Besides the several topics we fellowshipped just now, there is another topic you need to understand, which is exactly how the incarnate God approaches status. This is a very important topic for humankind, an unavoidable subject in life experience. This directly involves the actual mentality in man’s spiritual life, which involves all aspects of his life. Therefore, it is also necessary to fellowship with you on the incarnate God’s attitude and principles regarding the issue of how He approaches status. Among humankind, status can be called an issue that people cannot avoid throughout their lives, and it is also something the vast majority of people pursue. Speaking of status, it occupies a certain place and carries a certain weight in everyone’s heart. For everyone, having status is a symbol of noble standing, as well as a symbol of class and power in society. With status, man can enjoy the honor and the superior lifestyle that it brings, as well as the various benefits and powers it affords; therefore, status is of vital importance to everyone. But no matter how highly humankind values status, or how important status is to humankind, does the incarnate God view it the same way? (No.) Definitely not. Status is very important to humankind, but for the incarnate God, this ordinary person—that is, for Me personally—I have no concept of status at all, nor do I have any desire to pursue it. Of course, there is no question of My having any thoughts or awareness of it—I have none of these things. I have been free of such feelings from birth; that is, ever since I was old enough to remember and could figure out how things worked, I have not had this awareness. Whether it is status in the family, status in school, or My position and worth among people, My heart is free of these things; I simply do not have this awareness. How is this lack of awareness exhibited? I never think to vie with others, and I never entertain the idea of vying for status with anyone. When someone tries to vie with Me, I say, “What are you vying for? What’s the point of doing this?” As I gradually grew older, I learned how to view people and things more clearly. In the process of experiencing and encountering all kinds of people and things, I came to know that people all like to vie with one another. What people vie for is status, power, prestige, and interests; people vie for these things. When I was young, I had no concept of vying for these things. After growing up, I merely became able to discern such vying, and merely understood why people vied with Me, but I still had no desire to vie with anyone else Myself. What manifestations of not vying with people do I show? When others try to vie with Me, I think to Myself, “If you can get what you want out of vying with Me, then you have outdone Me; if you cannot, then I have outdone you, but I do not feel that I am greater than you. Even if I outdo you, I will not bully you or torment you; I won’t gain any benefit by it, nor will I feel much nobler than you.” You see, this is just the kind of mentality, the kind of usual state, that I have; this is what My awareness and concept of status are like. It was the same after I came to the church. Because I was quite enthusiastic when I first became an ordinary believer, and was appreciated by the higher-level leaders, some people became jealous of Me. I thought, “What is there to be jealous of? If you are just as enthusiastic and also pay a price, learn more hymns, pray more, participate more in church life, and help the brothers and sisters more, wouldn’t you also be appreciated by the higher-level leaders?” Under those circumstances, I did not feel that being appreciated was any kind of honor, a symbol of having status, or of having obtained an exalted identity of some kind; I did not feel any of this. Later, little by little, My status became increasingly special, and it became higher and higher. When I began to work formally, I still did not feel that My status was that high, or that I was nobler than others or different from others. Subjectively, I did not have this awareness Myself, but the way some people looked at Me and treated Me was different from before. Only then did I realize that this is what it feels like to be among people after one gains status. When I had status and began to work, the way people looked at Me was different, their attitude when speaking to Me was different, and their choice of words, tone, and every other aspect were all different. I haven’t changed as a person. I still have the same appearance, and My personality, My living habits, and My way of speaking have not changed. So why is people’s attitude toward Me different? This is people’s desire for status acting up. People all esteem status; once I had status, people’s attitude toward Me changed. It was status that people liked, not Me—because I had not changed. The only thing that had changed was My position. I went from being an ordinary believer listening to sermons to someone preaching from the pulpit, and people’s attitude toward Me became different. Only when people’s attitude toward Me became different did I realize that I had status. People spoke to Me more politely and referred to Me with respectful titles. When I sat there speaking, someone would pour water for Me; when it was time to eat, someone would serve Me food and fetch chopsticks for Me. Only then did I notice that people treated Me this way just because I had status. As for Me, however, I still did not feel that “having status means having power; having status creates distance between oneself and others, gives one superiority, and allows one to have one’s way, doing whatever one wants.” I did not have this awareness, nor did I feel like this. Therefore, when I was an ordinary believer, I could interact normally with people, and when I had status, My way of interacting with people did not change; I could still get along normally with them.

