Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/4881

4881 Acquiring spiritual goods.... earthly activity.... idleness....

April 18, 1950: Book 55

Nothing is more important on earth than the soul's development upwards. Therefore, every earthly activity should only satisfy you if spiritual work is carried out at the same time, which, as the most necessary activity, must never be disregarded if earthly life is to be successful. For whatever earthly possessions you gain through earthly activity are impermanent possessions which can certainly secure you an earthly life of well-being, but only if My will allows it. You have an earthly task to fulfil which alone should be important to you.... you shall mature spiritually.... And the world, together with everything desirable to you, is only the means to an end; it is the opportunities in which you are to mature. And thus earthly life must indeed be lived in the midst of these things which stimulate and spur you on to earthly activity, yet it must not be an end in itself, you must become and remain aware that you have a higher task to fulfil than merely increasing earthly possessions or creating physical comfort, and only when spiritual work precedes earthly work will you fulfil the purpose of earthly life. And therefore you must always bear in mind that it is not in your power to prolong your earthly life by just one day. Furthermore, you must always reckon with being called away and be aware of the fact that you will then have to leave behind everything you have acquired on earth and may only take over into the beyond what you have acquired in spiritual treasures. And thus every thing is worthless which appears desirable to you on earth, for it is matter which does not follow you into the spiritual kingdom but is always and constantly a share of earth which, however, you only live in for a short time. And since you never know when your time is up you will only act wisely if you use every day to acquire spiritual wealth. Therefore, spiritual activity alone is profitable, even though you should also do your earthly duty and carry out work which is of benefit to your neighbour. One should serve the other.... then every earthly activity is, as it were, a service to the neighbour as long as it is not detrimental to him. For this reason a person must not be idle, otherwise he will not use his vitality and his works of neighbourly love will only be minimal. An idle person will not do spiritual work either, for this requires a heart willing to love, and willingness to love always expresses itself in such a way that the neighbour's needs, be they of a physical or spiritual nature, are taken into account. What the human being does to serve his fellow human beings is earthly activity which is at the same time credited as spiritual soul work, but earthly work which only strives for one's own advantage, which is only motivated by self-love, is worthless for eternity. It is uselessly wasted time which can never be recovered, which, moreover, still means a decline for the soul, yet from a purely worldly point of view the greatest advantages are achieved because the human being works with the help of My adversary who provides him with earthly goods to a great extent. Yet such a person enters the spiritual kingdom empty and poor after his death, for he has to leave everything behind on earth and has no spiritual treasures to show for it. His life was lived to no purpose and a sad fate awaits him in the beyond....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers