UPaul onenkosikazi nabantwana ababini uthi: “Emva kokwehla kwamandla emali kwilizwe lethu, ukutya kwanqaba, namaxabiso antinga. Xa siye kuthenga ukutya, sasisima emigceni iiyure ezininzi, kodwa kwakuye kuphele sijongile. Inxele likaKhetsekile labatsho abantu babhitya bayimicinga, abanye befeyinta ezitratweni. Amaxabiso ezinto nje eziqhelekileyo axhoma afikelela kwizigidi, ada aya kutsho nakwiibhiliyoni. Ekugqibeleni, imali yaphelelwa lixabiso. Yatshona yonke imali yam ebisebhankini, eyeinshorensi neyomhlala-phantsi.”

UPaul wayeyiqonda into yokuba ukuze intsapho yakhe isinde, wayemele asebenzise “ubulumko bobuqili.” (IMizekeliso 3:21) Uthi: “Ndandinenkampani yombane, kodwa ndandisenza nawuphi na umsebenzi endiwufumanayo, ngemali engaphantsi lee kunaleyo ndandidla ngokuyifumana. Abanye babendihlawula ngokutya okanye ngezinto ezinokusetyenziswa ekhaya. Ukuba ndiye ndahlawulwa ngeesepha ezine, ndandizisebenzisa ezimbini ndize ezinye ndizithengise. Ethubeni ndafumana amantshontsho enkuku ayi-40. Athi akukhula, ndawathengisa ndaza ndathenga amanye ayi-300. Kamva, ndanikezela ngeenkuku eziyi-50 ukuze ndifumane iingxowa ezimbini zomgubo. Ngezo ngxowa ndondla intsapho yam nezinye kangangexesha elide.”

UPaul wayesazi ukuba enye into ebalulekileyo anokuyenza kukuthembela kuThixo. Nathi xa simthobela, uyasinceda. Xa wayethetha ngokufumana izinto ezibalulekileyo ebomini, uYesu wathi: “Musani ukuthingaza nisexhaleni; kuba . . . uYihlo uyazi ukuba niziswele ezi zinto.”—Luka 12:29-31.

Okubuhlungu kukuba, uSathana olutshaba olukhulu lukaThixo uye wenza abantu abaninzi ehlabathini baxhalabela izinto zenyama. Abantu bazikhathaza kakhulu ngezinto abazidingayo nabacinga ukuba bayazidinga, baze baxolele ukwenza nantoni na ukuze bazifumane. Abaninzi batshona zwabha ematyaleni,  baze bafunde kabuhlungu ukuba “obolekayo ngumkhonzi kumntu obolekisayo.”—IMizekeliso 22:7.

Abanye abantu benza izigqibo eziyingozi. UPaul uthi: “Abamelwane abaninzi baye bashiya iintsapho zabo kunye nabahlobo babo besiya kukhangela ‘amakriwa aluhlaza’ kwamanye amazwe. Bambi bafuduka bengenazo iimpepha ezisemthethweni, baza abakwazi ukufumana imisebenzi. Bazibhaqa sele bebaleka amapolisa, belala nasezitratweni. Abazange bamnike thuba uThixo lokuba abancede. Kodwa thina siye sagqiba ekubeni sibambisane njengentsapho, sithembele kuncedo lukaThixo.”

UPaul uqhubeka athi: “UYesu wathi: ‘Musani ukuxhalela ingomso, kuba ingomso liya kuba namaxhala alo. Imini nganye inobayo ububi obuyilingeneyo.’ Mihla le ndandithandazela ukuba uThixo ‘asiphe isonka semihla ngemihla’ ukuze siphile. Ibe wakwenza oko, kanye njengokuba uYesu wayethembisile. Besingasoloko sifumana kanye oko besikunqwenela. Ndikhumbula ndingena evenkileni ndingazi ukuba yintoni ekhoyo. Ndafika kukho iyogati kuphela. Andiyithandi iyogati. Kodwa ke kukutya, ngoko satya iyogati ngaloo ngokuhlwa. Ndiyambulela uThixo kuba ngalo lonke elo xesha zange nangemin’ enye silale silambile.” *

“Noko ngoku izinto azimnta’ kaNgqika. Kodwa kukonke nje oku kusifundise ukuba elona yeza lokunyanga ukuxhalaba kukuthembela ngoThixo. UYehova * uya kusoloko esinceda xa sisenza izinto azithandayo. Siye sabona ubunyani bamazwi akwiNdumiso 34:8 athi: ‘Ngcamlani nibone ukuba uYehova ulungile; inoyolo indoda eyomeleleyo esabela kuye.’ Ngenxa yoko, enoba angaphinda ehle amandla emali kwakhona, asiyi koyika.

“Ngoku siyiqonda kakuhle into yokuba eyona nto ibalulekileyo ukuze abantu baphile kukutya, kungekhona umsebenzi okanye imali. Sikulinde ngamehl’ abomvu ukuzaliseka kwesithembiso sikaThixo esithi: ‘Kuya kubakho ukudla okuziinkozo okuninzi emhlabeni.’ Okwangoku, ‘saneliswa kukuba nesixhaso nesambatho.’ Somelezwa ngamazwi aseBhayibhileni athi: ‘Musani ukuba ngabathandi bemali, kunoko yanelani zizinto ezikhoyo. Kuba uthe: “Andiyi kuze ndikushiye, ndingayi kuze ndikutyeshele.” Ngoko ke masomelele kakhulu size sithi: “UYehova ungumncedi wam; andiyi koyika.”’” *

Simele sibe nokholo lokwenene ukuze ‘sihambe noThixo’ njengoko esenza uPaul nentsapho yakhe. (Genesis 6:9) Ukuba sineengxaki zemali ngoku okanye xa kunokwenzeka sibe nazo kwixesha elizayo, kuya kusinceda ukuxelisa umzekelo kaPaul wokholo nobulumko bobuqili.

Kodwa yintoni esinokuyenza ukuba sixhalatyiswa ziingxaki zentsapho?