UPaul utshadile njalo ulabantwana ababili. Uthi: “Izinto zazikhwela nsuku zonke elizweni lakithi, intengo yokudla yacina isisemba eqolo njalo kwakungasatholakali. Kwakudlula amahora amanengi silayinele ukudla kodwa izikhathi ezinengi kwakuphela sisalayinile. Abantu bacaka baphela ngendlala njalo abanye babeqaleka ezitaladini. Intengo yezinto eziqakathekileyo zansuku zonke yakhwela yabamba amamiliyoni, yacina isifika lakumabhiliyoni. Ekucineni imali yakithi yayingasathengi. Ngalahlekelwa yimali yempentsheni kanye laleyo engangiyilondoloze ebhanga laku-insurance.”

UPaul wakunanzelela ukuthi ukuze imuli yakhe idlule ebunzimeni lobu kwakumele ‘ahlele ngolwazi.’ (IZaga 3:21) Uqhubeka esithi: “Umsebenzi wami wawungowokulungisa amagetsi kodwa ngangingasakhethi msebenzi lanxa ngangibhadalwa imali encane. Abanye babengibhadala ngokudla loba ngempahla yendlini. Umuntu wayesithi angangibhadala ngamasepa amane ngigcine amabili, amanye ngiwathengise. Ngacina ngithola amatsiyane angu-40. Athi esekhulile ngawathengisa ngasengithenga amanye angu-300. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ngathatha inkukhu ezingu-50 ngayazintshintshisa ngama-50 kg empuphu amabili. Impuphu le yasinceda kakhulu okwesikhathi eside njalo senelisa lokunceda ezinye izimuli.”

UPaul wayekwazi lokuthi okuqakatheke kakhulu umuntu angakwenza yikuthembela kuNkulunkulu. UNkulunkulu uyasincedisa nxa singamlalela. Yikho lapho uJesu ekhuluma ngezinto ezidingakalayo ukuze siphile wathi: “Lingakhathazeki ngalokho . . . uYihlo uyazi ukuthi liyaziswela.”—ULukha 12:29-31.

Okubuhlungu kakhulu yikuthi isitha sikaNkulunkulu esikhulu uSathane sesiqile abantu abanengi ukuthi baphilele ukudinga izinto zokuziphilisa. Ababuquthi ubuthongo bekhathazeka ngezinswelo zabo kanye lezinto abacabanga ukuthi abangeke baphile bengelazo, njalo basebenza ubusuku lemini bezama ukuthola lezinto ezingaqakathekanga kangako empilweni. Abanye bangena ezikweledeni baze bayifunde  ivaliwe ukuthi “lalowo owebolekayo uyisichaka salowo omebolekayo.”—IZaga 22:7.

Abanye benza izinqumo ezibathela emanyaleni. UPaul uthi: “Omakhelwana abanengi batshiya izimuli zabo kanye labangane besiyadinga ‘amadlelo aluhlaza’ phetsheya. Abanye bahamba bengelamaphepha eneleyo basebefika besehluleka ukuthola imisebenzi. Babehlala becatshela amapholisa futhi belala lasezitaladini. Abazange baphe uNkulunkulu ithuba lokuthi abancedise. Kodwa thina sakhetha ukulwisa uhlupho lwemali siyimuli, futhi sincediswa nguNkulunkulu.”

UPaul uqhubeka esithi: “UJesu wathi: ‘Lingazihluphi ngelakusasa ngoba ikusasa lizazinqinekela lona. Yilolosuku lulohlupho lwalo olulwaneleyo.’ Ngakho-ke engangikuthandazela nsuku zonke yikuthi uNkulunkulu ‘asiphe lamuhla ukudla kwethu kwensuku zonke’ ukuze siqhubeke siphila. Lakanye wasinceda njengokuthembisa kukaJesu. Kayisikho ukuthi sasihlala sithola izinto esasizifuna. Kwelinye ilanga ngangena elayinini ngingakwazi lokuthi kwakuthengiswani. Ngathi sengiphambili ngabona kuthengiswa amayogathi. Angiyithandi iyogathi. Kodwa salala ngayo mhlalokho ngoba yikho ukudla okwakukhona. Ngiyambonga uNkulunkulu ngoba ngalesosikhathi sobunzima imuli yami ayizange ilale ngendlala.” *

“Khathesi imali kayisasihluphi kangako. Kodwa esake sakubona kwasifundisa ukuthi into eqakatheke kakhulu engasinceda ukuthi silwisane lokukhathazeka yikuthemba uNkulunkulu. UJehova * uzahlala esisiza nxa singaqhubeka sifuna ukwenza intando yakhe. Sakubona sibili ukuthi amazwi akuHubo 34:8 aliqiniso. Athi: ‘Nambithani libone ukuthi uJehova ulungile, ubusisiwe umuntu ophephela kuye.’ Yikho-ke nxa uhlupho lwezomnotho lungasehlela futhi, kasisoze sesabe.

“Khathesi sesikuzwisisa kuhle ukuthi okuqakatheke kakhulu ukuze umuntu aqhubeke ephila yikudla hatshi umsebenzi loba imali. Sisilindele ngabomvu isikhathi lapho okuzagcwaliseka khona isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu esithi: ‘Akuthi amabele ande elizweni lonke.’ Okwakhathesi ‘uma silokudla lezigqoko sizasuthiseka ngalokho.’ Okusiqinisayo ngamazwi aseBhayibhilini athi: ‘Ekuphileni kwenu xwayani ukuthanda imali lisuthiseke ngalokho elilakho, ngoba uNkulunkulu wathi: “Kangisoze ngilitshiye kangisoze ngilidele.” Ngakho siyatsho ngethemba sithi, “INkosi ingumsizi wami; kangiyikwesaba.” ’ ” *

Kudinga ukholo oluqinileyo ukuthi ‘sibambelele kuNkulunkulu’ njengokwenziwa nguPaul lemuli yakhe. (UGenesisi 6:9) Kungenzakala ukuthi khathesi siphakathi kohlupho lwemali olusithwalise amagabha avuzayo, loba mhlawumbe lusazosehlela ngesikhathi esizayo. Kodwa isibonelo sikaPaul sisifundisa ukuthi kumele sibe lokholo futhi sihlele ngolwazi nxa sisebunzimeni.

Kodwa ungenzani nxa kuyikuthi izinhlupho ezisemulini yakho zikwenza uhlale ukhathazekile?