1-2. Zɛɓɛi maa nɛɛ diɛ kɛ ani ɓalaa de bataizei maa zɔlɔ woga?

 HOW much times you can clean your house? Maybe the first time you move in the house, you make sure you clean it good-good. But what if you stop cleaning it? You know the house will get dirty again. So for the house to always be looking neat, you must clean it everyday.

² That the same thing we need to do about the way we can think and act. Even though, before getting baptize we work hard to make some changes so that we can “cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit.” (2 Cor. 7:⁠1) After that, we need to follow the apostle Paul counsel to “continue to be made new.” (Eph. 4:23) Why we must keep correcting ourselves? Because It easy for the pressure from the world to make us do bad-bad thing them. So for us to always be clean before Jehovah, we must continue to correct our feelings, the way we can think, and act.

3. Da leve ɣɛ le diɛ ‘ɣigii ɣɛ ga maniinɛ?’ (Loomɛitiɛ 12:2)

³ Wetin we must do to make our mind over, that mean, to change our way of thinking? (Read Romans 12:⁠2.) The Greek word them they use to translate “making your mind over” can mean “doing things to correct your thinking.” So, it not mean we must just do some good thing them. But we must check our heart and see what  we thinking on. And if we need to make any changes, we must do it so that we can obey Jehovah. We must not just do it one time; we must always do it.

4. Zɛɓɛi ya ɓɔ de va ga de mɛlɛ ɣɛ ɣi-gaa-ziɛzu e ɣɛ velei zui zu veaitiɛ ta kɛɛ la?

⁴ When we perfect, we will always do things to make Jehovah happy. Now-now, we must continue working hard to make Jehovah happy. Notice in Romans 12:2 Paul say that for us to know what God want us to do, we must correct the way we can think. We must not let the world control us. But we must check ourselves to see if we letting God thinking to control us when we setting goals or making decisions.

5. Da leve ɣɛ le de da ɣi-gaa-ziɛi lete-to e vile velei va Jehova na foloi maa ɓuoai la? (Wɛlɛ footei va.)

⁵ Let see this example. Jehovah want us to “keep close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah.” (2 Pet. 3:12) Ask yourself this question them: ‘The way I living my life can show that this wicked world will soon end? My decisions about going to university or about what kind na job to choose can show that serving Jehovah that the most important thing in my life? I get faith that Jehovah will provide for me and my family, or I can always worry about material things?’ Jehovah can really be happy when he see us trying do what he say in anything we do.​—⁠Matt. 6:​25-27, 33; Phil. 4:​12, 13.

6. Zɛɓɛi maa nɛɛ diɛ kɛ?

⁶ We must always check the way we can think and change anything that not correct. Paul told the Corinthians: “Keep testing whether you are in the faith; keep proving what you yourselves are.” (2 Cor. 13:⁠5) To be “in the faith”  not only mean to just go to meetings and field service sometime. It also mean the way we can think, the thing them we want, and the reason why we can do certain things. So we must continue correcting the way we can think by reading God Word, learning to think the way Jehovah can think, and then doing things that can make Jehovah happy.​—⁠1 Cor. 2:​14-16.

7. E ɣɛ velei Ɛfɛsɔitiɛ 4:31, 32 boga la, zɛɓɛi wɔnɔ maa nɛɛ de kɛ? Zɛɓɛi ya kɛ tanisu naa ɓaa de yee ma?

⁷ Read Ephesians 4:​31, 32. Besides changing the way we can think, we must “put on the new personality.” (Eph. 4:24) To do it, we must work hard. We must work hard to stop getting vex bad way and also stop other bad behavior them. Why it can’t be easy to do? Because some bad-bad ways can be deep inside our heart. For example, the Bible say some people can be quick to get vex. (Prov. 29:22) We must still work hard to control some bad-bad ways even after we get baptize. And that just what this experience talking about.

