4. What qualities should we supply to our faith?

⁴ Faith in Jehovah’s promises and gratitude for our God-given freedom should move us to do our utmost to become exemplary Christians. Said Peter: “By your contributing in response all earnest effort, supply to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to your knowledge self-control, to your self-control endurance, to your endurance godly devotion, to your godly devotion brotherly affection, to your brotherly affection love.” (2 Peter 1:5-7) Peter thus gives us a list we would do well to commit to memory. Let us take a closer look at these qualities.

8. What is self-control, and how is it linked to endurance?

⁸ To help us meet trials with faith, we need to supply to our knowledge self-control. The Greek word for “self-control” denotes the ability to get a grip on ourselves. This fruit of God’s spirit helps us to show restraint in thought, word, and conduct. By persistence in exercising self-control, we supply to it endurance. The Greek term for “endurance” signifies courageous steadfastness, not sad-faced resignation to inescapable hardship. It was for the joy set before him that Jesus endured the torture stake. (Hebrews 12:2) God-given strength associated with endurance bolsters our faith and helps us to rejoice in tribulation, resist temptation, and avoid compromise when persecuted.​—Philippians 4:13.

9. (a) What is godly devotion? (b) Why supply brotherly affection to our godly devotion? (c) How can we supply love to our brotherly affection?

⁹ To our endurance we must supply godly devotion​—reverence, worship, and service to Jehovah. Our faith grows as we practice godly devotion and see how Jehovah deals with his people. Yet, to display godliness, we need brotherly affection. After all, “he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot be loving God, whom he has not seen.” (1 John 4:20) Our hearts should move us to show true affection for other servants of Jehovah and to seek their welfare at all times. (James 2:14-17) But why are we told to supply love to our brotherly affection? Evidently Peter meant that we must show love for all mankind, not just our brothers. This love is shown especially by preaching the good news and helping people spiritually.​—Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20.