By Xinyi, China

When I was young, I often heard my grandmother say, “Look at that child from so-and-so’s family, what an uncaring ingrate, what an unfilial child. Their parents put so much effort into raising them, but they don’t show any filial piety. The heavens will get their justice!” She taught me to treat my parents well and to be filial to my in-laws when I grew up, and she also said that filial piety was perfectly natural and justified, and that if a person wasn’t filial, they were committing great treason and had no conscience. So, in my young heart, I believed that regardless of how my parents treated me, I had to be filial to them, and that if I were unfilial, I’d be committing great treason and end up being punished by the heavens. Ever since I was young, I listened to my parents very closely, and after I started to work and earn money, I did my best to be filial to my parents. When they were sick, I would be there by their side to care for them whenever I had time, and during holidays, I would buy them all kinds of gifts. Seeing my parents happy and satisfied made me very happy. In 2001, I accepted God’s work in the last days. After a while, I started doing my duty in the church, but I would still find time to go back home and visit my parents. A little over ten years later, due to a Judas’ betrayal, the police came to my home to arrest me. By God’s protection, I managed to escape, but I left in such a hurry that there were a lot of things I didn’t explain to my parents. My elderly mother-in-law still had to take care of my child, and just thinking of my parents and mother-in-law being implicated made me feel as if I had caused trouble. I thought about all the effort my parents had put into raising me, and about how difficult it had been to provide for my food, clothing, and schooling. Now that they were getting older, they needed their children to take care of them and to be by their side, but not only had I not fulfilled my responsibilities as a daughter, I’d also implicated them, causing them to worry and be anxious about me. I wondered if my parents and neighbors would say I was lacking in conscience and humanity, and call me an unfilial daughter. At that time, due to the surveillance of the great red dragon, I didn’t dare call home. I had no idea how my parents were, which made me worried. I couldn’t calm my heart while doing my duty, and I’d find my thoughts wandering from time to time. This affected my work progress. I knew I had to quickly turn this state around, so I prayed to God, entrusting everything to Him, and asking for His guidance.

During my devotionals, I read a passage of God’s words: “Due to the conditioning of Chinese traditional culture, in Chinese people’s traditional notions they believe that one must observe filial piety toward their parents. Whoever does not observe filial piety is an unfilial child. These ideas have been instilled in people since childhood, and they are taught in practically every household, as well as in every school and in society at large. When a person’s head has been filled with such stuff, they think, ‘Filial piety is more important than anything. If I weren’t to observe it, I wouldn’t be a good person—I’d be an unfilial child and I’d be denounced by society. I’d be a person who lacks conscience.’ Is this view correct? People have seen so many truths expressed by God—has God demanded that one show filial piety toward their parents? Is this one of the truths that believers in God must understand? No, it is not. God has only fellowshipped on some principles. By what principle do God’s words ask that people treat others? Love what God loves, and hate what God hates: This is the principle that should be adhered to. God loves those who pursue the truth and are able to follow His will; these are also the people that we should love. Those who are not able to follow God’s will, who hate and rebel against God—these people are detested by God, and we should detest them, too. This is what God asks of man. … Satan uses this kind of traditional culture and notions of morality to bind your thoughts, your mind, and your heart, leaving you unable to accept God’s words; you have been possessed by these things of Satan, and rendered incapable of accepting God’s words. When you want to practice God’s words, these things cause disturbance within you, cause you to oppose the truth and God’s requirements, and make you powerless to rid yourself of the yoke of traditional culture. After struggling for a while, you compromise: You prefer to believe traditional notions of morality are correct and in line with the truth, and so you reject or forsake God’s words. You do not accept God’s words as the truth and you think nothing of being saved, feeling that you still live in this world, and can only survive by relying on these people. Unable to endure society’s recrimination, you would rather choose to give up the truth and God’s words, abandoning yourself to traditional notions of morality and the influence of Satan, preferring to offend God and not practice the truth. Tell Me, is man not pitiful? Do they not have need of God’s salvation? Some people have believed in God for many years, but still have no insight into the matter of filial piety. They really do not understand the truth. They can never break through this barrier of worldly relationships; they do not have the courage, nor the confidence, let alone the determination, so they cannot love and obey God” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. Only by Recognizing One’s Own Misguided Views Can One Truly Transform). As I contemplated God’s words, I suddenly realized that I had always lived in a state of feeling indebted and guilty toward my parents, and that this was because of Satan’s traditional thoughts that had become deeply rooted in my heart. Just as my grandmother often taught me, “You must be filial to your parents, and if you’re not, you’ll be committing great treason,” “You must show filial piety to your parents, otherwise, you will be punished by the heavens.” I had always taken these words as the principles by which I conducted myself. Since childhood, I had tried to listen to my parents and to avoid making them angry. After starting to earn money, I did my best to be filial to my parents, and during holidays, I’d buy them all kinds of gifts, and when they fell ill, I would take them to the hospital for treatment. Seeing my parents happy made me happy too. When I came to be hunted by the great red dragon and was forced to flee home, I was not only unable to care for my parents, but I also implicated them, causing them to worry about me. I felt indebted to my parents and I couldn’t focus on my duty, which resulted in my work being delayed. I knew that as a created being, my duty was a responsibility I absolutely could not shirk, but I still lived by the fallacious viewpoints of “Filial piety is a virtue to be held above all else,” and “Do not travel far while your parents yet live.” Because I couldn’t be filial to my parents, I felt uneasy in my conscience and couldn’t keep my thoughts from wandering as I did my duty. I saw just how deeply I had been harmed by traditional culture.

In my seeking, I read some of God’s words: “Is showing filial piety toward one’s parents the truth? (No, it’s not.) Being filial to one’s parents is a correct and positive thing, but why do we say that it is not the truth? (Because people do not show filial piety to their parents with principles and they are not able to discern what kind of people their parents truly are.) How a person should treat their parents relates to the truth. If your parents believe in God and treat you well, should you be filial to them? (Yes.) How are you filial? You treat them differently from brothers and sisters. You do everything they say, and if they are old, you must stay by their side to care for them, which stops you from going out to perform your duty. Is it right to do this? (No.) What should you do at such times? This depends on the circumstances. If you are still able to look after them whilst performing your duty near your home, and your parents do not object to your faith in God, then you should fulfill your responsibility as a son or daughter and help your parents with some work. If they are ill, look after them; if something is troubling them, comfort them; if your financial circumstances allow, buy them the nutritional supplements that suit your budget. However, what should you choose to do if you are busy with your duty, there is no one to look after your parents, and they, too, believe in God? What truth should you practice? Since being filial to one’s parents is not the truth, but only a human responsibility and obligation, what then should you do if your obligation conflicts with your duty? (Prioritize my duty; put duty first.) An obligation is not necessarily one’s duty. Choosing to perform one’s duty is practicing the truth, whereas fulfilling an obligation is not. If you have this condition, you may fulfill this responsibility or obligation, but if the current environment does not allow it, what should you do? You should say, ‘I must do my duty—that is practicing the truth. Being filial to my parents is living by my conscience and it falls short of the practice of the truth.’ So, you should prioritize your duty and uphold it. If you have no duty now, and don’t work far from home, and live close to your parents, then find ways to take care of them. Do your best to help them live a little better and lessen their suffering. But this also depends on what kind of people your parents are. What should you do if your parents are of poor humanity, if they constantly hinder you from believing in God, and if they keep dragging you away from believing in God and performing your duty? What is the truth that you should practice? (Rejection.) At this time, you must reject them. You have fulfilled your obligation. Your parents don’t believe in God, so you have no obligation to show filial respect to them. If they believe in God, then they are family, your parents. If they do not, then you are walking different paths: They believe in Satan and worship the devil king, and they walk the path of Satan; they are people who are walking different paths to those who believe in God. You are no longer a family. They regard believers in God as their adversaries and enemies, so you have no more obligation to take care of them and must cut them off completely. Which is the truth: being filial to one’s parents or performing one’s duty? Of course, performing one’s duty is the truth. Performing one’s duty in God’s house is not simply about fulfilling one’s obligation and doing what one is supposed to do. It is about performing the duty of a created being. Herein is God’s commission; it is your obligation, your responsibility. This is a true responsibility, which is to fulfill your responsibility and obligation before the