Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/2914

2914 Self-love in the afterlife prolongs the state of suffering.... willingness to help....

October 8, 1943: Book 37

In the spiritual kingdom the activity of love has the same effect as on earth.... in an increased supply of strength, thus also in spiritual progress, for all activity of love paves the path to God, and closeness to God is the ultimate goal of all beings. Hence love is likewise preached in the spiritual kingdom, that is, the beings of light draw the unredeemed souls' attention to the fact that only love will bring them liberation, and they also provide them with every opportunity to develop themselves in love. No soul can develop itself upwards other than on the path of love, yet this is far more difficult in the spiritual kingdom than on earth as long as the soul is still ignorant, thus not yet enlightened. For then it only touches its own fate, it does not see the hardship of other souls because it is still very much in self-love, which is to blame for its ignorant state. And this self-love prevents it from selfless loving activity, for then the soul regards itself as the center, it feels unhappy, and unjustly so, for its self-love conceals its own faults, whereas it recognizes all faults of other souls and feels elevated above them. And so it cannot feel any love for its suffering environment. It is hard and unfeeling and takes no interest in the other souls, and as long as it does so it will also feel its hardship bitterly, which will only diminish if love is kindled in it and stimulates it into loving activity. And it often takes an infinitely long time until the soul softens and is willing to help of its own accord. And yet it cannot be stimulated into loving activity other than through instruction from the beings of light, for it has to decide of its own free will to be helpful, it has to put aside its selfish love, disregard its own hardship and try to alleviate the suffering of fellow-suffering souls, then its hitherto powerless state will change, the soul will feel the influx of strength and become increasingly more capable of helping and working with love. Its state will now become increasingly freer and it will realize that it is becoming increasingly lighter around it, it will be able to see things which make it happy, its knowledge will increase and its will to reach God will become ever stronger.... And thus her activity of love also becomes eager, for she recognizes the power and strength of love, she recognizes her goal and strives towards it.... she seeks to come close to God and to redeem herself through love....

amen

Translated by Doris Boekers