Being Meticulous and Scrupulous in Doing Things

Carelessness is a defect of humanity. Then, being meticulous and scrupulous in doing things, and also being able to grasp the core, key points, being able to identify where problems lie and see through to the essence of problems—is this a merit of humanity? (Yes.) The attitude of meticulous people in doing things is fairly proper; they are quite meticulous and earnest in doing things, they are able to quiet themselves and not be rash—this is a merit of humanity. Although a person possessing this merit of humanity can undertake full-time work, if they are too slow in doing things and the efficiency of their work is not high, then the results will not be very good. What does this involve? It involves caliber, one of the innate conditions. Do you think that anyone who is meticulous can necessarily do good work? This view is incorrect. Some people are too meticulous in doing things, to the point of being a bit neurotic. For example, when washing vegetables, they wash the front side of the leaves and then the back side, remove every yellow leaf, and cut out every insect hole, ensuring that the vegetables are washed completely clean. Being very meticulous in doing things is a merit of humanity, but if one is excessively meticulous to the point of being unprincipled, and doing overly trivial things, then it becomes unnecessary and inefficient. This indicates poor caliber, being unable to accomplish things, and being incapable of shouldering work. Some people who are meticulous in doing things grasp the principles, grasp the core, key points, act quickly and nimbly, with swift judgment, and are able to solve problems rapidly—this is having good caliber. Being meticulous in doing things does not equate to being efficient in doing things, nor does it equate to achieving good results in doing things. It only means being able to remain focused patiently, being quiet, not being rash, and not being ostentatious, and not being reckless. At most, this is only a merit of humanity, and falls short of good caliber. Some people are quite meticulous in doing things, appearing quite conscientious, neither rushed nor flustered, and quite quiet. However, they are inefficient in handling matters, unable to prioritize things based on importance and urgency. They latch onto some insignificant task and work on it endlessly, making others feel anxious and exasperated, wanting desperately to give them a good kick. They work too slowly, with no efficiency at all—they are simply good-for-nothings! A person with normal survival ability works ten or twenty times faster than them. They do things too slowly, and no matter how much they do, they cannot find a method, cannot find principles, don’t have the knack, and lack efficiency. A task that should take one hour can take them a whole day, a task that should take one day can take them five days, and a task that should take five days can take them ten days, which makes you feel both angry and exasperated watching them. Some women are sluggish in handling matters. Knowing full well that they need to go out to take care of something soon, they still insist on washing their hair. In washing their hair, they can’t find a method. Instead of washing all their hair at once, they wash it strand by strand, and after half an hour they are still not finished. Aren’t they crazy? Because of washing their hair, they end up delaying proper matters. The more pressing the matters are, the less urgency they feel, and they even focus on handling those insignificant matters, delaying the important ones without feeling anxious or worked up. If you urge them, they even have a pile of excuses: “How can I just leave these proper things undone?” When you see such people, what do you think to yourself? You would want to give them a kick so badly. Don’t such people deserve to be kicked? (Yes.) For people like this, even if there is work to be done, there is no need to have them do it. They work too slowly and are too inept! When you see such people, who do things at a snail’s pace, do you feel anxious? (Yes.) They say, “I am meticulous in my work!” I say, “What use is your meticulousness? Others are not much less meticulous than you, but they do more work than you and do it better. Can your meticulousness achieve results? This is the key. If you are meticulous in doing things and also achieve efficiency and good results, then that meticulousness has value. But if you are just meticulous in doing things and in the end achieve neither results nor efficiency, is that useful? It’s useless!” Some people are extremely meticulous in making clothes, but they can never get the sizes right. They cannot judge accurately whether the clothes would suit the intended wearer, they cannot tell if the sleeves are too long or too short, or if the clothes are too tight or too loose, they don’t know the standard cuff width, and they don’t know if the collar is suitable. The clothes made by such people will certainly not be up to standard. If one is both meticulous and principled, this truly is a merit of humanity. But if one is merely meticulous and has no principles, is unable to grasp the key points, and always makes a fuss over trivial matters and pointlessly ruminates on them, this is annoying. The word “meticulous” is generally considered a positive term by most people, but not all instances of meticulousness are merits. It depends on the situation. Some people are meticulous in a blind way without any principles. This is not meticulousness but being neurotic and unable to grasp the key points; it indicates poor caliber, and it’s being unable to find a knack for doing things and unable to grasp the principles. Therefore, in My view, although meticulousness as a manifestation or way of doing things is a merit of humanity, you also need to look at the caliber of the person. If caliber is not taken into account, then having a meticulous attitude in doing things is nevertheless good. If one has both caliber and efficiency in doing things, and can abide by principles, and is meticulous on top of that, this meticulousness is truly the icing on the cake and genuinely a merit of humanity.