Having status symbolizes having power, but I have never used power to suppress anyone or used My status to lecture anyone. I have also never felt that because I have status, I can have the final say in everything, and I can take advantage of My status and use the power I wield to do the things I want to do. I’ve never had such thoughts, and I’ve never acted this way. I still adhere to the church’s administrative decrees, the church’s rules, and the church’s work arrangements. I have no awareness of status, nor any awareness of using power to do something or to seek some benefit for Myself. I have never said such things, nor have I ever done such things. Suppose someone comes to Me and says they are having some difficulties in doing their duty, and asks if I could reassign them to another duty. What would a person with power generally say? “All I’ve got to do is say the word, no? I’m the one who has the final say in this!” This is a mantra corrupt humans use often, but I have never said anything like this. I say, “You have difficulties in doing this duty, so I have to ask about the specific situation. The church usually adjusts people’s duty assignments based on principles and based on the individual’s conditions. I have to go to the leaders and workers to find out about this and resolve it.” What are My principles regarding this matter? What are My considerations? They bring this matter to My attention, and I have only heard what they have to say, and do not know what they have done or what manifestations they have behind the scenes; I can’t just take their word for it. Even if they have a good relationship with Me or never offend Me, I can’t arbitrarily arrange their duty on My own to display My power. I have to ask the church leaders how they usually behave, whether it was appropriate to arrange for them to do this duty, whether the leaders had any considerations, and whether it was based on principles. If it is based on principles, their duty cannot be arbitrarily adjusted, right? (Yes.) I would absolutely not say, “All I’ve got to do is say the word. I have the power to do this. I’ll go tell the leaders—watch how they do what I say.” I would not do this, nor have I ever said such things. I did not do this kind of thing when I was in the church in My hometown, and later, when doing the overall work of the church and traveling to churches in various provinces, I didn’t do such things either. That is, I have never used the power I wield to bestow unprincipled favors on individuals; I have never set such a precedent. Regardless of the number of people in our church now, or how many races they belong to and countries they come from, just in terms of My identity, wouldn’t you say My status is quite high? Isn’t My power quite immense? (Yes.) Among corrupt humankind, this status would be a huge deal, and this power would be immense! An average person wouldn’t be able to handle it; they wouldn’t know how to make use of this power, and they wouldn’t even know what to eat or what to do. But look at how I speak and interact with you. I interact with everyone, whether they are leaders and workers or ordinary believers. I have even interacted with those who exert effort and do manual labor, the most inconspicuous people, and new believers. When I see that you have problems, I fellowship and talk with you. Sometimes, when interacting with new believers, I try My best to keep them from knowing My identity. It’s best to let them see Me as just an ordinary person. If they are willing to listen to Me, they can listen a bit; if they are unwilling, I do not force them. I give them freedom. I will absolutely not place Myself above others, nor will I put on airs. I will absolutely not give a self-introduction to let them know who I am, let them know how high My status is or how great My power is, and make them afraid of Me. I do not like doing this, and I have never done so. Sometimes when I meet brothers and sisters I am not familiar with and chat with them, they look Me up and down and think to themselves, “Who do you think you are? Why are you fellowshipping with us?” I see that this person is a stranger, that they regard Me with some hostility, and that they want to scrutinize Me and look down on Me, but I do not mind. If they look down on Me and aren’t willing to listen to My fellowship, then I will just cut My fellowship short; if they are willing to listen to Me, I will chat with them a bit more. Some people enjoy listening to My fellowship and become interested, and they even ask Me to stay for a meal and take the initiative to chat with Me. Afterward, I do not ask which church they are from, what duty they do, or what their situation is; I just treat them normally and correctly.

No matter who I interact with—whether it be people who pursue the truth or those who do not, whether it be people with status in society or those without it, whether it be leaders and workers or ordinary believers—I never position Myself as superior when fellowshipping with you about work or interacting with you in daily life. For example, if you say you are thirsty, I will pour you a glass of water. It’s not as though I have to put on airs and make you wait on Me, nor will I say, “There is a difference in status and worth between us; I will absolutely not do this kind of work waiting on someone.” I do not have such thoughts. If you pour water for Me, I regard it as a brotherly or sisterly act; if you are thirsty and need Me to pour you water, I can also pour you a glass. When I am fellowshipping in gatherings, some people harbor notions and hostility, or have a bad attitude, or are uninterested and ignore Me. In that case, I go by the book; I fellowship if fellowshipping is called for, and resolve problems if resolving problems is called for. I do not position Myself as superior or put on airs. Even if you harbor hostility toward Me, I still do the work I ought to do and speak the words I ought to speak. I am not affected by you at all, and I do not delay the work in the slightest; what you are supposed to gain is also not affected in the slightest. If it is part of My ministry, and it involves the truth, the principles, and the church’s work, no matter who comes to Me about a problem, I absolutely will not say, “Is your rank high enough? Who are you anyway? Are you a regional leader or a district leader? Or are you a team leader or supervisor at a certain level?” I do not ask these things. If you come to Me about a problem or report a problem with a certain leader or a certain aspect of the church’s work, I will fellowship with you as needed. I will not position Myself as superior, and I will not ask about your rank. Perhaps you have not believed in God for long, and you feel that your status in God’s house is not high, so you are too embarrassed to ask. But that’s not how I see things; I do not treat man based on his status. So, whether you are leaders and workers or ordinary brothers and sisters, when I fellowship with you on life entry or guide your work, I will absolutely