By Chen Zhan, China

When I was in school, whenever I slacked off in my studies, my mom would nag me, “Look at your older aunt; she went to college and got a secure job, so she doesn’t have to worry about food and clothing. Wherever she goes, people respect and look up to her. If you don’t study hard now, you won’t get into college and you’ll end up like your younger aunt, working in a factory. People will look down on you!” I envied my older aunt, and hoped to be like her one day, having fame and gain, and living a life that people envied and looked up to. So I studied very hard. But I didn’t get in the first time I took the college entrance exam. At that time, it felt like my whole world was gray. I didn’t want to be looked down on for the rest of my life, so I chose to repeat the year despite the pressure. At that time, I studied past midnight every day. The intense studying, combined with the pressure of repeating the year, exhausted me physically and mentally, weakening my immune system, and I caught a cold almost every month. But even when I was sick, I didn’t dare to ask for time off, afraid of missing any key points, doing poorly on the exam, and missing the chance to go to college again. The following year, I got into a teacher training university. Relatives and friends all came to congratulate me, saying, “After you graduate and become a teacher, you’ll have a high social status, be respected, and have a worry-free life!” Hearing them say this made me very happy.

After graduating, I started teaching at a central elementary school. To make a name for myself at work, and to be valued by the school leadership and looked up to by my colleagues, I wanted to stand out in my first public lesson. I started preparing a month in advance. Each day, aside from my regular classes, I spent all my time searching for materials related to public lessons, consulting experienced teachers, and then memorizing lesson plans. I practiced in front of the mirror over and over every day until I could deliver the entire teaching plan from beginning to end. Although it was very tiring, when I saw the school leaders kept nodding in approval at the evaluation meeting, all my fatigue vanished in an instant. I thought, “Now the school leadership has seen my potential. Next semester, they might let me handle the public lessons for the subdistrict. Then I’ll have more opportunities to shine.” Thinking of this, I felt it was all worth it, no matter how tired I was. In the second semester, I got the opportunity to teach a demonstration lesson in the central subdistrict, which made me both excited and nervous. I was nervous that if I didn’t teach well, the school leadership would surely think my ability was average, and it would be hard to get such opportunities again in the future. I was excited because if I did well, I would have a foothold in the central school, and maybe even have the chance to take on public lessons at the district or even city level. That would be incredibly prestigious! So I once again prepared meticulously, sleeping only three or four hours a day. But on the day of the lesson, because I was too nervous, my performance in the classroom did not meet my expectations. However, I still received strong recognition from the school leadership and the other teachers. At that moment, I felt that no matter how hard or tiring it had been, it was all worth it. I felt that this was how life should be. If I couldn’t get the high regard and praise of the school leadership and my colleagues, what was the point of working? Not long after, the school leaders approached me, saying the school wanted to fast-track my training, and asking me to also serve as the school’s safety officer. I was very happy in my heart, because safety work was not something every teacher could handle. If I did well, my chances of being recognized as an outstanding teacher would be greater in the future, and my colleagues would also see me in a different light, so I agreed. But less than a month after taking on the role, I was exhausted. I received safety documents every few days, and most of them needed to be issued, implemented, and reported back on. I also had to organize materials from the subordinate schools. On top of that, I was also responsible for my own subject courses. Every day, I was still busy in the office after my colleagues had gone home, and I couldn’t even rest on the weekends. I originally wanted to ask for another teacher to work with me, but when I remembered that the principal had said that one had to be versatile to be recognized as an outstanding teacher at the district level or above, I dismissed the thought. After a few months, I felt that working like this was too tiring, but I was unwilling to give up halfway and have others say I was incompetent, so I forced myself to carry on. After each busy period, I always felt an emptiness in my heart. I thought that I needed to relax because of too much work pressure, so I went out on weekends to have fun and eat delicious food, and even traveled to the western part of China. But after eating and having fun, my heart still felt very empty. I talked to a few friends about this, but they all said I was making a fuss over nothing, that I had such a good job and living conditions, so it doesn’t make sense for me to feel empty. It wasn’t until 2007, when my mom preached Almighty God’s gospel of the last days to me, that through reading God’s words and living the church life, the feeling of emptiness in my heart gradually disappeared.