Loving to Show Off

Let’s talk about another manifestation: loving to show off. What kind of issue does this fall under? (Corrupt dispositions.) For example, some people type very quickly. In order to let others know they have this strength, they intentionally hit the keyboard very loudly, as if to say, “Just listen to the rhythm of my typing, and you’ll know how fast I type!” Some people are university graduates, so they habitually say things like, “Back when we were in university,” “our university professors,” “our university campus,” and so on. What kind of manifestation is this? (Showing off.) This is called showing off. Some people buy a new car and are afraid others won’t know it’s a high-end famous brand. After getting out of the car, they don’t leave but instead one moment they are looking to see if there are fingerprints on the windows, and the next moment they are checking whether there are scratches on the paintwork. Why do they keep hanging around the car? It’s just to let others know that the car is theirs. What kind of manifestation is this? (Showing off.) Some people have a high-end phone. To let others see it, even when the phone is out of power, they still pretend to be on a call. What is this called? (Showing off.) Why do they show off? Isn’t vanity at play here? Some people wear a mink coat, and even after entering a very warm room, they don’t take it off. When someone asks them, “Aren’t you hot?” they reply, “No. I’m wearing mink—it’s very warm!” They assume others don’t know anything about it! When taking it off, they make sure to flash the label, parading it to people: “Not only is this coat mink, it’s also from Such-and-such, a high-end designer brand. You don’t even know it!” If others don’t know it, what are you even showing off? Isn’t that showing off for nothing? Some people even parade themselves to Me, saying, “You’re wearing a duck down jacket? You should wear a mink coat—it’s very warm!” I say, “It is warm, but that coat is very heavy!” They wear a mink coat and even parade themselves before Me. Tell Me, aren’t such people who love to show off shallow? In terms of their humanity, they have two problems. One is that they are particularly superficial. When it comes to external possessions and material things like the food they eat, the clothes they wear, and the items they use, they want to make a show of all of them. They cannot suppress the desire to show off and always want to display these things to others, letting others know that the clothes they wear and the things they use are all high-end and exceptional. What does it matter if others know? Even if others see it and don’t think highly of them, they still make a show of it. Isn’t this shallow? (Yes.) They’re shallow and childish—this is the other problem with people who love to show off. Tell Me, what can they gain from showing off like that? Is it just to make their presence felt? Is this necessary? Isn’t it superfluous? (Yes.) Back in the 1980s and 1990s, if the soles of someone’s leather shoes wore down unevenly, they would nail on iron taps, which made a loud sound when walking. Some people had to nail iron taps onto brand-new leather shoes before even wearing them, just to let others know they owned a pair of leather shoes. This gave them confidence and made them feel a sense of enjoyment. They believed, “Having others’ attention is a good thing. It proves that I have charm and that my existence is validated. So, I have to share my fortes, strong points, and the good things I own with everyone.” Is this really sharing? This is called flaunting. Aren’t there quite a lot of people in this world who love to flaunt? (Yes.) People all think this is quite normal, don’t they? No one disdains such people, nor does anyone regard them with a strange look, because the world is full of such people who are obsessed with all sorts of material and monetary pleasures, and the pleasures of status. Therefore, this world glorifies these things. In God’s house, such people make others feel revolted and disdainful. Why? Those who believe in God, from the beginning of laying a foundation to gradually understanding the truth and the value and meaning of being human, begin to care less about material pleasures and some of the world’s superficial things. Their inner drive to pursue external possessions diminishes, the goals and direction of their pursuit change, and the needs of their inner world become different. They develop a different perspective on material needs, feeling that such things are all empty and cannot satisfy the needs of their hearts. Therefore, their tendency to show off and flaunt all sorts of things lessens. What are some things that believers in God might at most show off or flaunt? They might flaunt things like their skills or strengths. For example, some people who love singing always want others to hear their voices. They say, “Listen to how good my voice sounds!” They are afraid that others won’t know they sing well, and they constantly want to show themselves off in this regard. In summary, loving to show off is a defect of humanity. It is a manifestation of immaturity, childishness, and shallowness in humanity. When people only understand some words and doctrines and have not truly gained the truth or entered into the truth reality, they are very likely to display the flaw of loving to show off, and this defect of humanity is not easy to overcome. This is because, before people have gained the truth, the things they can show off and flaunt are their capital and self-assurance for living. You have confidence in your self-conduct and motivation in doing things all because you rely on things like appearance, bearing, strengths, level of education, qualifications, or professional skills to live. Therefore, most people, to varying degrees, display the