3364 Conflict of body and soul.... cooperation of them....

December 12, 1944: Book 44

What serves the best of the soul will usually not be felt very pleasantly by the body as long as the soul and the body are in conflict with each other. For the body demands what is detrimental to the soul, but helps itself to greater well-being. And if the soul is to progress in its development, much must be taken from the body so that the soul is not hindered in its striving. So, to a certain extent, the thinking, feeling and willing must be forcibly diverted from earthly things, i.e., the body must be so thoughtful with renunciations and disappointments of all kinds that the soul distances itself in its thinking from things which please the body and can devote itself to its actual task, the work on itself. The soul finds it difficult of its own accord, therefore it is helped by God insofar as the human being's fate in life has many disappointments in store, thus life approaches the human being in such a way that bodily desire is sparsely provided for, that earthly goods and pleasures are lost to it and that thereby the soul has the opportunity to progress, thus to learn to overcome earthly things and to develop progressively. On the other hand, it is different when soul and body strive for higher development, when the body always gives in to the soul's desire, thus, as it were, participates in the work of change, which is the purpose of earthly life. Then the renunciations and disappointments are no longer so needed and can therefore also be spared the body; for as soon as both.... soul and body.... strive towards God in accordance with the spirit's desire in them, they will never let themselves be diverted from this striving, even though the world approaches them with its demands or enticements. They are won over for the spiritual kingdom, the spirit in them is too powerful and they can live life without worrying, they no longer fall back into the desire for mere earthly possessions but distance themselves from them more and more despite possessing them, for the spiritual possessions are more desirable to them once they have received them. Disappointments and sufferings of all kinds are therefore always a warning of a slackening in spiritual striving, or they should contribute to increased activity of the will, so that the work on oneself is carried out with the greatest intensity, because greater demands are placed on the human being in the field of redeeming activity. This work requires perseverance and self-denial, and the human being has to be educated to disregard the body but to shape the life of the soul such that it completely corresponds to God's will, that God's spirit can become active in order to make him capable of the spiritual work which is redeeming. However, if the body is ready for the same work, then neither joys nor sufferings of the soul are an obstacle to higher development, then the divine spirit's influence on the soul is so strong that it can never ever be diminished by impressions. The spiritual striving will always be in the foreground and never diminish, for the soul is completely controlled by the spirit within itself, nor does it have the will to withdraw from its influence, on the contrary, it draws the body into the spiritual realm, it determines it to completely join the spirit's urging, thus to comply with everything the spirit demands of the soul. And thus soul and body are now subordinate to the spirit in themselves, and this results in a faster maturing and thus also a special ability to be active for God, thus to take part in the redemption of the bound. However, the human being is in no way forced to do so but the will is placed into him, it is stimulated by everlasting spiritual instructions which reach the human being in the form of thoughts and which are again supported or affirmed by the divine word which is offered as evidence of divine love and omnipotence to people who want to receive and pass it on. For this word will be in accordance with the thoughts of the one who consciously works on himself. And the latter will be accepted by God as a labourer for His vineyard, his earthly life will now be guided and his spiritual activity blessed, and he will never ever be released from God's service. He will find support from people who are of the same spirit, he will also be supplied with earthly strength by his life unfolding in such a way that he will not be hindered in his striving. Thus earthly events can also approach him without seriously endangering him spiritually once he has offered himself to God for service. Then his body will also no longer be self-centred but always and in every way submit itself to the soul and the spirit, he will listen in joy and suffering to the inner voice through which God's spirit makes itself known, for he recognizes his purpose of earthly life and is willing to contribute to the redemption of the bound. Thus the voice of the spirit will penetrate and can never be drowned out by earthly sufferings or joys, and the spiritual striver will therefore also be able to experience the latter without seriously endangering his ascent development....

Amen

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