Creator. This is the Creator’s requirement of people, and it is the great matter of life. But showing filial respect to one’s parents is merely the responsibility and obligation of a son or daughter. It is certainly not commissioned by God, and less still does it accord with God’s requirement. Therefore, between showing filial respect to one’s parents and performing one’s duty, there is no doubt that performing one’s duty, and that alone, is practicing the truth. Performing one’s duty as a created being is the truth, and it is a bounden duty. Showing filial respect to one’s parents is about being filial to people. It does not mean that one is performing their duty, nor does it mean that they are practicing the truth” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. What Is the Truth Reality?). “How you regard God’s commissions is extremely important, and this is a very serious matter. If you cannot complete what God has entrusted to people, then you are not fit to live in His presence and you should be punished. It is perfectly natural and justified that humans should complete whatever commissions God entrusts to them. This is man’s supreme responsibility, and is just as important as their very lives. If you do not take God’s commissions seriously, then you are betraying Him in the most grievous way. In this, you are more lamentable than Judas, and should be cursed. People must gain a thorough understanding of how to treat what God entrusts to them and, at the very least, they must comprehend that the commissions He entrusts to humanity are exaltations and special favors from God, and that they are most glorious things. Everything else can be abandoned. Even if a person must sacrifice their own life, they must still fulfill God’s commission” (The Word, Vol. 3. The Discourses of Christ of the Last Days. How to Know Man’s Nature). After reading God’s words, I understood the principles by which to treat one’s parents. When being filial to one’s parents conflicts with their duty, one should prioritize their duty, as fulfilling one’s duty is the most important thing in one’s life. Being filial to one’s parents involves fulfilling responsibilities and obligations, but no matter how well one carries these things out, it isn’t practicing the truth. Only fulfilling one’s duty as a created being is practicing the truth. Because duties are the Creator’s commission to created beings, they are the highest responsibility and are perfectly natural and justified to complete. I didn’t understand the truth and regarded being filial to my parents as a principle by which to comport myself. When I was busy with my duty or when I was being pursued and on the run and I couldn’t care for my parents, I felt indebted to my parents and thought of myself as an unfilial daughter, and it wasn’t until I read God’s words that I realized this perspective of mine was wrong. I was fortunate to have heard God’s voice. I had received God’s salvation in the last days, eaten and drunk many of His words, and come to understand some truths, yet I’d never thought to repay God’s love. I was truly lacking in humanity and conscience! Now I knew that fulfilling my duty as a created being is the top priority, and that it is as important as my own life, that I must do my utmost to accomplish it, as not accomplishing it would be great treason. After that, my heart was able to calm down and I was able to focus on my duty.

In mid-May of 2020, I went to my parents’ home in secret. My dad’s attitude was nice when he first saw me, but after a little while, his expression suddenly changed, and he started to scold me. He grilled me on what I had been doing these past few years, and he also told me that two years ago he’d fallen seriously ill and almost lost his life, yet he hadn’t seen any trace of me. He worried that my husband and I would be captured while preaching the gospel and couldn’t sleep at night, and he was in a lot of mental distress. He even called me an uncaring ingrate and an unfilial child. He’d originally hoped I would take care of him in his old age, but after all he had done for me, I almost caused him to die from anger…. Listening to him made me feel like my heart was being jabbed by needles. I felt that my father had worked so hard to raise me, provide for my food and clothing, and support my education, and that I had not only failed to be filial but also made him worry about me. Even when he was seriously ill, I wasn’t there to care for him or be by his side. I was truly unfilial! I felt so indebted to my parents. As I listened, tears streamed down my face, and I really wanted to stay at home a little longer so that I could take care of my parents properly and make up for this debt in my heart. At that time, I couldn’t calm my heart for a long time, so I silently prayed to God, asking Him to protect my heart so that it wouldn’t be disturbed. After praying, my heart calmed down a lot, and I recalled the words of God that I had eaten and drunk. I clearly understood in my heart that being filial toward one’s parents wasn’t practicing the truth, that fulfilling one’s duty as a created being was what it meant to practice the truth, and that to abandon one’s duty to stay with their parents and fulfill their responsibilities as a son or daughter would be to betray God, and that this would be great treason. After that, I calmly reasoned with my dad, and his attitude gradually softened, and I hurried off after I finished what I came to do.

