What Should Man Pursue When Alive?
One day, a friend of mine came to me and told me a story of her best friend. Her friend had a happy family, ran a factory of her own, did well in her business, and lived a rich life. With all of these, she could be considered to be successful in life. But it did not last long. One day, she felt sick, but because of her busy work, she didn’t go to hospital for an examination. She had thought that it was due to her hard work and she would be okay after having a rest. So, she ignored it. A period of time later, she felt worse. Then, she had to take time to go to hospital. The result was a shock to her. The doctor said, “You’ve got an advanced breast cancer. It wouldn’t be that serious if you received treatment earlier. But now, you’re too seriously ill to be cured.”
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Picture of The Church of Almighty God
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At this unexpected bad news, she fell into misery and extreme remorse, hating herself for not going to hospital when she just felt unwell. But at that point, all that was too late and useless. She lay on the hospital bed and thought a lot. She thought of her efforts over these years, her successful business, and her happy family. But in the near future, none of them would have anything to do with her. Especially when she thought her young husband would marry someone else, her child would call another woman Mom, and her car and house and everything else would belong to others, she shed sad tears uncontrolledly. Although her husband and child were reluctant to let her go, she still couldn’t escape the approach of death.… After hearing the story, I slipped into a deep meditation. This woman got everything she wanted, but when she faced death, she was at a loss. I couldn’t help but give a sigh. Fame, money, position in the world are all empty, valueless, and meaningless. Aren’t all people today chasing after these things such as money, power, houses, and cars? But what have they brought to people? We have to reflect on our pursuit in life: What should we pursue so as to live out a meaningful life instead of an empty life?
Later, I read
Almighty God’s word,
“The things that people treasure are family, money, and fame; they view these as the most valuable things in life. All people complain about their fates, yet still they push to the back of their minds the questions that it is most imperative to examine and understand: why man is alive, how man should live, what the value and meaning of life is. All of their lives, however many years that may be, they just rush about seeking fame and fortune, until their youth has fled, until they become gray and wrinkled; until they see that fame and fortune cannot stop one’s slide toward senility, that money cannot fill the emptiness of the heart; until they understand that no one is exempt from the law of birth, aging, sickness, and death, that no one can escape what fate has in store. Only when they are forced to confront life’s final juncture do they truly grasp that even if one owns millions in property, even if one is privileged and of high rank, no one can escape death, every person will return to his or her original position: a solitary soul, with nothing to its name. … Only when people are about to let go of this world do they realize that the things they spent their lives pursuing are nothing but fleeting clouds, none of which they can hold onto, none of which they can take with them, none of which can exempt them from death, none of which can provide company or consolation to a lonely soul on its way back; and least of all, none of which can give a person salvation, allow them to transcend death. … People spend their lives chasing after money and fame; they clutch at these straws, thinking they are their only means of support, as if by having them they could keep on living, could exempt themselves from death. But only when they are close to dying do they realize how distant these things are from them, how weak they are in the face of death, how easily they shatter, how lonely and helpless they are, with nowhere to turn. They realize that life cannot be bought with money or fame, that no matter how wealthy a person is, no matter how lofty his or her position is, all people are equally poor and inconsequential in the face of death. They realize that money cannot buy life, that fame cannot erase death, that neither money nor fame can lengthen a person’s life by a single minute, a single second. The more people feel this way, the more they yearn to keep on living; the more people feel this way, the more they dread the approach of death. Only at this point do they truly realize that their lives do not belong to them, are not theirs to control, and that one has no say over whether one lives or dies, that all of this lies outside of one’s control.” (from Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh) God’s words have already told us that by chasing after money and fame, we will end up empty. In face of death, none of these things can lengthen our life by a single minute. This is because none of us can control our life and death and all of us will return to what we originally are: a solitary soul, with nothing to its name. What should we pursue so as to live out a meaningful life? The Creator has already showed us the direction to go forward. Almighty God says,
“If one views life as an opportunity to experience the Creator’s sovereignty and come to know His authority, if one sees one’s life as a rare chance to perform one’s duty as a created human being and to fulfill one’s mission, then one will necessarily have the correct outlook on life, will live a life blessed and guided by the Creator, will walk in the light of the Creator, know the Creator’s sovereignty, come under His dominion, become a witness to His miraculous deeds and to His authority. Needless to say, such a person will necessarily be loved and accepted by the Creator, and only such a person can hold a calm attitude toward death, can joyfully welcome life’s final juncture.” (from Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh) From God’s word, I know that everything man possesses comes from God and will return to God ultimately. Man’s life and death is predestined by God, which no one can change. Everyone has his own mission when he comes to this world. When we truly know that God dictates and arranges human’s fate, we will submit to God’s orchestrations and arrangements, take pursuing the truth and pursuing to know God as our missions, and view our whole life as an opportunity to experience the Creator’s sovereignty and know His authority. In this way, we will be able to calmly face the temptations of fame, position, and money and calmly face all kinds of problems in our life, including the approach of death. At the same time, we should understand why God created man. God’s purpose in creating mankind is for them to manifest Him, glorify Him, and bear witness to Him. When we pursue to know God and finally become witnesses of God, we will live in the Creator’s blessing. So, while alive, we should pursue the truth and pursue to know God, and devote our whole life to God and let Him preside over and arrange for us. Only thus can we live out a worthy and meaningful life!
