UFERNANDO * wayethukile. Abadala ababili babecele ukukhuluma naye ngasese. Isikhathi ngasinye lapho umbonisi wesigodi evakashele ibandla, abadala babechazela uFernando ngalokho okudingeka akwenze ukuze afanelekele amalungelo athe xaxa ebandleni. Njengoba isikhathi sihamba, uFernando waqala ukuzibuza ukuthi kazi uyoke amiswe yini njengomdala. Manje umbonisi wesigodi wayesanda kuhambela ibandla futhi. Babezothini abadala kulokhu?

UFernando wayelalele njengoba omunye wabadala ekhuluma naye. Umzalwane wabhekisela kweyoku-1 Thimothewu 3:1 wayesethi abadala bebandla bathole incwadi ethi umiswe njengomdala. UFernando washo emangele, “Ngicela uphinde futhi.” Umzalwane wakuphinda lokhu ayekushilo, uFernando wavele wamomotheka. Ngemva kwalokho, kwamenyezelwa ebandleni ukuthi umisiwe, kwajabula wonke umuntu.

Ingabe kubi ukuba nesifiso sokuthola amalungelo ebandleni? Lutho. Ngokweyoku-1 Thimothewu 3:1, “uma umuntu ezama ukufinyelela ukuba umbonisi, ufisa umsebenzi omuhle.” Amadoda amaningi angamaKristu ayasithatha lesi sikhuthazo bese enza intuthuko engokomoya ukuze afanelekele amalungelo ebandleni. Umphumela uba ukuthi abantu bakaNkulunkulu babusiswa ngamashumi ezinkulungwane zabadala nezinceku ezikhonzayo ezifanelekayo. Nokho ngenxa yokwanda emabandleni, kunesidingo sokuba abazalwane abengeziwe bazame ukufinyelela amalungelo enkonzo. Iyiphi indlela efanele yokwenza lokhu? Ingabe labo abanesifiso sokuba ababonisi kufanele bakhathazeke ngakho njengoba kwenza uFernando?

Inkulumo eseBhayibhelini ethi ‘ukuzama ukufinyelela’ ihumusha isenzo sesiGreki esinomqondo  wokufisa ngobuqotho, ukululeka ukuze ufinyelele okuthile. Mhlawumbe lokho kungakucabangisa umuntu oluleka aze acokame ezama ukukha isithelo esiconsisa amathe. Kodwa ukuzama ukufinyelela amalungelo akusho ukuqhwaga ilungelo ‘lokuba umbonisi.’ Ngani? Ngoba umgomo walabo abanesifiso esiqotho sokukhonza njengabadala kufanele ube ukwenza “umsebenzi omuhle” kunokuba ube ukuthola isikhundla.

Eziningi zezimfuneko ezihlobene nalo msebenzi omuhle zibhalwe kweyoku-1 Thimothewu 3:2-7 nakuThithu 1:5-9. Ngokuphathelene nalezo zindinganiso eziphakeme, uRaymond osenesikhathi engumdala wathi: “Kimina, okuyiyona nto ebaluleke kakhulu yilokho esiyikho. Ukukhuluma nokufundisa kubalulekile, kodwa lawo makhono awasidluli isidingo sokuba ongasoleki, olinganiselayo emikhubeni, ohluzekile engqondweni, ohlelekile, ongenisa izihambi nocabangelayo.”

Umzalwane ozama ngempela ukufinyelela amalungelo enkonzo uzibonisa engongasoleki ngokugwema zonke izinhlobo zokungathembeki nokungcola. Uyalinganisela emikhubeni, uhluzekile engqondweni, uhlelekile futhi uyacabangela; ngenxa yalokho, abakhulekeli abakanye naye bayamethemba ukuthi angakwazi ukuhola futhi abasize ezinkingeni zabo. Ngenxa yomoya anawo wokungenisa izihambi, uba umthombo wesikhuthazo kulabo abasebasha nalabo abasanda kuhlanganyela. Unikeza abagulayo nasebekhulile induduzo nosizo ngoba ungumthandi wobuhle. Uhlakulela lezi zimfanelo ukuze azuzise abanye, hhayi ukuze andise amathuba akhe okumiswa. *

