Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/6652

6652 Right assessment of life on earth....

September 24, 1956: Book 71

You cannot comprehend the bliss the spiritual kingdom will give you if you transform your being during your life on earth in such a way that you can take possession of the realm of light. Nor can it be illustrated to you, because you would then live your life on earth to some extent with an attitude of coercion and thus the purpose of your life would be completely lost. And although it is presented to you as truth there is no proof because it would endanger your freedom of will. But this much can be said, that the most difficult life on earth in hardship and distress, in sickness and despair, will be compensated a thousand times by this state of happiness, and in retrospect you won't be able to understand the difficulties you experienced when you had to make sacrifices. Because then the time on earth will appear to you like a fleeting moment and the whole eternity of bliss will be ahead of you....

You humans place too much importance on your earthly life, in a worldly sense.... Spiritually it is indeed significant for you because a rightly lived earthly existence can result in said eternity of happiness. But what this earthly life gives you in a worldly sense is entirely useless and merely offers a temporary sense of well-being compared to eternity. You should always consider that one day you won't understand how you could have enjoyed things that were of no spiritual value.... and you will be grateful to every soul who showed you the worthlessness of such things and guided your vision towards other goals. But as long as you humans live on earth you won't appreciate such advice and therefore Jesus said 'the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and only the violent take it for themselves....'

If you would try to imagine the endlessly long time that your soul has already walked on this earth and that eternity is ahead of you then you could better evaluate the short lifetime on earth. You would know that it is really just a moment and gladly give up the pleasures of this moment in view of the blissful happiness which you would acquire by making an effort. This is exactly your test of will: that you don't strive after the share of God's opponent but that you strive towards God as your goal.... And when you humans receive such evident help by being given the knowledge about the purpose of your earthly life, when your eyes are being opened to enable you to see what the blind person doesn't see, then the goal should entice you too, because earthly life won't last forever and for the individual it can even end tomorrow....

Your earthly existence is questionable because you cannot be certain to enjoy it for long.... however, every one of you can be certain of the spiritual life, it just can turn out very differently. And that is something you determine yourselves with your attitude in earthly life. Yet you nevertheless have the right and the duty to take the place that was assigned to you in your earthly life. Consequently, the pleasures of life are not denied to you and God does not expect you to become hermits, nor to completely retreat from the world.... But you should not let the world dominate you, you should be master of the world, you should make the world serve you, as it is God's will.... but remember that the meaning and purpose of existence in this world is always spiritual development, which you can indeed achieve during your earthly life.... 'The world' should not completely occupy the human being's thoughts but spiritual thoughts should dominate instead, then the world will no longer be a danger even though the human being completely lives in the midst of the world. And the human being should always be aware that earthly life is not an end in itself but only the means to an end....

Whoever accepts these thoughts for himself will not be satisfied with the offerings of the world.... He will search and strive for higher goals and the world will no longer be a danger to him, he will no longer find fulfilment in the world because he will have recognised its real worth, or worthlessness. More over, God gave the human being with his creation many gifts which the human being may safely enjoy, just as He leaves it to the human being to take rightful pleasure in all things as long as only God Himself is and remains the most important goal for the human being....

Amen

Translated by Heidi Hanna