"God in His wisdom has decided that He will reward no works but His own"

Johannes Tauler’s assertion, “God in His wisdom has decided that He will reward no works but His own,” leads us toward a profound understanding of spiritual humility and grace. The statement is rooted in the idea that human actions, when originating from pride, ego, or self-reliance, are ultimately of little value before the divine. No matter how noble, generous, or heroic deeds may appear, if they do not stem from God’s inspiration and presence within the soul, they lack ultimate spiritual merit in God’s sight.

Tauler’s mystical theology emphasizes that genuine goodness, or what could truly be called “God’s works”, arises only when the human will is united with God’s will. Works that are performed through self-interest, for reputation, or out of mere obligation, are overshadowed by works done through the indwelling presence of God. Grace operates as the prime mover in all authentic virtue and self-transcending love. If a person acts out of genuine selflessness, compassion, and charity, it is because God, the divine source of love, acts within them. Human beings serve, in Tauler’s view, as instruments; God supplies both the will and the power to do good. All the merit therefore belongs to God, not to the individual.

Importantly, Tauler does not dismiss action. Instead, he calls for a radical dependence upon God, inviting the soul to humility. By surrendering personal claims to righteousness, the human being opens themselves to become a vessel of divine activity. This attitude prevents spiritual pride and moves believers to pray for God’s grace to guide every thought and deed. In this way, reward is not the product of human effort, but the recognition of God’s loving work enacted through surrendered souls. Thus, the path to spiritual reward aligns with inward transformation: when one becomes transparent to God, God’s works manifest, and these alone, being both initiated and completed by God, are those which God delights in blessing.