Indikimba yabadala iyakujabulela ukunikeza izeluleko nezikhuthazo, kodwa ukufinyelela izimfuneko ezingokomBhalo kushiyelwa kumuntu ozama ukufinyelela amalungelo enkonzo. UHenry, umbonisi osemnkantsh’ ubomvu, uthi: “Uma uzama ukufinyelela amalungelo enkonzo, zikhandle ukuze ubonise ukuthi uyafaneleka.” Ecaphuna umShumayeli 9:10, uyachaza: “‘Konke isandla sakho esikutholayo ukuba sikwenze, kwenze ngawo wonke amandla akho.’ Noma isiphi isabelo abadala abakunika sona, senze ngokusemandleni akho. Thanda wonke umsebenzi onikezwa wona ebandleni, kuhlanganise nokushanela.  Ngesikhathi esifanele, umsebenzi nomzamo owenzayo uyoqashelwa.” Uma ufisa ukukhonza njengomdala, khuthala futhi uthembeke kuzo zonke izici zenkonzo engcwele. Ukuthobeka kufanele kube isona sici esivelele ekuphileni kwakho kunokufuna ukuvelela okuhambisana nokuqhosha.—Math. 23:8-12.

Abanye abanesifiso sokuthola amalungelo ebandleni bangase balingeke ukuba bakuveze ngeziphansi noma bazame ukuthonya abadala. Abanye babonisa ukungajabuli lapho abadala bebanika iseluleko. Abanjalo kufanele bazibuze, ‘Ingabe ngifuna ukwanelisa ezami izifiso, noma ngifuna ukunakekela izimvu zikaJehova ngokuthobeka?’

Labo abazama ukufinyelela amalungelo enkonzo kufanele bangayikhohlwa enye imfuneko kubadala, eyokuba “izibonelo emhlambini.” (1 Pet. 5:1-3) Umuntu oyisibonelo ebandleni uyazigwema izenzo nokucabanga kobuqili. Uhlakulela ukukhuthazela ngesineke, esemisiwe noma engakamiswa. Ukuba umdala akusho ukuthi umuntu usekhululwe ngokuyisimangaliso ekungaphelelini. (Num. 12:3; IHu. 106:32, 33) Kanti kungenzeka nokuthi umzalwane akazi ‘lutho olumelene’ naye, kuyilapho abanye benokuningi okubenza bambone engafaneleki. (1 Kor. 4:4) Ngakho, lapho abadala bekunika iseluleko esiqotho esisekelwe eBhayibhelini, zama ukulalela, ungacasuki. Ngemva kwalokho sisebenzise leso seluleko.

Abazalwane abaningi babona kuthatha isikhathi eside ukuba bamiswe. Uma sekuphele iminyaka eminingana ‘uzama ukufinyelela ukuba umbonisi,’ kuyenzeka yini ngezinye izikhathi uzithole ukhathazekile? Uma kunjalo, phawula la mazwi aphefumulelwe: “Ukuhlehliswa kwento elindelwe kuyayigulisa inhliziyo, kodwa leyo nto efiswayo ingumuthi wokuphila lapho ifika.”—IzAga 13:12.

Umuntu angase ezwe ubuhlungu lapho umgomo osekuyisikhathi eside enawo ubonakala ungafinyeleleki. U-Abrahama wazizwa ngaleyo ndlela. UJehova wayemthembise indodana, kodwa benoSara bahlala iminyaka bengenabantwana. (Gen. 12:1-3, 7) Eminyakeni yakhe yokuguga, u-Abrahama wathi: “Nkosi EnguMbusi Jehova, uyonginikani, njengoba ngingenamntwana  . . . Awunginikanga nzalo.” UJehova wamqinisekisa ngokuthi isithembiso sakhe sokuthi uzomnika indodana siyofezeka. Kodwa kwadlula cishe iminyaka engu-14 ngaphambi kokuba uNkulunkulu afeze izwi lakhe.—Gen. 15:2-4; 16:16; 21:5.