not talk like a bureaucrat or keep you guessing, nor will I ask all kinds of questions to make things difficult for you. I spare no effort when working on and speaking to you. I tell it like it is, and I say as much as I know. I do not position Myself as superior, I do not laugh at your expense, and I do not make things difficult for you. When I see that you have difficulties in your work and do not know how to do it, I provide you with guidance and counsel. I say and do things to help you learn more and grasp some principles in your professional skills, and also gain a bit more understanding of the truth. Whether in public or in private, this is how I act. Whether interacting face-to-face, or fellowshipping and chatting with you online, I never posture. What does it mean to posture? It means always putting on airs and having an imposing presence, making you feel that I am extraordinary and overbearing, and that I am above you. I never posture like this. In addition, during gatherings, I am not particular about having a lofty image or being intolerant of offense, and I do not play the role of the God in heaven; I do not do such things. Someone once asked Me if a table needed to be specially made for Me to use during gatherings. I said, “There’s no need for that; any table will do.” Then they found a very old table, and I just made do with it. I did not say, “What kind of table is this that you found for Me! Given My identity, why didn’t you find Me a good table? Is this how you handle things!” I did not say anything, nor did I demand to use a high-end or gold-plated table; I have never been fussy about these things. Later, when gathering online, I also sat on an ordinary stool and used an ordinary desk, with a desk lamp on it, and a notebook to jot down the topic and outline of each fellowship. It is just that simple. When gathering in a church, I wear simple professional attire—usually a suit jacket, dress pants, and leather shoes, and in winter I also wear a woolen overcoat—which is just very ordinary attire, only looking a bit more formal than everyday clothes. The high-end equipment used during gatherings is just the microphone, the amplifier, and the computer; these are the only high-end, valuable things. You see, it is just that simple. This is thanks to being overseas, where there is freedom of belief and these conditions exist. By using an amplifier, the brothers and sisters can hear clearly even from the corners of the room, and it makes speaking much less strenuous for Me. Back in mainland China, these conditions didn’t exist. I have a weak constitution and a soft voice. When there were lots of people at a gathering, I had to speak loudly, and even then, the audience still felt My voice was soft. For a gathering lasting a day or two, I would have to keep speaking loudly like this the whole time. Tell Me, isn’t that tiring? (Yes.) When we used to have large gatherings in mainland China, I would get very tired. Now that we have come overseas and are free, by using an amplifier, I do not have to speak so loudly. It saves Me a lot of effort, and people can hear extremely clearly, too. When I preach sermons to you in gatherings and fellowship on the various aspects of the truth that man needs, there is no formality, and I do not try to put on some grand display. I just fellowship with you on the various aspects of the truth that you ought to understand and which you need, so that you may understand them, lay a foundation on the true way, gradually gain clarity and develop an interest in the various aspects of the truth, and then know how to practice them, be able to turn your hearts to God little by little, and submit to God. This is enough. You see, isn’t this how I have acted over the years? (Yes.) The words I fellowship in gatherings are printed into books. According to the imaginings of corrupt humans, since these words are the truth and are God’s expressions, they must have been expressed with some sort of formality or with a grand display of some kind. In fact, it is very ordinary. When I preach in gatherings, there is no one around to wait on Me. When My mouth gets dry from speaking, I pour Myself some water to drink. Sometimes I drink some honey water to soothe My throat, and sometimes I just drink plain water. My life is particularly simple; it is simpler than you could ever imagine. Some people might think, “You’re putting on an act. What could You possibly be lacking? With Your identity and status, it’s impossible for You to live so simply.” My life really is just this simple. I’ll use a single drinking cup for years, only replacing it when it breaks or gets too old, and then I’ll use the replacement for another several years. This is the reality. From birth until now, this is how I have approached status. It’s the same for Me whether I have status or not; I just live in a simple and routine fashion. People who do not know would think, “You have this status and these means; who knows how much You’re indulging Yourself!” I really haven’t indulged in anything. Sometimes the brothers and sisters bring some vegetables, and I eat whatever they bring. It is just that simple. I don’t complicate what I eat. I don’t eat random meat, nor do I eat bizarre and unusual foods. I eat very simply; it’s all just ordinary home-cooked dishes. Moreover, having worked for so many years, I have never felt, “There are so many people in our church; I have a sense of honor and a sense of superiority.” I do not feel any sense of honor, nor do I feel that I have made contributions to the church, or that I wear a halo. I do not have these feelings, nor do I take pleasure in these things. Outsiders might think, “Although You look ordinary and normal on the outside, given the work You do and Your current conditions, with so many people following You, Your status is high enough and Your power is great enough—You should enjoy Your status, have priority in everything You do, and have a sense of superiority.” I say that I have never had any sense of superiority, nor do I enjoy the benefits of status. This is not to say that I rebel against this awareness or these thoughts and feelings, but rather that these thoughts are simply nowhere to be found in Me; I do not feel the existence of such things. Therefore, sometimes when I encounter things in life that I can handle Myself, I just go and handle them, without having others do them for Me. Someone might say, “Brother So-and-so or Sister So-and-so is in a position to help You handle this matter.” I say, “Why didn’t I think of that? Why didn’t My mind go there?” In people’s eyes, I am very foolish and do not know how to indulge Myself. They think, “With so many people following You, and having such favorable conditions, You still handle minor matters personally. Do You not know how to enjoy Your status, are You above worldly matters, or are You putting on an act? Why is it that You don’t understand? Why is it that You don’t know to do this?” It’s because I have never had this awareness in My mind; this is a fact.