Afterward, every time I thought of my dad’s words, I felt a jolt of pain in my heart. I could accept others not understanding me, but why did my dad have to say those things to me? During that time, although I was spending my days doing my duty, my heart felt heavy, it felt like I was carrying a heavy burden, and I was always laden with a sense of guilt. While I lived in these negative emotions, my heart felt dark and repressed and my efficiency in my duty declined significantly. This probably lasted for a month or two before my state gradually adjusted. Later, after I read the truth God fellowships about how parents aren’t your creditors, I began to see the relationship between parents and children more clearly and I broke free of these repressive emotions. Almighty God says: “People have this breath and life, and the source and origin of these things are not their parents. It is just that people were produced by means of their parents giving birth to them—at the root, it is God who gives people these things. Therefore, your parents are not the masters of your life, the Master of your life is God. God created mankind, He created the lives of mankind, and He gave mankind the breath of life, which is the origin of man’s life. Therefore, isn’t the line ‘Your parents are not the masters of your life’ easy to understand? Your breath was not given to you by your parents, and much less is its continuation given to you by your parents. God looks after and rules over every day of your life. Your parents cannot decide how every day of your life goes, whether each day is happy and goes smoothly, who you meet every day, or what environment you live in each day. It is merely that God looks after you through your parents—your parents are simply the people that God sent to look after you. … To put it plainly, they are just ordinary created beings. It is just that, from your perspective, they have a special identity—they gave birth to you and raised you, they are your bosses, and your parents. But from God’s perspective, they are just ordinary humans, they are just members of corrupt mankind, and there’s nothing special about them. They are not even masters of their own lives, so how could they be masters of yours? Although they gave birth to you, they do not know where your life came from, and they couldn’t decide in what time, in what hour, and in what place your life would arrive, or how your life would be. They do not know any of these things. For them, they are just passively waiting, waiting for God’s sovereignty and for His arrangements. Regardless of whether they are happy about it or not, whether they believe it or not, nevertheless, all of this is orchestrated and occurs within God’s hands. Your parents are not the masters of your life—isn’t this matter easy to understand? (It is.)” (The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth. How to Pursue the Truth (17)). “By raising you, your parents were just fulfilling their responsibility and obligation, and this should be unpaid, and it should not be a transaction. So, you do not need to approach your parents or handle your relationship with them according to the idea of recompensing them. If you do treat your parents, pay them back, and handle your relationship with them according to this idea, that is inhumane. At the same time, it is likely to make you restrained and bound by your fleshly feelings, and it will be hard for you to emerge from these entanglements, to the extent that you might even lose your way. Your parents are not your creditors, so you have no obligation to realize all of their expectations. You have no obligation to foot the bill for their expectations. That is to say, they can have their own expectations. You have your own choices, and the life path and destiny that God has set out for you, which have nothing to do with your parents. So, when one of your parents says: ‘You’re an unfilial child. You haven’t come back to see me for so many years, and it’s been so many days since you last called me. I’m sick and there’s no one to care for me. I really raised you for nothing. You truly are an uncaring ingrate, and a thankless whelp!’ if you don’t understand the truth ‘Your parents are not your creditors,’ hearing these words will be as painful as a knife piercing your heart, and your conscience will feel condemned. Every one of these words will embed itself in your heart, and make you feel ashamed to face your parent, indebted to your parent, and full of guilt toward them. When your parent says that you are an uncaring ingrate, you will really feel: ‘They’re absolutely right. They raised me to this age, and they haven’t been able to bask in any of my light. Now they’re sick, and they hoped that I could stay by their bedside, serving them and accompanying them. They needed me to repay their kindness, and I wasn’t there. I really am an uncaring ingrate!’ You will classify yourself as an uncaring ingrate—is that reasonable? Are you an uncaring ingrate? If you hadn’t left your home to perform your duty elsewhere, and you had stayed by your parent’s side, could you have prevented them from getting sick? (No.) Can you control whether your parents live or die? Can you control whether they are rich or poor? (No.) Whatever illness your parents get, it won’t be because they were so exhausted from raising you, or because they missed you; they especially won’t contract any of those major, serious, and possibly fatal illnesses because of you. That is their fate, and it has nothing to do with you. No matter how filial you are, the most you can achieve is to reduce their fleshly suffering and burdens a little, but as for when they get sick, what illness they contract, when they die, and where they die—do these things have anything to do with you? No, they don’t. If you’re filial, if you’re not an uncaring ingrate, and you spend all day with them, watching over them, will they not get sick? Will they not die? If they’re going to get sick, won’t they get sick anyway? If they’re going to die, won’t they die anyway? Isn’t that right? … Regardless of whether your parents call you an uncaring ingrate, at least you are doing the duty of a created being before the Creator. As long as you are not an uncaring ingrate in God’s eyes, that’s enough. It doesn’t matter what people say. What your parents say about you isn’t necessarily true, and what they say isn’t useful. You need to take God’s words as your basis. If God says that you are an adequate created being, then it doesn’t matter if people call you an uncaring ingrate, they cannot accomplish anything. It is just that people will be impacted by these insults due to the effect of their consciences, or when they do not understand the truth and their stature is small, and they’ll be in a bit of a bad mood, and feel a little depressed, but when they return before God, all of this will be resolved, and won’t pose a problem for them anymore” (The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth. How to Pursue the Truth (17)). “As a child, you should understand that your parents are not your creditors. There are many things that you must do in this life, and these are all things that a created being ought to do, that have been entrusted to you by the Lord of creation, and they have nothing to do with you repaying your parents’ kindness. Showing filial piety to your parents, repaying them, returning their kindness—these things have nothing to do with your mission in life. It can also be said that it is not necessary for you to show filial piety to your parents, to repay them, or to fulfill any of your responsibilities to them. To put it plainly, you can do a bit of this and fulfill a bit of your responsibilities when your circumstances allow; when they do not, you do not need to insist upon doing so. If you cannot fulfill your responsibility to show filial piety to your parents, this is not a terrible thing, it just goes against your conscience, human morality, and human notions a little. But at the very least, it does not go against the truth, and God will not condemn you for it. When you understand the truth, your conscience will not feel rebuked on account of this” (The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth. How to Pursue the Truth (17)). From God’s words, I understood that God is the source of life for all things, and that my life had come from God. I was breathing in the breath given by God and enjoying the nourishment of God’s words, and I had also enjoyed so much of God’s grace. I knew that I had to fulfill my duty as a created being and repay God’s love, and that this is what it meant to have a conscience and humanity. From the outside, my parents appeared to have given birth to me and raised me, and that they worked hard to raise me, providing for my food, clothing, and education, but in reality, all of this was arranged and ordained by God. Parents are merely fulfilling their responsibilities and obligations, this cannot be called kindness, and there’s no need for me to repay or reciprocate this. I’d been living by Satan’s thoughts and views without seeking the truth, treating my parents as if they were my creditors, thinking that since my parents had worked hard to raise me, I should repay my parents’ kindness. When my father was seriously ill, I wasn’t there to take care of him, and this made me think of myself as an uncaring ingrate and as an unfilial child, and my heart would often be filled with guilt. Though I seemed to be doing my duty, my feelings of guilt were impacting the efficiency of my work. By eating and drinking God’s words, I realized that as a created being, I hadn’t come into this world to be filial toward my parents, and that it was more important for me to complete my mission and fulfill my duty as a created being. This is what a person with a conscience and humanity should do. I also understood that there had to be principles relating to how to treat my parents. If conditions allowed for it, I can fulfill my responsibilities and obligations as a daughter and take care of my parents, but if not, I don’t need to feel guilty, nor do I have to feel burdened by this while doing my duty. In reality, the relationship between parents and children is simply a biological bond, and no one owes anything to anyone. If I were to abandon my duty to go home and be a filial daughter to repay my parents’ kindness, or if I feel guilty and despondent for not being able to be filial toward my parents and thus delay my duty, then I’d be truly lacking in conscience and humanity!