Ngesikhathi u-Abrahama esalindile, ingabe walahlekelwa injabulo ekukhonzeni uJehova? Cha. Akazange asingabaze isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu. Waqhubeka ebheke phambili emphumeleni omuhle. Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Ngemva kokuba u-Abrahama ebonise ukubekezela, wasithola lesi sithembiso.” (Heb. 6:15) Ekugcineni, uNkulunkulu uMninimandla onke wabusisa le ndoda ethembekile ngaphezu kwalokho eyayikulindele. Yini ongayifunda ku-Abrahama?

Uma uthanda ukukhonza njengomdala kodwa sekudlule iminyaka kungenzeki, qhubeka uthembele kuJehova. Ungavumeli lutho lukuphuce injabulo enkonzweni. UWarren, osesize abazalwane abaningi bathuthuka ngokomoya, uyachaza: “Inqubo yokufanelekela ukumiswa njengombonisi yenzeka kancane  kancane. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, amakhono omzalwane nesimo sakhe sengqondo kubonakala kancane kancane endleleni enza ngayo izinto nafeza ngayo izabelo zakhe. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi ukuphumelela kubonakala ngokuthola amalungelo athile. Ukucabanga okunjalo kuyiphutha futhi kungagcina sekuyiyona nto esicabanga ngayo njalo. Uma ukhonza uJehova ngokwethembeka kunoma isiphi isabelo, usuke uphumelele.”

Omunye umzalwane wayeselinde iminyaka engaphezu kweyishumi ngesikhathi emiswa njengomdala. Ebhekisela encazelweni edumile esencwadini kaHezekeli isahluko 1, washo isifundo asifunda: “UJehova ushayela inqola eyinhlangano yakhe ngejubane alibona lifaneleka. Akusona isikhathi sethu esibalulekile kodwa esikaJehova. Endabeni yokufuna ukukhonza njengomdala, akumina engibalulekile—okusho ukuthi, lokho engikufunayo noma engifisa ukuba yikho akubalulekile. Engikufisayo kungenzeka kungabi yilokho uJehova abona ukuthi ngiyakudinga.”

Uma unethemba lokuba umbonisi ofeza umsebenzi omuhle ngelinye ilanga, yiba nesandla enjabulweni yebandla. Uma isikhathi sibonakala sihamba kancane, yilwa nokukhathazeka nokuphelelwa isineke. URaymond okukhulunywe ngaye ngaphambili, wathi: “Ukufuna izikhundla kwenza umuntu angeneliseki. Labo abahlale bekhathazekile baphuthelwa injabulo etholakala ekukhonzeni uJehova.” Hlakulela izithelo zomoya kaNkulunkulu, ikakhulukazi ukubekezela. Zikhandle ukuze uthuthukise ingokomoya lakho ngokutadisha iBhayibheli. Yandisa inkonzo yakho yokushumayela izindaba ezinhle nokufunda iBhayibheli nabantu abathakazelayo. Hola umkhaya wakho ezintweni ezingokomoya nasekukhulekeleni komkhaya. Wajabulele wonke amathuba onawo okuba nabafowenu nodadewenu. Nakuba ungakamiswa, uzokujabulela ukukhonza uJehova.

Ukusebenzela ukufanelekela amalungelo ebandleni kuyithuba eliyisibusiso elivela kuJehova; yena nenhlangano yakhe abafisi ukuba labo abazama ukufinyelela amalungelo badumale noma bangajabuli enkonzweni yakhe. UNkulunkulu usekela futhi abusise bonke abamkhonza ngezisusa ezinhle. Njengoba kunjalo ngazo zonke izibusiso zakhe, “akenezeli ubuhlungu kanye naso.”—IzAga 10:22.

Ngisho noma usunesikhathi eside uzama ukufinyelela amalungelo, kuningi osengakwenza ukuze uthuthuke ngokomoya. Njengoba uqhubeka uhlakulela izimfanelo ezidingekayo futhi usebenza ngenkuthalo ebandleni ube unaka nomkhaya wakho, uyozakhela umlando omuhle ongeke ulitshalwe. Sengathi ukukhonza uJehova kungakuthokozisa njalo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi unikwa siphi isabelo.