To understand "If people do not serve themselves, heaven and earth will destroy them" needs to be combined with the overall thinking of Taoism. It can be mainly understood from the following aspects:

1. Follow nature

Taoism emphasizes "following nature". People should be at peace with the situation and live in harmony with the world and all things. Obsessed with one's own desires and goals, only for one's own foothold and not in accordance with the way of heaven.

2. Everything returns to its proper place

Taoists believe that "everything returns to its proper place", and people should assume their due obligations in the world to maintain the harmonious operation of the world. If you are only for yourself and lose your mission as a human being, you are not suitable to live between heaven and earth.

3. Give up the subjective self

Taoism attaches great importance to "governing by doing nothing" and "turning the mind into nature". If people only serve their own purposes and are influenced by their own desires, and even lose their soul, they will no longer be natural.

4. Transcendence from the world

Taoism is based on the highest realm of the universe. If a person only cares about his own ego and cannot transcend the worries of the world, he will not be able to reach the realm of Tao.

To sum up, Taoism believes that if a person only pursues his own desires and purposes and loses his natural obedience, detached state and spiritual freedom, he is not worthy of living between heaven and earth and should be punished by heaven and earth. The punishment of annihilation.

However, "Heaven and Earth" here refers more to spiritual destruction and exile. It does not refer to the punishment of some kind of god.