8-9. Stephen na po-kɔ̃ɔ-mai dɛɛvɛ ɣɛ le ga, maa nɛɛ diɛ ɣaa-ɓaa ga de tuo wɔlɔ-zaɣagi loo ya?

⁸ One brother name Stephen was having problem with controlling his temper. He say: “Even after I was baptize, I was still working hard to control my temper. For example, one day when we were preaching from house to house, I ran behind one rogue who just stole my radio from my car. When I was going close to him, he drop the radio and ran away. I explain to the other brother them how I got my radio back. Then one elder in the group ask me, ‘Stephen, wetin you was coming do to the man if you was coming catch him’?’ That question made me think and it encourage me to work hard to be someone that love peace.” b

⁹ Stephen example show us that some bad-bad ways we thought we finish stopping, can still come back when we not expecting it. If it happen to you, don’t be discourage and think that you not good Christian. Even the apostle Paul said: ‘I can want do good thing but only the bad thing I can see myself doing.’ (Rom. 7:​21-23) Since Christians not perfect, we can be having some bad-bad ways that can come back. It can be like dust and dirt that can make our house dirty. So we must continue working hard to remain clean. How we can do it?

10. Da leve ɣɛ le de wulu ɣaa ʋe tuɓo-velei niitiɛ va tɛ lɛ vani? (1 Jɔ̃ 5:14, 15)

¹⁰ If you get any bad way that you fighting hard to change, pray to Jehovah about it. And be sure that he will hear you and help you. (Read 1 John 5:​14, 15.) Even though Jehovah will not perform miracle to make you stop that bad way, he will give you the strength to change. (1 Pet. 5:10) But continue working toward your prayer by not doing anything that will make that old way to come back. For example, be careful to not watch shows, TV programs, or read stories that will make that bad way to be looking good to you. And we must not be thinking on thing them that not correct.​—⁠Phil. 4:8; Col. 3:⁠2.

11. Zɛɓɛi da kɛ ga diɛ tuɓo-vele niinɛi ziɣi?

 ¹¹ Even though you na stop the old way, it important to start practicing the new one. How you can do it? Set goal to follow Jehovah example when you learn about his qualities. (Eph. 5:​1, 2) For example, when you read any Bible verse about how Jehovah can forgive, ask yourself, ‘I can forgive other people too?’ When you read about how Jehovah can feel sorry for those who going through hard time and how he help them, ask yourself, ‘I can feel sorry for my brother and sister them who in need and I can do something to help them?’ Continue correcting the way you can think and try to put the new personality on. And when you doing it, be patient with yourself.

12. Gala Kɔlɔi ɓɔni Stephen va ɣɛ le ga e luɓo-velei maa ʋeli bo?

¹² Stephen, who we just talk about said, he was able to put on the new personality small-small. He say: “Since I got baptize, I na face some situation them that it was not easy for me to control my temper. I na learn how to leave the place when someone make me vex or to stop the situation from getting worse. Plenty people and even my wife na tell me thank you for the way I handle the situation them. Myself I can’t get over it! I can’t take the praise for the way I na change but that the Bible can change people live.”

13. Zɛɓɛi ya ɓɔ de va ga ki-gaa-ziɛ vagɔ ɣɛ de ya? (Galeesiatiɛ 5:16)

¹³ Read Galatians 5:16. Jehovah na give us His holy spirit to help us do the right thing. When we study the Bible, we allowing God spirit to control us. We can also get holy spirit when we go to meeting. When we go to the meetings, we can spend time with brothers and sisters who trying hard to do the right thing like us. And that one can encourage us. (Heb. 10:​24, 25; 13:⁠7) And when we pray to Jehovah from our heart and beg him to help us with any weakness, he will give us his holy spirit. It can give us the strength to keep fighting. Even though this thing them will not stop wrong thinking altogether, they will help us to not do the wrong thing. Galatians 5:16 say, those who can walk by spirit “will carry out no fleshly desire.”