One day during a gathering, I read a passage of God’s words and found the root of my emptiness. Almighty God says: “Without a place for God in his heart, the inner world of man is dark, hopeless and empty. … No person can fill the emptiness in the heart of man, for no person can be the life of man, and no social theory can free man from the troubles of emptiness. 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 his senseless sacrifices and explorations can only increasingly bring distress upon him, 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” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 2: God Holds Sovereignty Over the Fate of All Mankind). I realized that I felt empty because I did not know God or worship Him, and there was no place for God in my heart. From a young age, I received an atheist education, not knowing that humankind was created by God, much less understanding that people should believe in and worship God. I believed that having a good job and receiving the high regard and praise of others was happiness, and for this, I worked desperately. Later, I gained the appreciation of the school leadership and the high regard of my colleagues, but these things only brought me temporary enjoyment; my heart was still empty. I thought that eating, drinking, and having fun could eliminate the emptiness in my heart, but after the enjoyment passed, I still felt empty. After all, people were created by God, and we need God’s provision for our lives. Only by returning before God can we find peace and joy. After that, I often attended gatherings and read God’s words, and also used my spare time to preach the gospel. My heart felt very peaceful. But one day, when arrest came upon me, my peaceful life was shattered.

In December 2012, the matter of my belief in God was discovered by the school leaders. It even caused alarm at the education bureau and the national security bureau. The principal talked to me for three consecutive days, using atheism and materialism to persuade me to give up my faith. I debated with the principal, testifying about God’s work to him. When he couldn’t win the debate, he gave up on trying to transform my thinking, but he forbade me from preaching the gospel at school. After that, the school no longer arranged for me to attend lessons outside, nor did it let me participate in teaching and research activities. My colleagues also distanced themselves from me. I felt very pained and despondent at not being valued by the school leadership anymore, and being treated as an eccentric by my colleagues. Later, I thought of how Noah followed God’s will and built the ark. At that time, many people called Noah a fool, but Noah didn’t care how the people around him judged and slandered him. With a simple heart, he listened to God’s words, building the ark while preaching the gospel. In the end, when the flood came, Noah’s family of eight survived. Then I thought of how the Lord Jesus, to redeem mankind, was persecuted by the government, rejected and slandered by the people of the world, and was even nailed to the cross. God has suffered so much to save mankind. What did the little suffering I endured amount to? I am walking the right path in life by believing in God; it is a just cause, and nothing to be ashamed of. I couldn’t let the cold looks of others affect my normal relationship with God: I still had to attend gatherings and preach the gospel. After that, I went to work as usual, and after school, I went to attend gatherings.

I never expected that a week before school started in August 2013, I would receive a call from the principal, telling me to teach math for two classes and also be the homeroom teacher for one class. I thought to myself, “How will I have time for gatherings and my duty then?” I asked, perplexed, “Why are these arrangements being made this year?” The principal said, “This way, you won’t have time to believe in God and attend gatherings!” He also threatened me, “If you’re not willing to take on the work at the central school, then I’ll arrange for you to go to a subordinate school!” I thought to myself, “The teachers at the central school participate in activities more often than those at the subordinate schools, so they have more opportunities to shine. If I go to a subordinate school, I won’t have this treatment anymore, and I’ll feel inferior to the teachers from the central school when I see them. Plus, what will the teachers at the subordinate schools think of me? Will they think I was demoted because my ability was too poor? But if I stay at the central school, how will I have time to believe in God and do my duty?” I then silently prayed to God, “O God, what should I choose?” Just then, I remembered a passage of God’s words: “In all of the struggles between positive and negative, black and white—between family and God, children and God, harmony and rupture, wealth and poverty, status and ordinariness, being supported and being rejected, and so on—surely you’re not ignorant of the choices that you have made! Between a harmonious family and a broken one, you chose the former, and you did so without any hesitation; between riches and duty, you again chose the former, even lacking the will to return to shore; between luxury and poverty, you chose the former; when choosing between either your children, wives, and husbands or Me, you chose the former; and between notions and the truth, you still chose the former. Faced with all manner of your evil deeds, I have simply lost faith in you, I have simply been astounded. Your hearts are unexpectedly so incapable of being softened. The heart’s blood that I have expended for many years has surprisingly brought Me nothing more than your abandonment and resignation, but My hopes for you grow with each passing day, for My day has been completely laid bare before everyone. Yet now you are still pursuing dark and evil things, and refuse to loosen your grip on them. What, then, will be your outcome?” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. To Whom Exactly Are You Loyal?). In the last days, God primarily expresses words to cleanse and save people. God hopes we can spend more time reading His words to understand the truth, do our duties well, and cast off our corrupt dispositions to attain salvation. But when faced with a choice, what I cared about was still my own fame and gain, not my life or how to do my duty well. I had disappointed God too much! If I continued to stay at the central school, I would surely still fight for various honors. With such a heavy workload, even attending gatherings and reading God’s words would be affected, let alone doing my duty. How could I still believe in God then? If I went to a subordinate school, the workload would be lighter, and I could attend gatherings and do my duty normally. Even if I had fewer personal honors and was looked down on by my colleagues, it would only be a loss of face; however, my life would not suffer loss, and that was what mattered most. Understanding this, I told the principal, “I choose to go to a subordinate school.” The principal was so angry that he hung up the phone immediately.

