Imagine this scenario: Karen is at a party for no more than ten minutes when she hears a familiar voice behind her.

Karen turns to see her friend Jessica clutching two freshly opened bottles. She can tell that they contain alcohol. Jessica holds one bottle right in front of Karen’s face and says, “You’re not too young to have a little fun, are you?”

Karen wants to refuse, but Jessica is her friend. And Karen doesn’t want her friend to think she is boring. Besides, Jessica is one of the good girls. And if she’s drinking, then it must not be so bad. ‘It’s just a drink,’ Karen tells herself. ‘It’s not like taking drugs.’

If you were in Karen’s situation, what would you do?

To make a wise decision in this type of situation, you need an identity. An identity is an inner sense that tells you who you are and what you stand for. Armed with that knowledge, you’re empowered to control your life instead of letting others control it for you.—1 Corinthians 9:26, 27.

How can you develop that kind of strength? Answering the following questions is a good start.

Knowing your abilities and positive traits will boost your confidence.

BIBLE EXAMPLE: The apostle Paul wrote: “Even if I am unskilled in speech, I certainly am not in knowledge.” (2 Corinthians 11:6) With his thorough grasp of the Scriptures, Paul was able to remain firm when others challenged him. He didn’t let their negative remarks weaken his confidence.—2 Corinthians 10:10; 11:5.

ANALYZE YOURSELF: Write down a talent or a skill that you possess.

Now describe a strong quality that you have. (For example, are you caring? generous? dependable? punctual?)

Just as a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, your identity can quickly change for the worse if you let your weaknesses control your life.

BIBLE EXAMPLE: Paul was aware of his weaknesses. He wrote: “I really delight in the law of God according to the man I am within, but I see in my body another law warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to sin’s law.”—Romans 7:22, 23.

ANALYZE YOURSELF: What weakness do you need to learn to control?

Would you get into a taxi and tell the driver to circle the block repeatedly until his car ran out of fuel? That would be foolish—and costly!

The lesson? Goals give your life direction and keep you from going in circles. You have somewhere to go and a plan of how to get there.

BIBLE EXAMPLE: Paul wrote: “The way I am running is not aimlessly.” (1 Corinthians 9:26) Rather than drift through life letting things happen to him, Paul set goals and then lived in accord with them.—Philippians 3:12-14.

ANALYZE YOURSELF: Write down three goals that you would like to reach within the next year.

Without convictions, you’ll be indecisive. Like a chameleon, you’ll change colors to blend in with your peers—a sure sign that you don’t have your own identity.

In contrast, when your actions are based on your convictions, you maintain your identity—regardless of what others do.

BIBLE EXAMPLE: While likely still a teenager, the prophet Daniel “resolved in his heart” that he would obey God’s laws, even though he was separated from his family. (Daniel 1:8) By doing so, he stayed true to himself. Daniel lived according to his convictions.

ANALYZE YOURSELF: What are your convictions? For example: Do you believe in God? If so, why? What evidence convinces you of his existence?

Do you believe that God’s moral standards are for your own good? If so, why?

In the end, which would you rather be like—a fallen leaf that gets blown around by every mild breeze or a tree that withstands even powerful storms? Strengthen your identity, and you’ll be like that tree. And that will help you answer the question, Who am I?

Ghee igiemwi na ghee: Ọ ma he sẹ ifuanro igbe ne Karen sẹ iku ọkpa nọ yo, vbe ọ họn vbe ọsiọre khama rẹn wẹẹ:

Vbe Karen ghi gbaro ghee iyeke, ọ na bẹghe ọsiọre ighẹ Jessica vbe ọ da ọgọ ayọn eva yi. Karen rẹnrẹn ighẹ ayọn nọ gbe ọmwa nọ. Jessica na mu ọkpa ne Karen vbene ọ na khama rẹn wẹẹ, “Uwẹ i ghi re ọvbokhan, te a sọyẹnmwẹ egbe!”

