NGONYAKA odlule, izinkulungwane zamadoda zamiswa njengabadala nezinceku ezikhonzayo emabandleni oFakazi BakaJehova kuwo wonke umhlaba. Uma ungomunye walabo bazalwane abathandekayo, ngokuqinisekile uyalijabulela leli lungelo elisha lokukhonza.

Nokho, kuyaqondakala nokuthi kungenzeka ukhathazekile. UJason osemusha ngeminyaka okhonza njengomdala, uyachaza: “Lapho ngimiswa, ngangingazi ukuthi ngizoyenza kanjani imisebenzi engangiyinikiwe.” UMose noJeremiya babezizwa bengafaneleki ngesikhathi bethola izabelo ezintsha kuJehova. (Eks. 4:10; Jer. 1:6) Uma uzizwa ngendlela efanayo, ungakulungisa kanjani lokho bese uqhubeke uthuthuka? Cabanga ngesibonelo somKristu ogama lakhe nguThimothewu.​—IzE. 16:1-3.

Kungenzeka uThimothewu wayesanda kweva eminyakeni engu-19 lapho umphostoli uPawulu emcela ukuba ahambe naye njengomvangeli. Ekuqaleni, njengoba emusha, kungenza uThimothewu wayengazethembi futhi mhlawumbe wayemadolonzima ukwenza okulindelekile esabelweni sakhe esisha. (1 Thim. 4:11, 12; 2 Thim. 1:1, 2, 7) Noma kunjalo, ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi uPawulu wakwazi ukusho lokhu ebandleni laseFilipi: “Ngithemba eNkosini uJesu ukuthumela kini uThimothewu ngokushesha . . . Ngoba anginaye omunye onesimo esinjengesakhe.”​—Fil. 2:19, 20.

Yini eyenza uThimothewu waba umdala omuhle kangaka? Nazi izifundo eziyisithupha ongazithola esibonelweni sakhe.

1. Wayebakhathalela ngempela abantu. UPawulu watshela abazalwane baseFilipi: “[UThimothewu] oyozinakekela ngobuqotho izinto eziphathelene nani.” (Fil. 2:20) UThimothewu wayebakhathalela ngempela abantu. Wayekhathazeka ngobuqotho ngobuhlobo babo noNkulunkulu futhi wayezimisele ukuzidela ngenxa yabo.

Kugweme ukufana nomshayeli webhasi okhathazeka kuphela ngokufika ngesikhathi esitobhini esilandelayo, ongenamsebenzi nabagibeli bakhe. UWilliam, umdala ohlonishwayo osekhonze iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-20, weluleka amadoda asanda kumiswa: “Bathande abazalwane. Gxila ezidingweni zabo kunokugxila kakhulu ekuhlelekeni kwezinto.”

2. Ukushumayela kwakuza kuqala ekuphileni kwakhe. Eqhathanisa isibonelo sikaThimothewu nesabanye, uPawulu wathi: “Bonke abanye bazifunela izinzuzo zabo siqu, hhayi ezikaKristu Jesu.” (Fil. 2:21) UPawulu wayebhala eseRoma. Waphawula ukuthi abazalwane lapho, babegxile kakhulu ezintweni zabo. Ngokwezinga elithile, babezigodla ekwenzeni umsebenzi wabo. Kodwa akunjalo ngoThimothewu! Lapho kuvela amathuba okuba ashumayele izindaba ezinhle, wayefana no-Isaya owathi: “Nangu mina! Thuma mina.”​—Isaya 6:8.

Ungayenza kanjani imisebenzi yakho neyebandla ngendlela efanele? Okokuqala, bheka ukuthi yini ebalulekile. UPawulu wathi: “Niqiniseke ngezinto ezibaluleke  kakhulu.” (Fil. 1:10) Yenza izinto ezibalulekile kuNkulunkulu zibaluleke nakuwe. Okwesibili, susa iziphazamiso. Susa izinto eziqeda isikhathi namandla. UPawulu wakhuthaza uThimothewu: “Balekela izifiso zobusha, kodwa phishekela ukulunga, ukholo, uthando, ukuthula.”​—2 Thim. 2:22.