At the subordinate school, I taught during the day and went to gatherings and did my duty in the evening. A year later, because the final exam scores of the class I taught were higher than those at the central school, the principal transferred me back to the central school. But the good times did not last long. The captain of the National Security Brigade came to my door again to ask about my faith. To prevent the police from following me and implicating brothers and sisters, I had no choice but to stop attending gatherings for a while. Without the church life, without my duty, over time my heart drifted further and further from God, and I was involuntarily thrown back into intense competition. The students I taught almost always won all the first and second prizes in competitions every year, and our class’s final exam scores always ranked among the top. The principal also recognized my work in meetings. The class I taught not only had a good learning atmosphere but also had a good class spirit, and the parents were also very supportive of my work. In the two years after returning to the central school, although I received more flowers and applause than before, my heart often felt heavy and constricted. I knew it was because work took up too much of my time and energy, so I had too little time to read God’s words and my heart was far from God. At that time, I saw many brothers and sisters who had quit their jobs and let go of their families to focus wholeheartedly on doing their duties. I was very envious, and also wanted to quit my job and do my duty with all my heart and mind. But just as I was about to write my resignation letter, I received many greetings from my students’ parents, who hoped I would continue to teach their children. Seeing these, my heart wavered again. “If I leave, won’t my students and their parents be disappointed? What will the school leadership and my colleagues think of me? My dad has always tried to stop my mom and me from believing in God, and even divorced my mom. If he knew I was quitting my job to do my duty full-time, he would surely try to stop me, and I might have to leave home too. I worked hard for nineteen years to get a job that others envied, and to have the achievements I have today. My relatives, friends, and colleagues all envy me. Once I resign, my job will be gone, my fame and gain will be gone, and I’ll have to give up my comfortable living conditions. What will everyone say about me then?” My heart felt like it was tugged back and forth. It was extremely painful. I silently prayed to God, “O God, I know that doing my duty full-time is a good thing, but I can’t let go of this job. If I don’t have people’s high regard and praise, can my life be happy? O God, please help me see this issue clearly.” Not long after, the principal promoted me to be the head of finance. This position involved many meetings and tedious work. During the day, I had to run to many departments, and in the evening or on weekends, I often received calls needing me to deliver materials, so there were often time conflicts between my work and my duty. During gatherings, I could never quiet my heart, always afraid that the school leadership would call me for something. Sometimes I would be at home reading God’s words, and a call from the school leadership would mean I had to go out and handle something immediately. I felt that my heart was very far from God, and my life was very tiring, but I was reluctant to let go of my job. I often prayed, asking God to help me.

One day in June 2018, I took an elevator up with more than twenty colleagues. After starting to move, the elevator suddenly dropped. It scared us all. The elevator got stuck, and we were all trapped inside. Because there was no air circulation in the elevator, after a short while, we started having trouble breathing. I couldn’t help but become anxious. “What if the maintenance staff don’t come? Will I die of suffocation here?” At that moment, the halo and the money that my teaching job had brought me were no longer important. All I could think about was how to survive. I couldn’t help but recall how, over these years of believing in God, whenever I was in difficulty, helpless, and lost, it was always God who opened a way out for me, and guided me with His words, giving me a path to follow. Believing in God, I can experience God’s work, know God’s authority, and feel the wondrous deeds of the Creator. This is my blessing. I should have let go of my job and done my duty full-time, but I didn’t do so for the sake of enjoying fame and gain. Now, facing death, I finally saw that fame, gain, and status are all passing clouds, and are utterly meaningless. At that moment, I wanted to ask God for help, but I was too ashamed to speak. “Will God still have mercy on me? Will I still have a chance to pursue a meaningful life?” I could only say some heartfelt words to God, “O God, after believing in You, I didn’t pursue the truth properly. Only through this incident happening today do I suddenly understand: Without the truth, how fearful and helpless I am when death comes upon me! O God, even if I die here today, I will still submit to Your arrangements. If I can get out alive, I will definitely rethink my future life.” Just at that moment, I saw my colleagues all crouching down due to a lack of oxygen, but I suddenly felt a stream of fresh air flowing past my nose. I was surprised and delighted, knowing it was God showing mercy to me. The moment the elevator doors opened, my colleagues were all cheering, but my heart was filled with gratitude to God. I knew God had used the elevator malfunction to make me reflect on the meaning and value of life.