When nonbelievers get a little power, they start acting like they are a big deal. When they get a little status, they act as though no one is their equal. Not only do they have private cars to pick them up and drop them off, and special personnel to escort them, but when they go out, they also have people to carry their bags and hold their clothes. They also have people to bathe them, massage them, and prepare nutritious meals for them. I have none of these things, and I have never asked people to treat Me this way. When corrupt humans have a bit of capability or achieve a little something, they start acting like they are a big deal. They feel they wear a halo, act as though no one is their equal, and start acting like royalty. When people gain status, they feel their worth has increased—but why do they become so incompetent? They become unable to do anything themselves anymore. A perfectly healthy, able-bodied person can’t even walk without someone to support them. I say I definitely do not need anyone to support Me. When getting into a car, I avoid having anyone nearby open the door for Me whenever possible. I’ve got two hands and two feet—I can do everything Myself; I do not need your help. You see, when it comes to approaching status, the attitudes of the incarnate God and corrupt humans are completely different. Judging from the various manifestations and revelations of corrupt humans, they attach particular importance to status and are particularly obsessed with it, thus giving rise to an adverse atmosphere and trend among man. It can be said that status determines everything about a person—it determines their worth, how much weight their words carry, and the benefits and power they can enjoy. Those without status are not qualified to consider or enjoy these things, so man pursues status with all his might. Then what does status symbolize in God’s house? How does God view status? If God gives you status, it is equivalent to God giving you a commission and a responsibility. It is a symbol of responsibility, a symbol of you as a created being fulfilling your responsibilities and obligations; it does not mean anything else. If you have this status and do a good job of fulfilling your responsibilities, then you have not failed to live up to God’s expectations of you, nor have you failed to live up to this status and responsibility God has given you. If you do not properly tend to this responsibility, and you fail to fulfill it, then you have failed to live up to this status and responsibility given to you by God. God gives people status merely to enable them to fulfill their responsibilities, complete their missions, and make better use of this status to do what they ought to do and fulfill their due responsibilities. When God gives you status, He is not endowing you with some special power, nor is He granting you the power to enjoy status or enjoy any kind of special treatment. Furthermore, if you can fulfill this responsibility and do right by your mission, then your identity and worth will match this status. But if you fail to fulfill your responsibility, if you fail to live up to this mission, and if you do not complete this mission or commission well, then you are unworthy of possessing this status, and you are of no value. If you fulfill your responsibility, you are of noble worth in God’s eyes; if you fail to fulfill your responsibility, your worth is lowly in God’s eyes. It can be said that whether a person is noble and whether their life is valuable does not depend on how high or low their status is, but on whether they have fulfilled the commission given by God and whether they have fulfilled their responsibilities. God entrusts a commission to you and asks you to fulfill this responsibility, and also gives you the various conditions required to fulfill this responsibility: If you fulfill your responsibility, you will live up to your mission, and God will be satisfied; but, if you do not fulfill your responsibility and instead assert your status and act for the sake of satisfying your own interests, ambitions, and desires, this is the thing that God is most repulsed by and detests. If you use the power you wield to do things entirely for the sake of your own fame, gain, and status, scheme for personal gain, suppress others, and indulge in the benefits of status, then you have failed to live up to this commission God has entrusted to you, and you are unworthy of this commission. If, having accepted God’s commission, you fulfill your responsibilities and do the work well, without indulging in the benefits of status or using your status or the powers of your position to seek personal gain, then you are completing your mission, you are fulfilling your responsibilities, and you will be able to gain God’s approval.