Karen ma te hoo nọ miẹn ọnrẹn ayọn nii, sokpan ọse ẹre iran eveva khin. Ọ ma vbe hoo ne Jessica do gha ghee irẹn wẹẹ, ai miẹn ne irẹn gu agbọn ye. Gberra ọni, Jessica i re ọmwa dan. Adeghẹ Jessica wọn vbe ayọn nii, ọni rhiema wẹẹ ẹi re emwi dan. Karen na gha roro ẹre wẹẹ, ‘ayọn kẹkan nọ nia, ẹi vbe re ikpukhunmwu na minọ re.’

Adeghẹ uwẹ ọre Karen, de emwi nu gha te ru?

Ne u sẹtin ru atamuolọyan nọ maan vbe egbe emwi vbenia gha sunu, ọ khẹke ne u gha mwẹ evba ya yi ruẹ ẹro. Ọna ẹre ọ khian ghi ye ruẹ ẹre rre vbekpae aro ọmwa ne u khin kevbe emwi ne u yayi. Adeghẹ u na rẹn aro ọmwa ne u khin, u ghi sẹtin gha mwẹ ẹmwẹ obọ ruẹ, na gha te ya miẹn wẹẹ emwa ọvbehe ẹre ọ ghi tama ruẹ emwi ne u gha ru.—1 Kọrinti 9:26, 27.

Vbọ khian ya ruẹ gha mwẹ egbe ẹrhiọn vberriọ? Avbe inọta na, keghi re usun emwi nọ khian ka wa ru iyobọ nuẹ.

Adeghẹ u na rẹn emwi ne u gha sẹtin ru kevbe uyinmwẹ esi ne u mwẹ, ọna gha ya ruẹ gha mwẹ ilẹkẹtin sayọ.

IGIEMWI NỌ RRE BAIBOL: Ukọ e Pọl keghi gbẹn wẹẹ: “Ọ gha kẹ, I ma he guẹ ẹmwẹ ne a guan, sokpan, ẹi yerriọ vbe ọghe irẹnmwi.” (2 Kọrinti 11:6) Rhunmwuda ne ọ na rẹn Evbagbẹn Nọhuanrẹn ẹsẹsẹmwẹse, e Pọl keghi sẹtin mudia gbain vbe emwa ọvbehe si irẹn evẹn. Irẹn ma gie ẹmwẹ nọ ma khẹke ne emwa ọvbehe ta gbe irẹn orhiọn muotọ.—2 Kọrinti 10:10; 11:5.

ZANZAN EGBUẸ GHEE: Gbẹn emwi ọkpa ne u wa guẹ ye ototọ mwa.

Nia, gbọẹn yotọ akpa ọkpa ne kpataki ne u mwẹ. (Vbe igiemwi, ọmwa nọ mwẹ ẹghẹ ne emwa ọvbehe ẹre u khin ra? U zẹ emwi obọ ra? Ọmwa nọ gia hẹnhẹn egbe yan ẹre u khin ra? U ru emwi ye ẹghẹ ra?)

Adeghẹ ọgiọrọ ọghe ikẹkẹ na fian vbe eke ọkpa, ikẹkẹ nii i ghi mwẹ evbọ gia ya ru, erriọ vbe ye ne ima, adeghẹ ima na gha rhie aro tua ako ne ima na vburriẹ, ma i vbe rẹn emwi ya ru.

IGIEMWI NỌ RRE BAIBOL: E Pọl keghi rẹn eke ne irẹn na gha vburriẹ. Irẹn keghi gbẹn wẹẹ: ‘Ọ gele wa yẹẹ mwẹ ighẹ uhi ọghe Osanobua vbene ekhọe mwẹ ye, sokpan I do bẹghe ẹre wẹẹ vbuwe egbe mwẹ, uhi ọvbehe rrọọ nọ gu ẹre khọn ighẹ uhi ọghe ekhọe mwẹ, nọ ghi do ya imẹ khian ọviẹn ọghe uhi ọghe orukhọ, nọ rre uwu egbe mwẹ.’—Rom 7:22, 23.