Later, I saw two passages of God’s words, and gained an even clearer understanding of the essence of fame and gain. Almighty God says: “Everything that any great or famous person—or, in fact, any person—chases throughout their life relates only to these two words: ‘fame’ and ‘gain.’ People think that once they have fame and gain, they have the capital to enjoy high status and great wealth, and to enjoy life. They think that once they have fame and gain, they have the capital to seek pleasure and to engage in wanton enjoyment of the flesh. For the sake of this fame and gain which they desire, people happily and unknowingly hand over their bodies, hearts, and even all that they have, including their prospects and fates, to Satan. They do so without reservation, without even a moment’s doubt, and without ever knowing to reclaim everything that they once had. Can people retain any control over themselves once they have given themselves over to Satan and become loyal to it in this way? Certainly not. They are completely and utterly controlled by Satan. They have completely and utterly sunk into this quagmire, and are unable to free themselves. Once someone is mired in fame and gain, they no longer seek that which is bright, that which is just, or those things that are beautiful and good. This is because the enticement of fame and gain is too great for people, and these are things that people can pursue without end throughout their lives and even for all eternity. Is this not the actual situation?” (The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI). “Now let’s review: What does Satan use to keep man firmly within its control? (Fame and gain.) Satan uses fame and gain to control people’s thoughts, making them think of nothing but these two things, and getting them to struggle for fame and gain, suffer hardships for fame and gain, endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens for fame and gain, sacrifice everything they have for fame and gain, and make every judgment or decision for the sake of fame and gain. In this way, Satan places invisible shackles upon people, and, with these shackles upon them, they have neither the ability nor the courage to break free. Unknowingly, they bear these shackles as they trudge ahead step by step, with great difficulty. … Maybe today you still cannot see through to Satan’s insidious motives because you think that without fame and gain, life would have no meaning, and people would no longer be able to see the way ahead, no longer be able to see their goals, and their futures would become dark, dim and gloomy” (The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God Himself, the Unique VI). From the exposure of God’s words, I saw that fame and gain cannot bring happiness; on the contrary, they are tools that Satan uses to corrupt, bind, and control people. Satan instills erroneous thoughts into us, making us mistakenly believe that with fame and gain, we have everything—that not only can we enjoy a high-quality life, but we can also be held in high esteem by others. It makes us feel that such a life is valuable, and that living this way brings happiness. As a result, the whole of society strives for fame and gain. But we do not know Satan’s sinister intentions hidden behind fame and gain. In the pursuit of fame and gain, we need to spend a lot of time and energy, engaging in overt and covert struggles, using many tactics, and not only sacrificing our health but also abandoning our conscience, dignity, and integrity. After obtaining fame and gain, we do enjoy a moment of gratification, but it is only fleeting. What remains is mostly emptiness, pain, and endless bitterness. When God comes to save us and requires us to pursue the truth and walk the right path of life, we refuse the truth because of our attachment to fame, gain, and vanity, missing our opportunity for God’s salvation, and ultimately perishing with Satan. This is Satan’s sinister intention of getting us to pursue fame and gain. From a young age, my parents told me about the different circumstances of my two aunts, instilling in me such thoughts as “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies” and “People need their pride just as a tree needs its bark.” I came to believe that only by getting into university and having a stable job that made people look up to me would I have a happy life. For this, I studied hard. The first time I failed the college entrance exam, it felt like my world had collapsed. To succeed in the exam, I chose to repeat the year despite the immense pressure, with my nerves constantly on edge every day. My body was exhausted beyond its limits, and I was in great pain. After graduating from college and starting work, I meticulously prepared every public lesson and did every task assigned by the school leadership well, often working overtime to stand out among over a hundred teachers, and to be praised and paid attention to by the school leadership and my colleagues. After receiving the praise of the school leadership and my colleagues, although I gained prestige, I was physically and mentally exhausted, and my soul felt empty. After accepting God’s work of the last days, I knew that the time for God’s work of salvation in the last days is short, and that I should pursue the truth and do my duty full-time. This is what is most beneficial to my life. But the satanic poisons of “A man leaves his name behind wherever he stays, just as a goose utters its cry wherever it flies” and “People need their pride just as a tree needs its bark” were deeply rooted in my heart, making me unwilling to give up my job, fame, and gain to pursue the truth with all my heart, and tormenting me until I was utterly worn out. In fact, no matter how much fame and gain you have, they are just passing clouds. Without gaining the truth, people will die when disasters come. It’s just like the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004—how many people lost their lives in vacation paradises? Among them were many people of reputation and status. When the disaster struck, money, fame, and gain could not save them. Too many facts prove that no matter how much fame and gain a person has, it is all empty, and life can be gone in an instant. If I remained intransigent and did not wake up, if I did not seize the time to pursue the truth, and by the time God’s work ended I had not equipped myself with enough truth and my disposition had not changed, I would fall into disaster, and by then it would be too late for regret. This elevator incident shook me awake. When disaster strikes, no one but God can save me. This incident was not God trying to take my life, but rather prompting me to reflect on life and to see the harm that fame and gain had done to me clearly, so that I could awaken in time and walk the right path in life.