14. Zɛɓɛi e kɛɛ maa nɛɛ de ɣaa-ɓaa wɔ ga ki-gaa-ziɛ vagɔ ɣɛ de ya?

¹⁴ When we start doing thing them that can make our friendship with Jehovah strong, it important for us to continue doing them. We must also continue to get the right kind na thinking. Why? Because one of our enemy can’t stop fighting against us. That enemy that the temptation to do bad things. Even after we get baptize, sometime we can want do some thing them that we suppose to avoid. Thing them like, playing gamble, drinking heavy, or looking at naked man and naked woman picture. (Eph. 5:​3, 4) One young Christian brother say: “One of the things that really gave me hard time was I use to like my friend man. I thought this feeling was just coming go away, but it still giving me hard time.” Wetin can help you if you fighting to control wrong thinking that really strong?

15. Zɛɓɛi e kɛɛ de yii lɛ zuulia ga ʋike ani ɓalaa da ɣaa ɓaazu ga de ɓe tuɓo-velei taniga va? (Wɛlɛ footei va.)

 ¹⁵ When you fighting to control wrong thinking that really strong, remember that it na happen to other people too. The Bible say: “No temptation has come upon you except what is common to men.” (1 Cor. 10:13a) One other Bible translation say this verse like this: “No temptation has overtaken you that is unusual for human beings.” This Bible verse was talking to Christian men and women who were living in Corinth. Some of them use to cheat on their marriage mate, some use to be lesbian or gay and some were drunkards. (1 Cor. 6:​9-11) You think after they got baptize they were not having any wrong thinking again? No. That true, they were anointed Christians, but they were not perfect. So, they suppose to continue fighting to get rid of wrong thinking. This one must encourage us. Why? Because it show that any wrong thinking you fighting to control, someone else na overcome it before. Yes, you can remain “firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire association of your brothers.”​—⁠1 Pet. 5:⁠9.

16. Zɛɓɛi maa nɛɛ de kɛsɛ la? Zɛɓɛi e kɛɛ maa nɛɛ de kɛsɛ?

¹⁶ You must avoid thinking that nobody else can’t understand the problem that you going through. When you think like that, it can make you feel that you can’t do anything about your situation and that you not able to control wrong thinking. The Bible say: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out so that you may be  able to endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13b) So, we able to remain faithful to Jehovah even if we fighting to control wrong desire that hard to go away. With Jehovah help, we able to stay away from doing the wrong thing.

17. Velei ɓalaa dɛ lɛ zooga dɔ ɣɛ tea dɛ lɛ ɣi-gaa-ziɛa faa yowũ ma, zɛɓɛi da zoo de kɛ?

¹⁷ Always remember this: Because you not perfect, you will not be able to get rid of wrong thinking altogether. But when you start having wrong thinking, you must get rid of it quick-quick. You must be like Joseph who was quick to run away from Potiphar wife. (Gen. 39:12) You can make it to not do the wrong thing you thinking on!

18-19. Da ɣɛna ɣaa ɓaazu ga de da ɣi-gaa-ziɛi ɣɛ ga maniinɛ, gaa-zaɣa-kɛɛ taniga ta ga zɛɓɛ maa nɛɛ de ɣi-gaa-ziɛ ma?

¹⁸ To make changes, we must continue working hard to think and act in the way that will make Jehovah happy. So we must check ourselves all the time and ask this question them: ‘The thing them I can do can show that the last days coming end? I making progress to put on the new personality? I allowing Jehovah spirit to direct my life so I can be able to control wrong thinking?’

¹⁹ When you checking yourself, don’t expect to be perfect, but be happy with any progress you making. If you see that you need to improve, don’t be discourage but follow this advice in Philippians 3:16: “To the extent we have made progress, let us go on walking orderly in this same course.” When you do it, be sure that Jehovah will bless your effort to continue changing the way you can think.