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.

 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.