In 1 Timothy 4:9-10, we can read the second of Paul’s “true statements.” “Here is a true statement that should be accepted without question: We hope in the living God, the Savior of all people. In particular, he is the Savior of all those who believe in him. That is why we work and struggle.”

Maybe you need a new job to help you pay your bills. So you study articles on the Internet or go back to college or learn a new skill from someone. You use all the resources available to you so you can prepare yourself for the hard work and struggles of the new job you want.

Being a Christian often requires hard work and struggle, too. But how do we prepare for the job of following Jesus? We use the resources that are available to us — we read and study the Bible, we learn from mature Christians, we depend on encouragement from other Christians, and we ask God to strengthen us and give us wisdom.

Do you want to be devoted to God? As you learn more from God’s Word and from other Christians, God will bless you and help you train your body and your mind to serve Him.