Concern for one’s own welfare can be a powerful incentive. A person may know that smoking is bad for his health, and yet not stop. But when he begins to have difficulty in breathing, coupled with suspicious chest pains, and his doctor says that smoking is to blame, love of self may provide the incentive for him to stop.

Yet at times love both for one’s self and for others fails. There is, however, another type of love that has provided even greater incentive and has succeeded where the others did not.

WHAT IS THE STRONGEST INCENTIVE?

This type of love can be illustrated by the words of one mother to her young daughter. The girl previously wanted very much to play the piano, but now bemoaned: “How I hate this everlasting practising!” The mother responded: “Think how delightful it will be, by and by, to entertain father when he comes home tired from the office! You know how he loves music. So keep up your courage, little daughter, for father’s sake.” The child never forgot those words “for father’s sake.” It gave her the extra incentive to do what was already in her heart. She loved her daddy!

Likewise, love for our heavenly Father can provide the strongest incentive to rid ourselves of habits that displease him. Such action brings joy to his heart. “This is what the love of God means,” explains the Bible, “that we observe his commandments.”​—1 John 5:3.

One young woman who had tried for months to quit smoking explained that this love really worked in her case: “I acknowledged in prayer to Jehovah that I really did enjoy smoking, but that I wanted to give it up to please Him. Then by keeping my mind continually on pleasing God, I finally broke free from the habit.”