USara * uthi: “Ngilenhloni njalo angizithembi kangako. Yikho angikhululeki nxa ngilabantu abazithemba kakhulu futhi abafuna izinto zenziwe ngendlela yabo. Kodwa ngiyakhululeka nxa ngilomuntu omnene njalo othobekileyo. Kulula ukuthi ngithululele umuntu onjalo isifuba. Abangane bami abaseduze bamnene njalo bathobekile.”

Amazwi kaSara atshengisa ukuthi nxa simnene abanye bazafuna ukuba ngabangane bethu. Kanti njalo uJehova uyathokoza nxa simnene. ILizwi lakhe lisikhuthaza ukuthi ‘sigqoke ubumnene.’ (Kol. 3:12) Kutshoni ukuba mnene? UJesu watshengisa njani ukuthi umnene? Ukuba mnene kusinceda njani?

Ubumnene yibuntu obubakhona nxa umuntu elokuthula. Umuntu omnene uphatha abanye ngomusa, uyazibamba futhi kavuki ngolaka nxa bemcaphula.

Ibala lesiGrikhi eliseBhayibhilini elihunyutshwe ngokuthi ‘ubumnene’ lalisetshenziswa nxa kukhulunywa ngebhiza elithanjisiweyo. Lanxa selithanjisiwe liyabe lilokhu lilawo amandla. Ngendlela efananayo ukuba mnene akutsho ukuthi umuntu ubuthakathaka. Kungani sisitsho njalo? Sitsho njalo ngoba uyenelisa ukuzibamba lokuhlalisana kuhle labanye.

Singazitshela ukuthi vele kasisibobantu abamnene. Phela siphila emhlabeni olabantu abafuna izinto zenziwe ngendlela yabo futhi abangabekezeliyo, yikho kungasithwalisa nzima ukuba mnene. (Rom. 7:19) Kuyacaca-ke ukuthi kumele sisebenze gadalala ukuze sibe ngabantu abamnene futhi umoya ongcwele kaJehova uzasinceda ukuthi siqhubeke sizama ukuba njalo. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Kodwa kungani kumele sisebenze nzima ukuthi sibe mnene?

Abantu bayasondela emuntwini omnene. Lathi njengoSara okukhulunywe ngaye phezulu siyakhululeka nxa siphakathi kwabantu abamnene. UJesu wayemnene futhi elomusa ukwedlula bonke abantu. (2 Khor. 10:1) Ngitsho labantwana ababengamazi babefuna ukuba seduze laye.—Mak. 10:13-16.

Nxa simnene sizancedakala siphinde sincede labanye. Singaba mnene kasisoze siphangise ukucaphuka kumbe sivuke ngolaka. (Zaga. 16:32) Lokhu kuzenza ukuthi singazwisi abanye ubuhlungu,  ikakhulu esibathandayo futhi kasisoze sizisole. Kanti njalo sizanceda abanye ngoba ukuzibamba kuzakwenza ukuthi singabathwalisi nzima.

UJesu wayemnene kubo bonke abantu lanxa wayelokunengi kokwenza. Abanengi abaphila ngesikhathi sakhe babethwele nzima futhi besindwa, yikho babedinga ukuphunyuzwa. Kumele ukuthi kwabaduduza ukuzwa uJesu esithi kubo: ‘Wozani kimi ngoba ngimnene futhi ngithobekile enhliziyweni.’—Mat. 11:28, 29.

Singenzani ukuze sibe mnene njengoJesu? Kumele sibale iLizwi likaNkulunkulu ukuze sifunde ngokuthi uJesu wayebaphatha njani abanye lokuthi wayesenzani ezimeni ezinzima. Singenza njalo sizazimisela ukumlingisela nxa siphakathi kwezimo ezingenza kube nzima ukuthi sibe mnene. (1 Phet. 2:21) Ake sixoxe ngezinto ezintathu ezanceda uJesu ukuthi abe mnene.

UJesu wayethobekile sibili. UJesu wathi ‘umnene futhi uthobekile enhliziyweni.’ (Mat. 11:29) Ubumnene lokuthobeka kuyahambelana yikho iBhayibhili likuqamba ndawonye. (Efe. 4:1-3) Yindaba sisithi kuyahambelana?

Ukuthobeka kuyasinceda ukuthi singaphongucaphuka. UJesu wenzani ngesikhathi abanye bemsola ngokuthi ‘uyisihwaba’ lokuthi ‘uphilela ukunatha iwayini’? Watshengisa ngendlela ayephila ngayo ukuthi babemqambela amanga. Wayethobekile, yikho wabaphendula ngendlela emnene wathi “ukuhlakanipha kukhanya ngemisebenzi yakho ukuthi kulungile.”—Mat. 11:19.

Nxa umuntu angakhuluma kubi mayelana lomhlobo wakho, ngokuthi ungowesilisa kumbe ungowesifazana kumbe ngezinto ezenzakala kudala empilweni yakho, zama ukumphendula ngendlela emnene. UPeter ongumdala webandla eSouth Africa uthi: “Nxa ngingacatshulwa yilokho okutshiwo ngomunye ngiyazibuza, ‘Aluba bekunguJesu ocatshuliweyo ubezakwenzani?’” Uqhubeka esithi: “Sengafunda ukuthi akumelanga ngizibone ngingcono kulabanye.”

