Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/3360

3360 Instrument of God requires total submission and surrender to God....

December 9, 1944: Book 44

Anyone who has been given the grace to be able to be active in enlightenment is also in a service relationship with God, i.e. he has offered himself to Him of his own free will and has been accepted. And therefore he is now also prepared by God Himself for His service. The human being's will must therefore have become active first. Consequently, it is not an arbitrary preference of a person by God but an effect of free will which is paired with serving neighbourly love. This gives people proof of what the right will and loving activity is capable of, what strength is released through both and how obviously God expresses Himself if the human being establishes intimate contact with Him. A conscious will to serve Him has to be expressed, the human being has to completely place his will under God's will, he has to devote himself to Him with body and soul, only then can God work through Him, thus things can be accomplished which seemingly surpass human abilities. Wanting to serve God is the most beautiful and successful task on earth, but it requires complete submission. The human being must allow himself to be pulled and guided, he may not do anything on his own authority, he must hand himself over into God's hand and only want to live for God's pleasure, then God will take hold of him and his path will be marked out from the start. The human being no longer needs to fear going wrong if he has expressed his God-centred will to Him through his request to want to serve Him. Serving in love is the human being's task on earth, and he can do this at any time and in any place, in all circumstances of life and all works of creation.... And if he places himself at God's disposal he will be admitted to a great serving task.... to contribute to the spiritual development of man. He is used, as it were, as God's instrument to convey His will to fellow human beings. Yet this ministry requires the abandonment of one's own will, for it is a spiritual mission which requires the strong will to abandon earthly well-being, i.e. physical desire, and to become completely spiritually attuned. And this will has to overcome all resistances and constantly fetch the strength from the intimate connection with God. As long as the strength of such a will is not mustered, it is not suitable for this service. God, however, knows about the human being's will, about his ability and about using it of his own free will. And therefore He will grant the right people His grace to be able to work for Him on earth. Profound humility and a strong will must prevail in the one who wants to serve Him on earth by setting the redemption of the unfree spiritual as his aim and tackling his work in prayer for God's help. Yet only few apply themselves to God for this work on earth, and therefore it is an extraordinary phenomenon that God Himself instructs a person in a way which makes His working evidently recognizable. Humanity is already too far removed from God to have any understanding for it, even if it still acknowledges God according to the word and does not deny His omnipotence and love. But as soon as this omnipotence and love gives a visible sign it does not recognize God in it, instead it doubts that He obviously expresses Himself, and for them He is a distant being. Yet God wants to bring Himself close to people, He wants to inform them that they are able to feel Him daily and hourly if they approach Him correctly, if they seek Him and desire to enter into contact with Him. And for this He uses a willing earthly person who has desired His nearness and who should and can now provide fellow human beings with the evidence that and how God expresses Himself when the human being opens up to Him. It depends on the person's will whether he is able to recognize Him, and in order to change this will, if he is still turned away from God, he should be instructed, he should be given the knowledge of God's will in order to then voluntarily submit himself to it, for only then will he be able to feel God's nearness, and only then can he receive strength for spiritual ascent development. But since this is the human being's final aim on earth and at the same time signifies complete union with God, a start must be made.... the human being's desire to join God must be awakened. Yet this desire is only awakened when the human being recognizes God as love, and this, in turn, is the result of his own activity of love. But since the human being is devoid of all knowledge at the beginning of his embodiment, this must first be imparted to him, that is, the divine commandments must be taught to him first, so that by fulfilling them he then puts himself into a state which brings him closer to God. Faith in God must come alive in him.... And therefore God reveals Himself to people again and again, He gives them evidence of His love, might and wisdom. Yet this is only possible through people so as not to force faith.... it is only possible through people who no longer resist Him but are completely devoted to Him. He uses them to bring Himself close to all people. The human being himself is only an instrument of God through whom His will is expressed. But the fact that he is used by God as an instrument is the result of his complete devotion to Him. He will never be called upon for such a task against his will, for he stands in the midst of a flow of grace whose influx, however, necessitates his opening, otherwise grace could not be supplied to him in this measure. God certainly needs servants on earth but they must be willing to serve Him voluntarily, only then are they suitable as instruments and their work on earth will be successful. It is not spiritual coercion on the part of God which is exerted on those servants, instead, through their will they have to provide evidence themselves of the strength and wisdom the human being can attain who surrenders his will to God and accepts unmeasured grace from Him. He shall be an example for his fellow human beings which shall serve them as an incentive, for only then will they develop upwards when they start their soul's work with the surrender of their own will, when they fully consciously strive towards God by fulfilling His commandments. Then they will also feel the strength, they will recognize God and learn to love Him and reach their aim on earth.... to find union with God, as is their destiny....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers