pursuit gained my admiration, and at the same time, this inspired me, giving me the resolve to give up university.

Before I knew it, the day to register for university had arrived. A classmate called to invite me to register together, but I told her I wasn’t going to university. After that, classmates, friends, and nonbelieving family members came one after another to try to persuade me. Some said, “Without a degree, you won’t find a good job out in the world.” Others said, “Some people want to get into university but can’t. But look at you: You’ve gotten in but you’re choosing not to go? Have you lost your mind?” My older brother also said that he’d give me three thousand yuan if I went to university, and that he’d buy me such-and-such a phone…. I was a bit sad and weak, as I felt I had once been an obedient and sensible child in their eyes, a top student with excellent grades, and a promising young person with a bright future, yet now I was considered someone who had lost their mind and was disobedient. I felt a little uncomfortable. But thanks to God’s protection, when I thought about the fact that I was on the right path in life, choosing the most just cause, I found myself filled with faith again. They could think and say whatever they wanted; I would continue to gather and do my duty as usual. At that time, I really liked singing a hymn of God’s words called “You Should Forsake All for the Truth”:

1  You must suffer hardship for the truth, you must sacrifice yourself for the truth, you must endure humiliation for the truth, and to gain more of the truth you must undergo more suffering. This is what you should do. You must not throw away the truth for the sake of the enjoyment of a harmonious family life, and you must not lose a lifetime of dignity and integrity for the sake of temporary enjoyment.

2  You should pursue all that is beautiful and good, and you should pursue a path in life that is more meaningful. If you lead such a mundane and worldly life, and do not have any goal to pursue, isn’t this wasting your life? What can you gain from such a life? You should forsake all enjoyments of the flesh for the sake of one truth, and should not throw away all truths for the sake of a little enjoyment. People like this have no integrity or dignity; there is no meaning to their existence!

—The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. The Experiences of Peter: His Knowledge of Chastisement and Judgment

From God’s words, I saw that God hopes for us to live for the pursuit of truth and that which is just, and if we give up the truth for temporary pleasure, then we lose our dignity, and more importantly, the value and meaning of life. In the past, I didn’t know what a meaningful life was. I thought that studying knowledge in school, getting into a good university and having a promising future would earn others’ admiration, and that this would mean I’d be making something of my life. But unexpectedly, after years and years of studying, not only did none of this teach me how to conduct myself, but I also lost my way. I even forgot that I came from God, and that this breath of life was given to me by God, and I was also harmed and fooled by Satan. In the end, I almost became like Satan, resisting and denying God, and living without any value or dignity. Now, I was choosing to walk the path of faith in God and the pursuit of truth. Though my family and friends didn’t understand me and slandered me, and in the future, I might not live a life of wealth or gain people’s admiration, by believing in God and doing my duty, I can understand the truth and gain life. This is the most meaningful thing, and this suffering is not in vain. So no matter how they tried to persuade me, I did not sway, and I knew that this strength had been given to me by God.