UJesu wayekwazi ukuthi abantu balesono. Abafundi bakaJesu babefuna ukwenza okuhle, kodwa ngezinye izikhathi babesehluleka ukwenza njalo ngoba babelesono. Ngokwesibonelo, ngobusuku uJesu ezavuka ebulawa, wacela uPhetro, uJakhobe loJohane ukuthi bahlale bephapheme. Kodwa bona behluleka ukwenza njalo. UJesu watshengisa ukuthi uyazwisisa ukuthi kungani babelala lapho esithi: “Umoya uyafisa sibili kodwa inyama ibuthakathaka.” (Mat. 26:40, 41) Ukuzwisisa ukuthi babelesono kwenza uJesu wangabacaphukeli abaphostoli bakhe.

Udade okuthiwa nguMandy wayethanda ukusola abanye kodwa khathesi uyazama sibili ukuthi alingisele isibonelo sikaJesu ngokuba mnene. Uthi: “Ngiyazama ukukhumbula ukuthi bonke abantu balesono lokukhangela ubuntu babo obuhle njengalokho okwenziwa nguJehova.” UJesu wayezwisisa ukuthi abantu babuthakathaka, yikho mlingisele ngokuphatha abanye ngendlela emnene.

UJesu wayethembela kuNkulunkulu. UJesu wayephathwa kubi ngesikhathi esemhlabeni. Abanye babengamzwisisi, bemeyisa njalo bemhlukuluza. Lanxa kunjalo wahlala emnene ngoba “wathembela kuLowo owahlulela ngendlela elungileyo.” (1 Phet. 2:23) Wayekwazi ukuthi uYise osezulwini uzamncedisa aqinisele lokuthi uzabajezisa ngesikhathi esifaneleyo labo ababemphatha kubi.

Nxa singaphathwa kubi futhi sivuke ngolaka izinto zingaba zimbi kakhulu. Yikho iMibhalo isithi: “Ukuzonda komuntu akukulethi ukulunga kukaNkulunkulu.” (Jak. 1:20) Lanxa singabe silesizatho sokuthi sizonde, isono esilaso singabangela ukuthi sicine sisenza into okungamelanga siyenze.

Udade okuthiwa nguCathy ohlala eGermany wayejayele ukucabanga ukuthi nxa engayekela ukuzilwela akulamuntu owayezamlwela. Kodwa watshintsha ngesikhathi esefunde ukuthemba uJehova. Uthi: “Khathesi angisasiboni isidingo sokuthi ngitshone ngizilwela. Sengisenelisa ukuba mnene ngoba ngiyakwazi ukuthi uJehova uzaqeda zonke izinto ezimbi emhlabeni.” Ukulingisela isibonelo sikaJesu  sokuthembela kuNkulunkulu kuzakunceda ukuthi uhlale umnene nxa uphathwa kubi.

UJesu watshengisa ukuthi nxa sifuna ukuthokoza kumele sibe mnene. Wathi: “Bayathokoza abamnene.” (Mat. 5:5) Ake sixoxe ngokuthi ukuba mnene kusinceda njani ezimeni ezilandelayo.

Ukuba mnene kunceda abatshadileyo nxa kube lokungazwanani. Umzalwane okuthiwa nguRobert ohlala e-Australia uthi: “Sengatshela umkami izinto ezinengi ezamzwisa ubuhlungu engangingahlosanga ukuzitsho. Kodwa ungavele ukhulume amazwi ahlabayo awungeke uphinde uwaginye. Kwakungidanisa ukuthi ngimzwise ubuhlungu.”

“Sonke siyaphambanisa izikhathi ezinengi” ngesikutshoyo futhi amazwi esiwakhuluma singacabanganga angabangela inhlupho emtshadweni. (Jak. 3:2) Ngezikhathi ezinjalo ukuba mnene kuyasinceda ukuthi singavuki ngolaka futhi silubambe ulimi lwethu.—Zaga. 17:27.

URobert wasebenza nzima ukuthi azibambe futhi angavuki ngolaka. Kwaphetha njani? Uthi: “Khathesi nxa mina lomkami singaba lokungazwanani ngiyazama ukumlalelisisa, ukukhuluma ngobumnene lokungazondi. Sesizwanana kulakuqala.”

Ukuba mnene kuyasinceda ukuthi sibe lobudlelwano labanye. Abantu abaphangisa ukuzonda bacina sebelabangane abalutshwana. Kodwa nxa singaba mnene ‘sizahlala silokuthula okwenza sibambane sibe munye.’ (Efe. 4:2, 3) UCathy esike sakhuluma ngaye uthi: “Ukuba mnene kwenza ngikholise ukuba labanye lanxa abanye abantu kunzima ukujayelana labo.”

Ukuba mnene kwenza sihlaliseke. IBhayibhili liveza ukuthi “ukuhlakanipha okuvela phezulu” kuhamba ndawonye lobumnene lokuthula. (Jak. 3:13, 17) Umuntu omnene uhlalisekile engqondweni. (Zaga. 14:30) UMartin owasebenza nzima ukuthi abe mnene uthi: “Khathesi kangisahlali ngifuna ukuthi izinto zenziwe ngendlela yami futhi sengilokuthula lentokozo.”

Kungadingeka ukuthi sisebenze nzima ukuze sibe mnene. Omunye umzalwane uthi: “Sengikhuluma iqiniso, lakhathesi ngiyake ngifuthelane ngaphakathi.” Kodwa uJehova osikhuthaza ukuthi sibe mnene uzasincedisa. (Isaya. 41:10; 1 Tim. 6:11) ‘Uzaqedisa ukuqeqetshwa kwethu’ njalo ‘asenze sibe lamandla.’ (1 Phet. 5:10) Lathi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi singafanana lomphostoli uPhawuli sibe ‘mnene futhi sibe lomusa kaKhristu.’—2 Khor. 10:1.