I then read some words of God: “You walk the right path, you have chosen to perform the duty of a created being, and to come before the Lord of creation to accept God’s salvation. That is the only correct path in this world. You have made the right choice. Regardless of how much those who do not believe, including your parents, can’t understand you or feel disappointed by you, this should not impact your choice to walk the path of believing in God or your resolve to perform your duty, nor should it impact your faith in God. You should persevere, because you are walking the right path. Even more so, you should let go of your parents’ expectations. They should not become burdens for you while you are walking the right path. You are following the right path, you have made the most correct choice in life; if your parents don’t support you, if they always scold you for being an uncaring ingrate, then you even more so ought to have discernment of them, and let go of them on an emotional level, and not be constrained by them. If they do not support, encourage, or comfort you, you’ll be okay—you won’t gain or lose anything with or without these things. What’s most important are God’s expectations for you. God is encouraging you, supplying you, and guiding you. You are not alone. Without your parents’ expectations, you can still fulfill the duty of a created being all the same, and upon this basis, you will still be a good person. Letting go of your parents’ expectations does not mean that you have lost your ethics and morals, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you have forsaken your humanity, or morality and justice. The reason that you haven’t lived up to your parents’ expectations is because you chose positive things, and you chose to perform the duty of a created being. There’s nothing wrong with this, it is the most correct path. You should persevere and remain firm in your belief. It is possible that you will not obtain your parents’ support, and certainly not their blessings, because you believe in God and are performing the duty of a created being, but this doesn’t matter. This is not important, you have not lost anything. The most important thing is that when you chose to walk the path of belief in God and of performing the duty of a created being, God began to have expectations and high hopes for you. While living in this world, if people stray from their friends and relatives, they can still live well. Of course, they can live normally after straying from their parents too. It is only when they stray from God’s guidance and blessings that they fall into darkness. Compared to God’s expectations for people and His guidance, parental expectations are simply insignificant and not worth mentioning” (The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth. How to Pursue the Truth (17)). “In this world, what kind of people are the worthiest of respect? Is it not those who walk the right path? What does ‘the right path’ refer to here? Does it not mean pursuing the truth and accepting God’s salvation? Are those who walk the right path not people who follow and submit to God? (They are.) If you are this kind of person, or you endeavor to be, and your parents do not understand you, and even always curse you—if, when you are weak, depressed, and lost, they not only fail to support, comfort, or encourage you, they often demand that you come back to show them filial piety, to earn a lot of money and take care of them, to not let them down, to enable them to bask in the light with you, and live a good life with you—should parents like this not be cast aside? (Yes.) Are parents like this worthy of your respect? Are they worthy of your filial piety? Are they worthy of you fulfilling your responsibility to them? (No.) Why not? It is because they are averse to positive things, is this not a fact? (It is.) It is because they hate God, is that not a fact? (It is.) It is because they disdain you walking the right path, is that not a fact? (It is.) They disdain people who engage in just causes; they scorn and look down on you because you follow God and perform your duty. What kind of parents are these? Are they not despicable and vile parents? Are they not selfish parents? Are they not wicked parents? (They are.) You have been placed on the wanted list and hunted by the great red dragon because of your belief in God, you have been on the run, unable to return home, and some people have even had to go overseas. Your relatives, friends, and classmates all say that you’ve become a fugitive, and because of these external rumors and gossip, your parents think that you have made them suffer unjustly, and embarrassed them. Not only do they not understand, support, or empathize with you, not