NGOMNYAKA odlulileyo kulezinkulungwane zaboFakazi bakaJehova abakhethwe ukuthi babe ngabadala lezinceku ezikhonzayo. Nxa lawe ungomunye wabo sileqiniso lokuthi uyathokoza sibili ngokuthola isibusiso esingaka.

Kodwa kungenzakala ukuthi uyake ukhathazeke ngokuthi uzakwenelisa yini ukufeza umsebenzi owuphathisiweyo. Osemutsha okuthiwa nguJason uthi: “Ngathi ngisanda kuba ngumdala ngangicabanga ukuthi angisoze ngenelise ukuyifeza imisebenzi engiyiphathisiweyo.” Lokhu kwakungaqali ngaye ngoba uMosi loJeremiya labo babebona angani kabasoze benelise ukuyifeza imisebenzi ababeyiphathiswe nguJehova. (Eks. 4:10; Jer. 1:6) Pho kuyini okungakusiza nxa lawe ulohlupho olufanayo? Isibonelo sikaThimothi singakusiza.​—ImiSeb. 16:1-3.

Kungenzakala ukuthi uThimothi wayeleminyaka ephakathi kwengu-18 kusiya kwengu-23 ngesikhathi umphostoli uPhawuli emnxusa ukuthi bahambe bonke. Njengoba wayesesemutsha kungenzakala ukuthi wayengazethembi futhi wayesesaba ukufeza umsebenzi ayewuphathisiwe. (1 Tim. 4:11, 12; 2 Tim. 1:1, 2, 7) Kodwa ngemva kweminyaka engu-10 uPhawuli wabhalela ibandla laseFiliphi wathi: “Ngiyathemba eNkosini uJesu ukuba ngizathuma uThimothi kini masinyane . . . Kangilaye omunye onjengaye.”—Flp. 2:19, 20.

Kuyini okwenza uThimothi waba ngumdala owufeza kuhle umsebenzi wakhe? Asihloleni izifundo eziyisithupha esingamlingisela kuzo.

1. Wayelendaba labantu. UPhawuli watshela abazalwane beFiliphi ngoThimothi wathi: ‘Uthakazelela inhlalakuhle yenu ngobuqotho.’ (Flp. 2:20) Ngeqiniso uThimothi wayelendaba labantu. Wayelesifiso sokuthi basondele kuJehova futhi wazinikela ngenxa yabo.

Akufanelanga ube njengomtshayeli webhasi ogijimisa ukubamba isikhathi sokufika esititshini ngasinye kodwa engelandaba lokuthwala abantu. Omunye umzalwane okuthiwa nguWilliam oseleminyaka edlula 20 engumdala uhlala ekhuthaza amadoda asanda kuphathiswa imisebenzi ngamazwi la: “Bathande abazalwane. Ubaqakathekise ukwedlula imisebenzi oyiphathisiweyo.”

2. Wayeqakathekisa umsebenzi wokutshumayela. Eqathanisa uThimothi labanye, uPhawuli wathi: “Ngoba abantu bonke bazifunela okwabo, hatshi okukaJesu Khristu.” (Flp. 2:21) Ngesikhathi uPhawuli ebhala amazwi la wayeseRoma njalo kulapho ananzelela khona ukuthi abanye abazalwane babekhathazeke kakhulu ngemisebenzi yabo futhi bengelandaba lokufeza inkonzo. Kodwa uThimothi wayetshiyene khatshana labazalwane labo. Wayesithi angathola amathuba okuthuthukisa inkonzo wayezimisela njengo-Isaya owathi: “Ngilapha. Thuma mina!”​—Isaya. 6:8.

Pho kuyini okungakusiza ukuthi uqakathekise inkonzo ukwedlula ezinye izinto? Yikwazi okumele kuze kuqala. UPhawuli wathi: “Ukuba libe leqiniso ngezinto eziqakatheke kakhulu.” (Flp. 1:10, NW) Faka izinto eziphathelane loMbuso kuqala njalo uxwaye izinto ezingakuqedela isikhathi lamandla. UPhawuli wakhuthaza  uThimothi wathi: “Balekela izinkanuko ezimbi zobutsha ufune ukulunga, lokukholwa, lothando kanye lokuthula.”​—2 Tim. 2:22.