flaw of loving to show off, and it is not easy to overcome, not easy to rebel against. When people understand the truth and enter into the truth reality, have a certain stature, and care less about things unrelated to the truth, they come to see that there is no need to show off or flaunt, and that these things do not represent that a person has humanity, nor that a person has stature; and of course, even more so, that they do not represent that a person has been saved or is able to submit to the truth and to God. Therefore, for some people who used to love showing off, as they understand the truth and enter into the truth reality, this desire gradually fades, and this defect of humanity is unconsciously overcome and disappears. Take, for example, someone who wears a slightly expensive T-shirt. When it accidentally gets a little dirty, they become very anxious. Someone else says to them, “Why are you so anxious? Won’t it be fine if you just wash it?” They reply, “Do you know this shirt cost 200 yuan?” They insist on mentioning the price to let others know; only then do they feel satisfied. If that person understands the truth, they can approach such matters correctly when they encounter them again. They won’t mention the price, and at this point, their vanity will be restrained to some extent. Won’t this show that their humanity has become comparatively mature and is no longer so shallow or childish? (Yes.) Their love of showing off, this defect of their humanity, will thus be overcome.

Disdaining the Poor and Favoring the Rich

The next manifestation is disdaining the poor and favoring the rich. Some people, when they see someone who is wealthy, immediately curry favor with them, saying things like, “Your skin is great. You look good. You’re so noble, even your spit is worth more than us poor folks!” When speaking to rich people and those with standing and status, they are especially gentle. But when they see a farmer, they always want to make fun of them, and their words, directly or indirectly, belittle them. They have completely different attitudes toward the poor and the rich. They are willing to cater to the needs of the rich, even to the extent of willingly becoming their slaves. But with the poor, it’s a different story—when the poor face difficulties and ask for help, they ignore them. Their treatment of people with low standing and low social status is entirely different from their treatment of those with high social status. This is disdaining the poor and favoring the rich. What kind of problem is this? (A defect of humanity.) Is it a defect of humanity? What kind of problem within humanity is this? (Having a low character.) It is a problem of character within humanity—having a low character. When they see rich people, they become submissive underlings, acting in an overly servile manner. When they see poor people, they want to act like they are the master. What sort of creatures are they? Treating people this way shows that they have no principles! Poor people are just a little short on money and have slightly worse living conditions—how have they offended you? Do poor people necessarily have bad humanity? Do rich people necessarily have good humanity? Do people who disdain the poor and favor the rich measure and view others based on the truth principles? Clearly not. They believe that whoever has money is noble and great, and whoever is poor is lowly and inferior. Their standard for measuring people is money. Are such people good people? How is their humanity? (Their humanity is bad.) When they see a rich person, they put on a fawning grin; when they see a poor person, their face immediately darkens—their face changes so quickly! They are willing to even carry a chamber pot for a rich person, but unwilling to even pour a glass of water for a poor person. What kind of creatures are they? Aren’t they of low character? (Yes.) Is it good for such people to be leaders? (No.) Why not? In what ways are they unfit for the role of leaders? (They have no principles in how they treat people, and their selection and use of people are not based on the truth principles but rather on whether someone has social status and money. If they become leaders, they will promote those with status and money. If these people who get promoted are evil people, then evil people will hold power in the church, and that will be a disaster.) Such people are not fit to be leaders. For one thing, they are of low character, and they have no standard of conscience in what they do. For another, if they were made leaders, they would turn the church into something like society—the church they lead would become a social group. They would promote those who are wealthy and influential, who have standing, status, and connections, and who thrive in society, making them team leaders and supervisors, while trampling underfoot those farmers, poor people, and those who are poorly educated and not good at speaking pleasant-sounding words who have good humanity, have caliber, and who pursue the truth but are of low social status. Wouldn’t this make the church just like society? What difference would there be? In society, isn’t it those who are wealthy and have status who hold power? Isn’t it those with standing, connections, power, and influence who hold status and take the limelight across all levels, fields, and groups in society? If God’s house were like society, would it still be God’s house? It would no longer be God’s house and could not be called a church—it would be a social group. The consequence of people who disdain the poor and favor the rich becoming leaders is exactly this. Such people become lackeys of anyone with status. Tell Me, do people who act as lackeys have any principles? Do they have boundaries in their self-conduct? (No.) Such people have no principles