Love for God and Neighbor​—How to Cultivate It

Although the Mosaic Law is not binding on Christians, its two greatest commandments​—to love God and to love our neighbor—​still summarize what Jehovah requires of us. (Mt 22:37-39) Such love is not inherited. It must be cultivated. How? One important way is by means of daily Bible reading. When we consider the various facets of God’s personality as revealed in the Scriptures, we behold “the pleasantness of Jehovah.” (Ps 27:4) As a result, our love for him grows and our thinking becomes more like his. This motivates us to observe God’s commandments, including the command to demonstrate self-sacrificing love for others. (Joh 13:34, 35; 1Jo 5:3) Here are three suggestions to make Bible reading more enjoyable:

• Use your imagination, and engage your senses. Imagine that you are there. What would you see, hear, and smell? What may be the feelings of those involved?

  

• Vary your approach. Here are some options: Read aloud, or follow along while listening to an audio recording. Read about a particular Bible character or subject instead of reading chapters in order. For example, use Appendix A7 or B12 in the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures to read about Jesus. Read the entire chapter from which the daily text is taken. Read the Bible books in the order they were written.

  

• Read to understand. Reading even one chapter each day with understanding and meditating on it is far better than reading many chapters just for the sake of covering material. Consider the setting. Analyze the details. Make use of maps and marginal references. Research at least one point that you do not understand. If possible, spend about the same amount of time to meditate as you would to read.