3. Wayekukhuthalele ukwenza imisebenzi ephathelane lenkonzo engcwele. UPhawuli wakhumbuza abaseFiliphi wathi: “Kodwa lina liyakwazi ukuthi uThimothi usezifakazele, ngoba njengendodana loyise usesebenze lami emsebenzini wevangeli.” (Flp. 2:22) UThimothi wayengasilovila kodwa wasebenza nzima eloPhawuli njalo lokhu kwenza bazwanana sibili.

Imisebenzi kayipheli enhlanganisweni kaJehova. Yimisebenzi ethokozisayo futhi esenza sizwanane labafowethu labodadewethu. Ngakho kufanele ‘sizinikele ngokupheleleyo emsebenzini weNkosi.’​—1 Khor. 15:58.

4. Wayekusebenzisa ayekufunda. UPhawuli wabhalela uThimothi wathi: “Kodwa wena, wazi konke ngemfundiso yami, lempilo yami, lenjongo yami, lokukholwa, lokubekezela, lothando, lokuqinisela.” (2 Tim. 3:10.) UThimothi wayekusebenzisa ayekufunda yikho waphathiswa eminye imisebenzi eminengi.​—1 Khor. 4:17.

Ulaye yini umngane omdala kulawe futhi ololwazi olunengi ongamlingisela? Nxa ungelaye zama ukumdinga. Umzalwane okuthiwa nguTom oseleminyaka eminengi engumdala uthi: “Omunye wabadala wasuka wangifaka ekhwapheni futhi wangiqeqetsha kuhle. Ngangimcela ukuthi angisize njalo ngangikusebenzisa ayengitshela khona. Lokhu kwanginceda ukuthi ngibe lesibindi.”

5. Waqhubeka eziqeqetsha. UPhawuli wakhuthaza uThimothi wathi: “Zifundise ukumesaba uNkulunkulu.” (1 Tim. 4:7) Umuntu ogijimayo uba lomqeqetshi kodwa laye kuyadingeka ukuthi aziqeqetshe. UPhawuli waphinda watshela uThimothi wathi: “Zinikele ekufundeleni uzulu imibhalo, ekutshumayeleni kanye lasekufundiseni. . . . Khuthalela izinto lezi; zinikele ngokupheleleyo kuzo, ukuze umuntu wonke abone ukuqhubeka kwakho.”​—1 Tim. 4:13-15.

Kumele uqhubeke uthuthuka. Ungasaleli emuva kodwa woba ngumfundi okhutheleyo futhi ohambisana leziqondiso ezintsha ezivela enhlanganisweni. Ungazithembi kakhulu njalo ungacabangi ukuthi usulolwazi olunengi okokuthi usungenza loba yini ungazange uchwayisise ngokujulileyo. Lingisela uThimothi ‘ngokuqaphela kakhulu ukuphila kwakho kanye lemfundiso.’​—1 Tim. 4:16.

6. Wayethembe umoya kaJehova. Ekhangela inkonzo kaThimothi, uPhawuli wamkhumbuza wathi: ‘Londoloza isibambiso osiphathisiweyo silondoloze ngosizo lomoya ongcwele ohlala phakathi kwethu.’ (2 Tim. 1:14) Ukuze uThimothi ahlale ebambelele enkonzweni yakhe kwakumele athembe umoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu.

Umzalwane okuthiwa nguDonald oseleminyaka eminengi engumdala uthi: “Amadoda aphathiswe imisebenzi kumele aqakathekise ubuhlobo bawo loNkulunkulu. Labo abakwenzayo lokhu ‘bazakhula amandla abo ande.’ Nxa bangathandazela umoya kaNkulunkulu futhi babe lezithelo zawo bazakuba yisibusiso kubazalwane.”​—Hubo. 84:7; 1 Phet. 4:11.

Kuyakhuthaza kakhulu ukubona abazalwane abasanda kukhethwa ukuthi babe ngabadala lezinceku ezikhonzayo njengawe bevuma ukusetshenziswa nguJehova. UJason esike sakhuluma ngaye ekuqaliseni uthi: “Kusukela ngisiba ngumdala kuze kube khathesi sengifunde izinto ezinengi ezingenze ngaba lesibindi. Ngiyawukholisa umsebenzi engiwuphathisiweyo njalo ngiwubona njengesibusiso esikhulu.”

Uzamvumela yini uJehova ukuthi aqhubeke ekusebenzisa? Zimisele ukufunda esibonelweni sikaThimothi. Lawe uzakuba yisibusiso ebantwini bakaNkulunkulu.