Source: https://www.bertha-dudde.org/en/proclamation/7261

7261 Compulsory work.... only works of love are rated....

January 20, 1959: Book 77

Only that which was done of one's own free will has eternal value, as soon as it concerns works which are to be valued as works of love. The human being should not ask for reward or retribution when he performs a work of neighbourly love, nor should he merely fulfil a duty and believe that such service will be valued just as much as a deed performed by free will which exceeds the measure of the fulfilment of duty.... Only that which love accomplishes can be valued before God, and true love is always selfless and without calculation. And such works therefore have eternal value, for they have an effect on eternity, they give the soul the maturity which determines its degree of beatitude, and thus they determine the soul's fate after the death of the body. People's earthly life, however, is mostly filled with demands or dutiful work which they like to believe fulfils their purpose of earthly life but are not aware of the fact that it is not about the nature of their activity on earth but about the degree of love in which everything that fills people's lives is carried out. Admittedly, a part of self-love is also necessary in order to meet the demands of the body, because the human being also has duties towards his body, thus he has also been granted a part of self-love on the part of eternal love. Nevertheless, not only self-love may determine a person's every action, but only work which has been carried out entirely without calculation, where only love which wants to give and make happy was the impetus, and which therefore also achieves imperishable spiritual values, which is the soul's wealth when it departs from earth, has an eternal value. Every activity which is carried out dutifully can indeed also be a blessing if it is done willingly and selflessly, which is precisely why every work must be based on love if it is to have a beneficial effect on the human soul and its fate in eternity. For what is done for the earth also passes away with the death of the body, which alone was the beneficiary of that activity which was determined by self-love. Therefore, it is not indifferent how the human being approaches his earthly activity.... He can do his 'duty' and yet not gain a blessing for his soul; but he can also fulfil every duty with inner joy and love, he can consciously serve his fellow human being and do so gladly and joyfully.... then it is not only 'duty work' but at the same time activity of love, for the impetus originates from his free will, and free will alone determines whether selfish love is pushed back and unselfish love comes to the fore. Every human being's work on earth can fulfil its serving purpose if it is not consciously done on behalf of God's adversary, i.e. an effect which harms people is quite clearly recognizable.... Then no blessing can ever rest on the performer who indulges in such activity which is obviously done on the impetus of the adversary from God. And this activity will indeed also have an eternal value but in a negative way.... it will also affect the human being's soul, and the soul will have to suffer again for an infinitely long time, for the human being was only motivated by selfish reasons to indulge in this activity, and he has to answer for it. But every human being can feel the urge within himself to perform unselfish works of love. And if it is not possible within the scope of his fulfilment of duty, then he can do it in addition, and this will have a particularly beneficial effect in that he will soon also be allowed to fulfil his duty in a 'serving' way, for the human being's will alone determines his direction, and the right-willing person will also be given the opportunity by God to use his will correctly: to 'serve in love'.....

Amen

Translated by Doris Boekers