Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/7795

7795 Divine love.... selfish love....

January 12, 1961: Book 81

The soul's spiritual results at the end of its earthly life were determined by the human being himself through his way of life, for he was allowed to live it freely and without constraint, and he only needed to submit himself to God's will that he would bring maturity to the soul.... And how he now used his will determines the soul's fate in the kingdom of the beyond. Again and again people are admonished to think of their life after death and to lead their way of life accordingly. But the belief in the soul's continued existence is too weak or non-existent, and therefore people are lukewarm in their soul's work, they only live for this earth and rarely reach a degree of maturity which earns them a small light when they depart from this life. And yet, they need only live a life of love, then their earthly life will already be in accordance with God's will and it will earn them maturity of soul. But the desire for matter usually stifles the spark of love in the human being's heart, for selfish love is still too great, and this only demands but does not give.... But only unselfish, giving and gratifying love is divine, thus corresponding to God's will, because it is also God's original being.... Demanding love, on the other hand, is ungodly and will never earn the soul a degree of maturity: The majority of people, however, are filled with demanding love and their desire is only for earthly-material goods, earthly happiness, fame and reputation.... It is a love which only ever revolves around matter, which is never for the benefit of the neighbour.... It is an ungodly love which only pulls the human being down but never allows him to ascend. Such love is not in divine order, it is the inheritance of the one who is devoid of all love, who, as God's adversary, also always tries to influence people to cultivate that selfish love in order to prevent the approach to God, which presupposes selfless, happiness-willing love.... But people don't think about the fact that their purpose of earthly life cannot only be the fulfilment of earthly wishes, and they also believe themselves entitled to extract from the world what it only offers them.... They do not believe in survival and are therefore irresponsible in their earthly life. But they cannot be forced to think and want differently, they must freely decide for themselves which path they want to take on earth.... And thus they also have to come to realization themselves, but again and again they are also warned and admonished and only need to take a mental stand on such admonitions once, which, however, they usually refrain from doing. Hence the human being himself determines the soul's degree of maturity, he determines the soul's spiritual wealth or poverty at the end of its earthly course, he determines the soul's fate in the kingdom of the beyond, which cannot be other than what the human being has striven for.... Only when the human being's eyes are spiritually directed, when the human being reflects on the meaning and purpose of earthly life, on a continuation of life after death, will the consciousness of responsibility awaken in him, and blessed is he who early comes to the realization that he himself should help his soul to reach maturity.... Blessed is he who fights his selfish love at an early age and transforms it into unselfish neighbourly love.... He will succeed in acquiring the soul's degree of maturity which will protect it from darkness when the human being's physical life is over.... For it will come to beatitude in the spiritual kingdom, it will not need to fear death because it will only enter into a life which lasts forever...._>Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers