Timothy could no doubt have trained for a lucrative secular career, but Paul wrote: “Be training yourself with godly devotion as your aim. For bodily training is beneficial for a little; but godly devotion is beneficial for all things, as it holds promise of the life now and that which is to come.” Yes, godly devotion is “beneficial for all things.” This was not mere speculation, for Paul added: “Faithful and deserving of full acceptance is that statement.” From personal experience, Paul knew what would open up the best way of life.​—1 Timothy 4:7-9; 2 Corinthians 6:10.

8, 9. (a) What is godly devotion? (b) What is your greatest opportunity, and why is effort needed to take advantage of it?

⁸ What is this godly devotion? It is personal attachment to God springing from a heart stirred by deep appreciation of his appealing qualities. While “godly fear” (Hebrews 12:28) means primarily reverential dread of doing anything displeasing to God, “godly devotion” is a response of the heart that will move you to live in a way that pleases God because you love him.c Such a quality of the heart leads to an “intimacy with God,” a personal relationship wherein you sense his approval and help. (Job 29:4) The opportunity to have this personal friendship with God is more valuable than anything else that may be offered to you.​—Compare Jeremiah 9:23, 24.

⁹ Does having godly parents or getting baptized as a Christian automatically bring about this relationship with God? No, because sincerity of heart must be cultivated, along with other Christian virtues. (2 Peter 1:5-8) You must become a person ‘whose heart impels’ him to render “deeds of godly devotion.” (Compare Exodus 36:2; 2 Peter 3:11; Colossians 3:22.) Though reared from infancy in the way of the truth, Timothy had to develop godly devotion. Today, too, rigorous effort is necessary, yet this godly devotion will prove to be “a means of great gain.” (1 Timothy 6:6) How so?

An Elevated Way of Life

10, 11. How did godly devotion elevate Timothy’s life?

¹⁰ In Ephesus, Timothy pursued godly devotion among people who were ‘walking in the unprofitableness of their minds.’ (Ephesians 4:17) What filled their minds was of no real profit but was vanity. “What a picture!” states Bible scholar R. C. H. Lenski about Ephesians 4:17. “Men with thinking, willing minds, rational creatures, walking and walking on and on throughout life, following the dictates of a mind that leads them at every step and at the end to nothing, to monumental, tragic failure!”

¹¹ Timothy could see that the Ephesians’ course of life was vain and debasing. Many worshiped the goddess Artemis, but their fanatical worship was directed to a lifeless image. It included wild orgies and ceremonial prostitution. (Acts 19:23-34) Timothy’s way of life, though, was elevated above that of the nations, who were “alienated from the life that belongs to God . . . [and] past all moral sense.” (Ephesians 2:6; 4:18, 19) His godly course in living “the life that belongs to God” had given him the greatest Friend in the universe! The opportunity to develop this relationship with the living God through godly devotion is most precious indeed! Can you lay hold on it?

12. What did one Christian youth say about the “great gain” of godly devotion? How do you feel about that?

¹² Many today worship sex, pleasure, riches, and higher education with the same intensity that the ancient Ephesians did Artemis. (Matthew 6:24; Ephesians 5:3-5; Philippians 3:19) However, those pursuing godly devotion enjoy a superior quality of life. “I look at the kids I used to run around with before I began to study the Bible,” reports one 24-year-old Christian. “Half of them are in jail. Most are on drugs, and many of the girls have illegitimate babies. Their lives are a mess. Several are even dead. I am so thankful to be able to look at my life and be proud of what I see.” Other Christian youths heartily agree!

13. Why does following the command at 2 Timothy 4:5 add meaning to life?

¹³ Those who live with godly devotion have the treasure of the ministry. (2 Corinthians 4:1, 7; 2 Timothy 4:5) This provides real purpose and challenge. Rather than the pseudo excitement of some fictional TV or movie drama, Christians involved in the ministry visit the homes of real people to help them. They deal also with real problems. What indescribable joy as they see people who have lived immoral, violent, or hopeless lives respond to Bible instruction and put away former bad habits, develop self-respect, and serve Jehovah. No other career is as meaningful or produces such lasting good!

Contentment and a Clean Conscience

14, 15. How does godly contentment as to money make for a better life?

¹⁴ “To be sure, it is a means of great gain, this godly devotion along with self-sufficiency. . . . So, having sustenance and covering, we shall be content with these things. However, those who are determined to be rich . . . have stabbed themselves all over with many pains.” (1 Timothy 6:6-10) In 1981 a survey by Psychology Today revealed that young people think “much more” about money than any other age group. However, half the group of respondents who were most concerned about money (including wealthy and poor) complained of “constant worry and anxiety.”

¹⁵ A young man in Japan succeeded in going from ‘rags to riches,’ but in doing so he damaged his health. Later, with the help of a Bible study, he developed godly devotion. “When I think back to when my chief goal in life was to become wealthy, there is no comparison as to how much happier I’ve been since I changed my goal,” he concludes. “Truly there is nothing that can match the contentment and satisfaction that come with using one’s life in the service of the Grand Creator.”d​—Proverbs 10:22; Ecclesiastes 5:10-12.

16. What is the result to those who fail to ‘hold a good conscience’?

¹⁶ Paul urged Timothy to ‘hold a good conscience.’ How? One way was for him to treat women “with all chasteness.” (1 Timothy 1:19; 5:2) However, chastity has all but vanished from among many youths as their consciences have become seared. (1 Timothy 4:2) But immorality does not bring inner peace and satisfaction. One study considered the sexual attitudes and conduct of several hundred adolescents. Concerning those who were the most sexually promiscuous, the report stated: “They believe they are functioning with little purpose and self-contentment.” Nearly half of these felt: “The way I’m living right now, most of my abilities are going to waste.”

17. Why does ‘love out of a good conscience’ help us to get the best out of life?

¹⁷ If, in time, a couple pursue honorable marriage, they will be benefited by showing “love out of a clean heart and out of a good conscience.” (1 Timothy 1:5) In 1984 the Journal of Marriage and the Family reported that a study of 309 recently married couples showed that premarital sex was associated with “significantly lower marital satisfaction for both spouses.” But what a contrast with those who are chaste! “It is such a beautiful feeling looking back and knowing I am clean,” states one young Christian wife who has now been happily married for seven years. Yes, a clean conscience is a rich reward to youths who “become an example . . . in chasteness.”​—1 Timothy 4:12.

Inner Strength

18, 19. (a) Timothy had to deal with what pressures? (b) How did God help him?

¹⁸ No doubt Timothy met with many pressures in Ephesus. The temptations of the prosperous and immoral city with its emphasis on ‘fun and games’ could bring external stress. Timothy’s apparent diffidence as well as his “frequent cases of sickness” certainly created pressures within him. (1 Timothy 5:23) But Paul reminded him: “God gave us not a spirit of cowardice, but that of power and of love and of soundness of mind.”​—2 Timothy 1:7.

¹⁹ Indeed, how many of your peers yearn for such strength! One young woman fully overcame a life of prostitution and drug addiction. “It was only by Jehovah’s help,” she said. “There are certain times I will get those old feelings back, but I just start praying​—immediately. The ability to overcome these problems is more exciting than anything I have ever accomplished in my life!” No question about it, God can ‘infuse power’ into you and give you the inner strength to cope with any pressure and to make sound decisions.​—2 Timothy 4:17.

20, 21. (a) Relate some of the benefits of godly devotion. (b) What will be considered in the following article?

²⁰ So godly devotion brings you a host of benefits. Your “course of life” takes on a purpose that towers over the goals of those who reach only for material opportunities. (2 Timothy 3:10) As one Christian youth who gave up a college scholarship and became a full-time evangelizer exclaimed: “I have the best career anyone could want, being a teacher of the good news and helping others to learn of our loving Father! And the ‘fringe benefit’​—my own improved personality—​is better than anyone could offer. Add to that the reward of living in a paradise forever with no more sorrows. Now ask: What better life could anyone ever want?”

Train With Godly Devotion as Your Aim

“Be training yourself with godly devotion as your aim.”​—1 TIMOTHY 4:7.

1. Why did one good runner fail to win?

SHE was the best runner on the team in her event. Previous victories had given her a national rating. So it was expected that she would win at this distinguished track meet. However, to the disappointment of her coach, teammates, and herself, she ran the worst race of her career. Why? “I slouched off in practice and stopped training hard,” admitted the young woman, deeply embarrassed. “My coach tried to push me to do harder workouts and warned me, but I did not listen.” Her failure to train properly cost her the victory for which she was aiming.

2. In what way must Christians train, and why should all want to know how?

² As a Christian, particularly if you are young, you also have a vital training. “Be training yourself with godly devotion as your aim.” (1 Timothy 4:7) The Greek word for “be training” (gy·mnaʹzo) described the strenuous and often painful exercises that athletes performed in the gymnasium. Therefore, regarding godly devotion and its rewards, the apostle Paul added: “To this end we are working hard and exerting ourselves.” (1 Timothy 4:10) This essential quality is not something that just comes naturally or that rubs off from godly parents. But what steps must you take? Christians of all ages should want to know.

Good Communication With God

3. (a) Why is personal study so important? (b) What qualities of God draw you to him?

³ Since godly devotion involves heartfelt appreciation for Jehovah’s qualities, you need to know what he is really like. Jehovah communicates this in the Bible. But you must carefully study his Word and Bible-based publications, thereby being “nourished with the words of the faith and of the fine teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:6) Such study will help you to see “the pleasantness of Jehovah.”​—Psalm 27:4.

4. What experiences show the value of personal study, and what questions should you seriously consider?

⁴ “It makes you feel closer to Jehovah the more you learn about him,” states a 22-year-old, full-time evangelizer (pioneer). “When I read prophecies and see how they are fulfilled, it makes me stand in awe of him. Personal study is what really helps me.” A 16-year-old, who had been severely depressed, wrote about one of the articles in the series “Young People Ask” that appears regularly in the Awake! magazine: “Just when I had given up all hope, this article came out. I was so excited I could not put it down! It made me feel so much closer to Jehovah, and I realized that he understands and cares very much. I feel now I can cope.”a Do you make it a point to read each issue of our journals? Though it requires exertion, do you make time to nourish your mind and heart by personal Bible study? By doing your own research, you can really prove for yourself that you have the truth. When such knowledge reaches the heart, it almost certainly will motivate you, for it is “the teaching that accords with godly devotion.”​—1 Timothy 6:3; Romans 12:2.

5, 6. What kind of prayers draw you closer to God? Illustrate.

⁵ Good communication with God also involves heartfelt and specific prayers. These help toward building a personal friendship with Jehovah. When you make mistakes, be willing to plead as did David: “The sins of my youth and my revolts O do not remember.” (Psalm 25:7, 11) And know that he will forgive you if you are repentant. Learn to linger in prayer, pouring out your heart. One youth, though reared in a godly home, had allowed a speech impediment to hinder her involvement in the true religion. “Then one night,” revealed this 22-year-old, “I begged Jehovah, ‘Help me to want to serve you, and not just because the elders or my parents want me to.’” How her life began to change! Despite her stuttering, she became fully involved in the ministry. Joyfully she declares, “I trust in Jehovah a whole lot more now because I know he always comes through.”​—Psalm 62:8.

⁶ One young Christian prayed specifically regarding her plans to pioneer. When her prayers were answered, she exclaimed: “I knew Jehovah was real and that he cares for us! Before this I thought I had a relationship with him, but now he is more like a friend​—my best one.” Jehovah will not always answer in some spectacular way, but if you are earnest and work in harmony with your prayers, you will come to appreciate his loving guidance.​—Psalm 145:18.