Later, the captain of the National Security Brigade called again to check on my whereabouts, and also said I had a police record, so I had to report to him whenever I travel far. If they found out I was still believing in God, they would arrest me. I was particularly indignant, and also saw that as long as I was still working within the CCP system, I would be tightly bound by them, unable to do my duty at all. This further strengthened my resolve to forsake my job. During the summer vacation, I did my duty with my brothers and sisters. Without work entangling me, my heart was much quieter, and I also read God’s words and attended gatherings normally. One day, the supervisor asked me if I was willing to do my duty full-time, and also read a passage of God’s words to me: “As you follow God, distance yourselves from places of sin, and distance yourselves from groups of wicked people, at the very least your thoughts and hearts will not continue to suffer the corruption and trampling of Satan. You have come to a piece of pure land, come before God. Is this not a tremendous blessing? People are reincarnated generation after generation, up to the present, and how many such chances do they have? Is it not only the people who are born in the last days who have this opportunity? What a great thing this is! This is not a matter of loss, it is the greatest of blessings. You should be so happy! As created beings, among all creation, among the few billion people on the earth, how many people are there that have the opportunity to testify to the deeds of the Creator in their identities as created beings, to do their duty and responsibility among the work of God? Who has such an opportunity? Are there many such people? There are too few! What is the ratio? One in ten thousand? No, there are even fewer! Especially you who can use your skills and the knowledge you have studied to do your duty, are you not extremely blessed? You do not testify of a man, and what you do is not a career—the One you serve is the Creator. This is the most beautiful and valuable thing! Should you not feel proud? (We should.) As you do your duty, you obtain God’s watering and provision. With such a good environment and opportunity, if you do not obtain anything substantial, if you do not obtain the truth, then will you not feel regret for the rest of your life? So, you must seize the opportunity to do your duty, and do not let it pass you by; pursue the truth in earnest as you do your duty, and obtain it. This is the most valuable thing you can do, the most meaningful life! There is no person or group of people among all created beings who are more blessed than you all. What do the nonbelievers live for? They live to be reincarnated, and for the excitement of the world. What do you all live for? You live to do the duty of a created being. The value of such a life is so great!” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. By Giving One’s Heart to God, One Can Gain the Truth). As I pondered God’s words, I understood that if we want to live a life of value and meaning, we have to pursue the truth, do our duty, and read more of God’s words to understand more of the truth. Only in this way can we have discernment of Satan’s heresies, fallacies, and various schemes, and break free from Satan’s bondage and control to live in the light. It’s the same with me. Not only did I have a strong desire for fame and status, but I also had many corrupt dispositions such as selfishness, intransigence, and arrogance. If I did not conscientiously read God’s words and experience the judgment and chastisement of His words, these corrupt dispositions could not be resolved, and I would still live in pain and darkness. Letting go of my job would give me more time to do my duty, pursue the truth to resolve my corruption, and live before God. Such a life would be the happiest of all. Just as God says: “As you follow God, distance yourselves from places of sin, and distance yourselves from groups of wicked people, at the very least your thoughts and hearts will not continue to suffer the corruption and trampling of Satan. You have come to a piece of pure land, come before God. Is this not a tremendous blessing?” I then thought of Peter. He forsook everything to follow the Lord Jesus, and pursued the truth and submission to God his whole life. After experiencing hundreds of trials, he was ultimately made perfect. Such a life is the most meaningful and valuable. Understanding this, I gained faith and began to prepare to leave home to do my duty.