After that, I didn’t go to university, and instead, I did my duty in the church. Through God’s fellowship and exposure, I gained a deeper understanding of my pursuit of knowledge. Almighty God says: “During the process of man’s learning of knowledge, Satan employs all manner of methods, whether it be telling stories, simply giving them some individual piece of knowledge, or allowing them to satisfy their desires or ambitions. What road does Satan want to lead you down? People think there is nothing wrong with learning knowledge, that it is entirely natural. To put it in a way that sounds appealing, to foster lofty ideals or to have ambitions is to have drive, and this should be the right path in life. Is it not a more glorious way for people to live if they can realize their own ideals, or successfully establish a career? By doing these things, one can not only honor one’s ancestors but also has the chance to leave one’s mark on history—is this not a good thing? This is a good thing in the eyes of worldly people, and to them it should be proper and positive. Does Satan, however, with its sinister motives, take people on to this kind of road and that’s all there is to it? Of course not. In fact, no matter how lofty man’s ideals are, no matter how realistic man’s desires are or how proper they may be, all that man wants to achieve, all that man seeks for, is inextricably linked to two words. These two words are vitally important to the life of every person, and they are things Satan intends to instill in man. What are these two words? They are ‘fame’ and ‘gain.’ Satan uses a very mild kind of method, a method very much in concert with people’s notions, which is not at all radical, through which it causes people to unknowingly accept its way of living, its rules to live by, and to establish life goals and their direction in life, and unknowingly they also come to have ambitions in life. No matter how grand these life ambitions may seem, they are inextricably linked to ‘fame’ and ‘gain.’ Everything that any great or famous person—all people, in fact—follow in life relates only to these two words: ‘fame’ and ‘gain.’ People think that once they have fame and gain, they can then capitalize on those things to enjoy high status and great wealth, and to enjoy life. They think fame and gain are a kind of capital that they can use to obtain a life of pleasure-seeking and wanton enjoyment of the flesh. For the sake of this fame and gain which mankind so covets, people willingly, albeit unknowingly, hand over their bodies, minds, all that they have, their futures and their destinies, to Satan. They do so genuinely and without even a moment’s hesitation, ever ignorant of the need to recover all that they have handed over. Can people retain any control over themselves once they have taken refuge in Satan in this way and become loyal to it? Certainly not. They are completely and utterly controlled by Satan. They have completely and utterly sunk into a quagmire, and are unable to free themselves” (The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI). After reading God’s words, I finally realized that I had been lured by Satan onto the wrong path of pursuing fame and gain. Satan is truly insidious and wicked: It first uses something that seems legitimate, making people study and learn knowledge, and then in the process of learning, without us noticing, it instills various satanic thoughts and statements into our hearts, such as “Knowledge can change your fate,” “Other pursuits are small, books excel them all,” “Stand out above the rest, and bring honor to your ancestors,” and “Those who toil with their minds govern others, and those who toil with their hands are governed by others.” These ideas make us worship knowledge and pursue fame and gain, thinking that acquiring fame and gain would bring honor to our ancestors, and enable us to escape a life of toil. So I thought that by going to university, I could change my fate, and attain what people call a good life. I began to focus on scores and exam rankings, and I often felt frustrated and dejected when my efforts didn’t result in good grades. Even though many times I felt that life as a student was empty and tedious, or I felt pain from competing with others for rankings, I was still willing to suffer and toil for this goal, not knowing to break free and resist. I thought of my deskmate. She’d often burn the midnight oil in her attempts to get into a good university, but she contracted an unusual illness from excessive anxiety. In the end, she had to take a leave of absence to recover. Then there was the repeat student who jumped to his death. To others, it seemed like just a small difference in points, but he valued that score more than his life. Eventually he chose to jump off. This, too, was caused by the pursuit of fame and gain. From these facts, I saw Satan’s sinister intentions of luring people into pursuing fame and gain. Satan not only leads us away from God, but also torments and toys with us at will, until finally it devours us. Without God exposing this, I would never have seen clearly that fame and gain are tricks Satan uses to corrupt people, and I’d have continued to suffer all kinds of unnecessary hardships for fame and gain, and moreover, I’d have strayed from God and shut the door on His salvation. I’d studied hard for over ten years to gain others’ admiration, and I’d neglected and even forgotten about believing in God. If not for God’s love, for His arranging for the brothers and sisters to help me and bring me into church life, I don’t know how long I would have drifted about in confusion.

Over the last few years, by doing my duty and reading God’s words, I’ve come to see more and more that the path of believing in God is the right path in life. God has revealed all mysteries of the truth to us, for example, how humanity has developed to where we are today, where people come from and where they are going, the truth of how humanity has been corrupted by Satan, how to resolve corrupt dispositions and live out a true human likeness, how to know and worship God, how to become a created being that is up to standard, and so on. In the truths God has expressed, I have seen the direction of life, and I have found the value of my life. I am truly grateful that God’s salvation has come upon me, allowing me to return before Him. Thank God!