ZANZAN EGBUẸ GHEE: De ako eso ne u na vburriẹ nọ khẹke ne u winna yan?

U gha wa gheghe la imọto vbene u i na mwẹ eke nu rrie, ne u khama ọmwa nọ guae nọ wa gha mu ruẹ yo, mu ruẹ rre a te miẹn wẹẹ, e fuẹl fo vbe ne imọto ra? Ẹi re emwi ukọnmwẹ ni khin kevbe ẹki na ya mu igho rria?

Vbe ima miẹn ruẹ vbe igiemwi na? Adeghẹ evbakọnrẹn rrọọ ne u rhie aro tua, u ghi wa rẹn eke ne u rrie kevbe eke ne u ke dee.

IGIEMWI NỌ RRE BAIBOL: E Pọl keghi gbẹn wẹẹ: ‘Ulẹ ne I rhie, ẹi re ọghe ihoi.’ (1 Kọrinti 9:26) Na gha te ya miẹn wẹẹ, te irẹn wa zozo kẹkan vbuwe agbọn, e Pọl keghi fian okhuo ne egbe ẹre kevbe ọ na vbe gha khu ẹre khian.—Filipai 3:12-14.

ZANZAN EGBUẸ GHEE.

Gbẹnnẹ evbakọnrẹn eha ne u hoo nu dobọ mu ọ te sẹ ukpo nọ dee.

Vbene u i na mwẹ emwi ne u yayi, u i sẹtin ru atamuolọyan rhọkpa. Vbe na ghee ẹrokhi, u ghi gha fi egbe werriẹ ne u mieke na gu obọ avbe ọse ruẹ—ọni rhiema wẹẹ u ma rẹn aro ọmwa ne uwẹ khin.

Vbe obọ nọkpa, deghẹ u na gha yin zẹvbe nọ gua iyayi ọghuẹ ro, u ghi ye gha re ọmwa ne u khin—ọ gha khọnrẹn wẹẹ emwa ọvbehe ru emwi nọ lughaẹn ne ọghuẹ.

IGIEMWI NỌ RRE BAIBOL: Egbọre ehọnrre ẹre akhasẹ ighe Daniẹl ghaa khin vbe ọ ‘tamuolọyanrẹn vbe ekhọe ọghẹe’ wẹẹ te irẹn khian lele uhi ọghe Osanobua, ọ gha khọnrẹn wẹẹ ẹgbẹe ọre i rre evba. (Daniẹl 1:8) Atamuolọyan ọghe irẹn na, keghi ya irẹn gha mwẹ ẹmwẹ obọre. E Daniẹl keghi yin zẹvbe nọ gua emwi ne irẹn yayi ro.

ZANZAN EGBUẸ GHEE: De emwi ne uwẹ yayi? Vbe igiemwi: Uwẹ ya Osanobua yi ra? Adeghẹ erriọ nọ, vbọsiẹ ne u na yaeyi? De emwi nọ ya uwẹ yayi wẹẹ ọ gele rrọọ?

Uwẹ yayi wẹẹ, umamwẹ ọghe egbe ima ẹre ima yae gualọ deghẹ ima na gha lele uhi ọghe Osanobua ra? Adeghẹ erriọ nọ, vbọsiẹ?

De ne uwẹ hoo ne uwẹ gha khin vbọ vbe okiekie—ebe nọ kharha kua ne ẹhoho mu yo mu rre ra erhan nọ gbọzinian ne okpẹhoho i sẹtin mu gbotọ? Adeghẹ u na gie emwa rẹn aro ọmwa ne u khin, u gha yevbe erhan nii. Ẹghẹ nii u ghi sẹtin zẹ ewanniẹ ye ne inọta, De ọmwa ne imẹ khin?