Just as I was preparing to write my resignation letter, I received a certificate of appointment to a senior professional role from the city education bureau. With this certificate, I could enjoy the remuneration and benefits of a senior teacher. Not only would I be respected at work, but my annual salary would also increase by more than ten thousand yuan. Shortly after, the school’s director of teaching asked me to fill out a form for an outstanding teacher award at the district level. I could hardly believe it. Out of more than a hundred teachers at the school, there were only two spots per year. This was an honor that all teachers dreamed of! If I didn’t resign, I could go to the district government auditorium to receive recognition on Teachers’ Day in a few days. My name would be published in the city education newspaper, and I would also receive a bonus from the school. With these two honors in hand, the next semester would surely bring me prestige, and who knows how many more of my colleagues would envy me. But I soon realized this was Satan’s temptation. I remembered God’s words: “If you stand up and do battle with Satan, using your faith in God, and submission to and fear of God as the weapons with which to fight a life-and-death battle with Satan, such that you fully defeat Satan and cause it to turn tail and become cowardly whenever it sees you, only then will it completely abandon its attacks and accusations against you, and at that point, you will be saved and become free” (The Word, Vol. 2. On Knowing God. God’s Work, God’s Disposition, and God Himself II). Satan knew I cared about fame and gain, so it used these two honors to tempt me, vainly hoping to make me stay in the workplace to vie for fame and gain, to be ravaged and controlled by it. Satan had always used fame and gain to bind my heart and hinder me from pursuing the truth. I could not fall for its tricks again. Most importantly, I was unwilling to miss this once-in-a-millennium opportunity for God to save people. I had to fulfill the duty of a created being, entrust my future life to God, and pursue living out a meaningful life. Just as God’s words say: “If you have high status, a great reputation, a wealth of knowledge, a multitude of assets, and the support of many people, yet you remain untroubled by these things and still come before God to accept His call 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” (The Word, Vol. 1. The Appearance and Work of God. Appendix 2: God Holds Sovereignty Over the Fate of All Mankind). In the world, there is nothing more meaningful or valuable than doing the duty of a created being well. Reflecting on the past, I had worked hard and earned the appreciation of the school leadership and parents, but I had not done my own duty well or gained God’s approval, and my heart was still empty. Now the great disasters have already begun, and time waits for no one. Many people have not yet heard God’s gospel of the last days and do not have the correct direction in life. I had to hurry and preach the gospel to let more people accept God’s salvation. This is God’s urgent intention. Understanding this, I submitted my resignation letter to the principal. The principal was very surprised and said, “Many people are fighting tooth and nail for this title, yet you want to give it up. You should think carefully! If you give up such a good job, how will you live in the future? If it’s because of the workload, then we’ll reduce your workload this year. I’ll renovate my office and make it into a finance office for you. I hope you’ll stay and continue to work.” Hearing the principal’s words, I no longer hesitated and resolutely chose to leave. After returning home, I left a letter for my dad, and then took my luggage and left home to do my duty.

I thought back on how, over the years, I had pursued fame and gain, and was only content with believing in God in my spare time, not doing much duty, and only knowing how to enjoy God’s grace. I had no discernment of my corrupt dispositions, my erroneous viewpoints, and various satanic poisons, and my life disposition had not changed at all. Now, I am doing my duty in the church, and often reading God’s words has allowed me to understand many truths. Usually, when I reveal any corrupt disposition, the brothers and sisters point it out when they see it, and they fellowship with me and help me using God’s words. I have gained some knowledge of myself, and my life has also made some progress. From the bottom of my heart, I feel that following God is the best choice I have made in this life. Thank God!