or boundaries in their self-conduct. When faced with a dangerous environment, they could turn Judas. If their country were to fall, they would become traitors. If they became government leaders, they would become national betrayers. This is exactly the kind of creatures they are! Therefore, they are not fit to be leaders. This is because they would not do real work and would harm the brothers and sisters, trampling underfoot all those who genuinely pursue the truth and have humanity while promoting those with evil humanity, who hold status and are prominent and influential in society; this is directly opposed to the principles of God’s house for promoting people. If such people were to reign and hold power in God’s house, could the work of the church proceed smoothly and unobstructed? (No.) The work of the church and God’s chosen people would be ruined at the hands of these people. These people would collude with one another, use each other, and support each other. Brothers and sisters who pursue the truth would be marginalized and excluded—they might even all be assigned to B groups or cleared out, leaving them no way out. Couldn’t this be the case? (Yes.) What are the relationships among these people like? When they come together, they call each other buddies, put their arms around each other, and boast about their glorious histories in society, talking about what they can do for each other and then asking what the other can do for them, mutually using one another. How are these people any different from people in society? When they are together, they do not eat and drink God’s word, do not fellowship about the truth, do not fellowship about their personal experiential understanding, do not talk about knowing themselves, and do not dissect their corrupt dispositions. Instead, they only talk about how successfully things have gone for them in society, the things they have done that put them in the limelight, their glorious histories, which officials they have wined and dined with, which officials they’ve curried favor with—all they talk about are these things. Are these people believers in God? They compete with each other over status, background, abilities, and means, while also colluding with and using one another—this is how their relationships are. If you are an ordinary person or a farmer who cannot do anything for them, they see you as worthless, someone who is completely beneath their notice, and you are pushed aside. What do they talk about when they are together? They discuss which brand of clothing has released a new item, what new car has been launched, who bought a diamond of several carats, whose property was auctioned, whose stocks dropped or rose, whose company went public, who ingratiated themselves with government officials, who colluded with what gang, who gave how many gifts and spent how much money to get something done—it’s all these things. Tell Me, isn’t this disgusting? If they are always talking about these things in the church, wouldn’t church life and the church’s work be disturbed and ruined by them? Tell Me, can such people be chosen as leaders? (No.) They are opportunists. Once you discover such people in the church, you should expose them and cleanse them away—God’s house does not retain such people. Opportunists in God’s house are just there to muddle through and finagle blessings. They do not accept the truth at all and do not accept any positive things. Moreover, these people do their duty without any sincerity; they do not want to expend themselves at all and only want to gain benefits. If there are no benefits, they won’t do anything. While the brothers and sisters are focused on doing their duties and working diligently, they set aside their duties and busy themselves with personal matters, even indulging in eating, drinking, and having fun. They also often go online and spend a lot of time researching things they like or want the most, such as fashion, beauty and hairstyling, and high-end health products. Wherever they go, they swagger around and deceive others; they seek out people of their kind, and when they find someone similar, they immediately hit it off with them. They cannot get along with true brothers and sisters, and in the church they are misfits and non-humans. When you see such people, you must stay away from them. Furthermore, if most people or your leaders have no discernment and still regard them as truly believing brothers or sisters, you must step forward to expose them and cleanse them away. Do you understand now? Why must such people be cleansed away? (Because such people easily cause disturbances in the church, bring in a negative atmosphere, and can influence others in doing their duty and pursuing the truth.) Exactly, they wreck the atmosphere of the church. They do not pursue the truth themselves and also influence others, holding them back. For doing work worth one dollar, they demand ten dollars in wages. Using such people isn’t even as worthwhile as raising a dog. At least a dog can guard the house and be loyal to its owner! It doesn’t pull shady maneuvers behind the scenes, and you don’t have to worry about it causing trouble later on. What would the consequences be if the church permitted people who disdain the poor and favor the rich? Could they help God’s chosen people? Could they be beneficial to others? (No.) Once they are revealed and seen through by others, they should be cleansed away. If they are allowed to remain, they will only disrupt and disturb, only create trouble, and only bring calamity to the church. If you wait until they cause a major disaster, and just clear up the mess after, that would be very troublesome. We don’t want trouble; we’d rather save ourselves the worry. There are plenty of tasks and duties that people should do—don’t invite these troubles.