only do they not reproach the people spreading those rumors, and those who despise and discriminate against you, your parents also hate you, they say the same things about you as those people who do not believe in God and those who are in power. What do you think of these parents? Are they good? (No.) Then do you still feel that you are indebted to them? (No.) … Some parents often say: ‘Raising you is worse than raising a dog. When you raise a dog, it’s very close with you and it knows to wag its tail when it sees its master. What can I expect from raising you? You spend all day believing in God and performing your duty, you don’t do business, you don’t go to work, you don’t even want a secure livelihood, and in the end all of our neighbors have started laughing at us. What have I gained from you? I haven’t gotten a single good thing from you, or basked in any light at all.’ If you followed the evil trends of the secular world, and strived to be successful there, your parents would probably support, encourage, and comfort you if you were to suffer, fall ill, or feel sad. And yet, they do not feel happy or rejoice at the fact that you believe in God and have a chance to be saved. On the contrary, they hate and curse you. Based on their essence, these parents are your foes and your sworn enemies, they are not the same kind of people as you, and they are not walking the same path as you. Though you appear to be a family on the surface, based on your essences, your pursuits, your preferences, the paths that you follow, and the various attitudes with which you approach positive things, God, and the truth, they are not the same kind of people as you. Therefore, no matter how much you say, ‘I have hope of salvation, I have embarked upon the right path in life,’ they will be unmoved, and they will not feel happy for you, or rejoice for you. Instead, they will feel ashamed. On an emotional level, these parents are your family, but based on your nature essences, they are not your family, they are your enemies” (The Word, Vol. 6. On the Pursuit of the Truth. How to Pursue the Truth (17)). After reading these words of God’s, my heart became brighter. God has clearly fellowshipped the principles by which to treat one’s parents. It’s not about blindly obeying everything parents say; one must discern what kind of people they are. I recalled how in my duties, I would occasionally be influenced by my father’s words, and this was because I couldn’t discern the specious fallacies he spouted and because I didn’t view people or matters, nor conduct myself based on God’s words. My father wanted me to earn money to be filial toward them and to provide for them in their old age and to bring them honor. Before, when I was home, I’d bring fine cigarettes, alcohol, and good food when I came to visit my dad during holidays. When he was ill, I accompanied him to the hospital for treatment, and he praised me for being obedient and sensible, calling me a filial daughter. But now that I couldn’t go to visit him, and since his physical needs weren’t being met, he was dissatisfied with me. I was unable to return home because I was being hunted by the great red dragon, yet he didn’t resent the great red dragon. Instead, he felt that I brought him shame, cursing me as an uncaring ingrate and as an unfilial daughter, hurling any harsh words he could think of at me. He’d even cast aside the bond between us as father and daughter. My dad wasn’t doing these things for my good. If he truly cared for me, then he should have supported me in walking the right path in life of believing in God and pursuing the truth. Instead, he not only didn’t support me but insulted me, and one time he even jumped into a river to try and use his death to coerce me. I saw his true nature of hating the truth and hating God, that his essence was that of a God-resisting devil, and that he was an enemy of God. A father like that wasn’t worth me being concerned about him or filial toward him. But I had no discernment of his essence and always felt that I’d let him down. I was truly a muddle-headed fool, blind to the difference between right and wrong! Once I saw through my father’s essence, I no longer felt indebted to him.

By reading God’s words, I learned how to treat my parents, and I also came to understand that only by fulfilling my duty as a created being and pursuing the truth is the right path in life, and that I should proceed along this path without hesitation. After that, I let go of the feeling of encumbrance upon my heart and devoted myself to my duties, and over time, my efficiency in my duties improved greatly. My being able to have these understandings and gains was all because of the enlightenment and guidance of God’s words. Thank God!