3. Wayezikhandla enkonzweni engcwele. UPawulu wakhumbuza abaseFilipi: “Niyabazi ubufakazi [uThimothwu] abunikeza ngaye ngokwakhe, ukuthi njengomntwana osebenza noyise wazigqilaza kanye nami ekuqhutshekiselweni phambili kwezindaba ezinhle.” (Fil. 2:22) UThimothewu wayengavilaphi. Wazikhandla ngesikhathi esebenza noPawulu futhi lokhu kwaqinisa ubungane babo.

Mningi umsebenzi enhlanganweni kaNkulunkulu namuhla, ngeke siwuswele. Lo msebenzi wanelisa ngempela futhi ungakusondeza kubafowenu nodadewenu. Ngakho kwenze umgomo wakho ukuba ‘nokuningi kokukwenza emsebenzini weNkosi.’​—1 Kor. 15:58.

4. Wayekusebenzisa ayekufunda. UPawulu wabhalela uThimothewu: “Wena uye wayilandela eduze imfundiso yami, inkambo yami yokuphila, injongo yami, ukholo lwami, ukubekezela kwami, uthando lwami, ukukhuthazela kwami.” (2 Thim. 3:10) Ngenxa yokuthi uThimothewu wayekusebenzisa ayekufunda, wafanelekela ukuphathiswa imithwalo eyengeziwe.​—1 Kor. 4:17.

Ingabe unaye umuntu oyisibonelo ongafunda kuye? Uma ungenaye, kunganjani umfune? UTom osekhonze njengomdala iminyaka eminingi, uyakhumbula: “Umdala ongumakad’ ebona wangisondeza eduze, wangiqeqesha kahle kakhulu. Ngangihlale ngicela iseluleko kuye futhi ngisisebenzisa. Lokhu kwangenza ngazethemba ngokushesha.”

5. Waqhubeka eziqeqesha. UPawulu wakhuthaza uThimothewu: “Ziqeqeshe unomgomo wokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu.” (1 Thim. 4:7) Umsubathi angase abe nomqeqeshi, kodwa kuyadingeka nokuba aziqeqeshe. UPawulu wathi kuThimothewu: “Qhubeka uzimisela ekufundeleni iningi, ekukhuthazeni, ekufundiseni . . . Zindla ngalezi zinto; ugxile kuzo, ukuze intuthuko yakho ibonakale kubo bonke abantu.”​—1 Thim. 4:13-15.

Nawe kudingeka uqhubeke uthuthukisa amakhono akho. Ungayivumeli intshiseko yakho yehle futhi kumelwe uhlale uhambisana neziqondiso zakamuva zenhlangano. Kugweme ukuzethemba ngokweqile—mhlawumbe ucabange ukuthi ngenxa yokuthi usunesikhathi eside wenza lo msebenzi, akudingeki ucwaninge lapho usingatha izimo. Lingisa uThimothewu, ‘uziqaphele njalo nokufundisa kwakho.’​—1 Thim. 4:16.

6. Wancika emoyeni kaJehova. Ecabanga ngenkonzo kaThimothewu, uPawulu wamkhumbuza: “Lokhu okuhle okuphathisiwe kuqaphe ngomoya ongcwele ohlezi kithi.” (2 Thim. 1:14) Ukuze aqhubeke enkonzweni yakhe, uThimothewu kwakudingeka ancike emoyeni kaNkulunkulu.

UDonald, osekhonze njengomdala iminyaka eminingi uthi: “Amadoda amisiwe kumelwe abazise ukuhlobo bawo noNkulunkulu. Uma ekwenza lokho ayoqhubeka ‘elokhu eba namandla.’ Uma ethandazela umoya kaNkulunkulu futhi ehlakulela izithelo zawo, ayoba yisibusiso sangempela kubafowabo.”​—IHu. 84:7; 1 Pet. 4:11.

Kukhuthaza kakhulu ukubona abazalwane abaningi abasanda kumiswa, njengawe, abaqhubeka bethuthuka ekukhonzeni uJehova. UJason, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni uthi: “Phakathi nesikhathi engikhonze ngaso njengomdala, ngiye ngafunda okuningi futhi ngiye ngazethemba nakakhulu. Manje ngiyawujabulela umsebenzi wami futhi ngiwubheka njengelungelo elihle kakhulu!”

Ingabe uzoqhubeka uthuthuka ngokomoya? Kwenze umgomo wakho ukufunda kuThimothewu. Ngokwenza lokho uyoba yisibusiso kubantu bakaNkulunkulu.