Ukuchuma Kwangempela Ezweni Elisha LikaNkulunkulu

UDAVID, * ongumyeni nobaba ongumKristu, waya e-United States eqiniseka ukuthi wayenza into enhle. Nakuba ayengathandi ukushiya umkakhe nabantwana, wayeqiniseka ukuthi wayengenza isimo sasekhaya sibe ngcono uma nje engaba nemali eyengeziwe. Ngakho wavuma ukuyohlala nezihlobo eNew York, futhi kungakabiphi wathola umsebenzi.

Nokho, njengoba izinyanga zihamba, kwamphelela uDavid lokuya kuqiniseka ayenako. Wayengasasitholi isikhathi esanele sezinto ezingokomoya. Ngesinye isikhathi wacishe walahlekelwa ukholo lwakhe kuNkulunkulu. Waze wabona ukuthi izinto zonakele ngesikhathi enqotshwa  isilingo. Kancane kancane ukugxila kwakhe ekucebeni ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo kwakumqhelisela kude nezinto ayezikhathalela ngempela. Kwakudingeka enze ushintsho.

NjengoDavid, abaningi bathutha emazweni ampofu unyaka ngamunye benethemba lokuthi bazothuthukisa izimo zabo zomnotho. Nokho, bavame ukulimala kakhulu ngokomoya. Abanye baye bazibuza, ‘Kungenzeka yini ukuba umKristu aphishekele ingcebo ngesikhathi esifanayo acebe ngakuNkulunkulu?’ Ababhali nabefundisi abadumile bathi kungenzeka. Kodwa njengoba uDavid nabanye bebonile, kungaba nzima ukukuthola kokubili.—Luka 18:24.

Imali Ayiyimbi

Yiqiniso, imali yafika nomuntu. Njengezinye izinto eziningi ezafika nomuntu, ayiyimbi yona ngokwayo. Empeleni imane nje iyindlela yokuthola izinto. Ngakho, uma isetshenziswa kahle ingaba usizo. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli liyavuma ukuthi ‘imali iyisivikelo,’ ikakhulukazi lapho umuntu enezinkinga ezihambisana nobumpofu. (UmShumayeli 7:12) Nokho, kwabanye kubonakala sengathi “imali iyimpendulo yakho konke.”—UmShumayeli 10:19, IBhayibheli lesiZulu elivamile.

ImiBhalo iyabulahla ubuvila, ikhuthaze ukusebenza ngokuzikhandla. Kumelwe sondle imikhaya yethu, futhi uma sinokwengeziwe, siyokwazi ‘ukuba nokuthile kokwabela umuntu oswele.’ (Efesu 4:28; 1 Thimothewu 5:8) Ngaphezu kwalokho, esikhundleni sokukhuthaza ukuphila ngokuzincisha, iBhayibheli lisikhuthaza ukuba sizijabulele izinto esinazo. Lisitshela ukuba ‘sithathe isabelo sethu,’ sijabule ngezithelo zomsebenzi wethu. (UmShumayeli 5:18-20) Empeleni kunezibonelo eziningana eBhayibhelini zamadoda nabesifazane abathembekile ababecebile.

Amadoda Athembekile Ayecebile

U-Abrahama, inceku kaNkulunkulu ethembekile, wayenemihlambi emikhulu, isiliva negolide eliningi nezinceku ezibalelwa emakhulwini. (Genesise 12:5; 13:2, 6, 7) NoJobe olungile wayecebe kakhulu—enemfuyo, izinceku, igolide nesiliva. (Jobe 1:3; 42:11, 12) Ngisho nangokwendlela yanamuhla yokubheka izinto, la madoda ayecebile, kodwa futhi ayecebile nakuNkulunkulu.

Umphostoli uPawulu ubiza u-Abrahama ngokuthi “nguyise wabo bonke abanokholo.” U-Abrahama wayengelona iqonqela futhi engazithandi ngokweqile izinto ayenazo. (Roma 4:11; Genesise 13:9; 18:1-8) Ngokufanayo, noNkulunkulu ngokwakhe wachaza uJobe ngokuthi ngumuntu “ongasoleki futhi oqotho.” (Jobe 1:8) Wayehlale ekulungele ukusiza abampofu nabahluphekayo. (Jobe 29:12-16) U-Abrahama noJobe babethembele kuNkulunkulu, hhayi engcebweni yabo.—Genesise 14:22-24; Jobe 1:21, 22; Roma 4:9-12.

 Esinye isibonelo yiNkosi uSolomoni. Njengoba uSolomoni ayeyindlalifa yesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu eJerusalema, waphiwa ukuhlakanipha kwaphezulu, wabuye waphiwa nengcebo eningi nodumo. (1 AmaKhosi 3:4-14) Wathembeka ingxenye enkulu yokuphila kwakhe. Nokho, kamuva “inhliziyo [kaSolomoni] ayizange ibe ephelele kuJehova.” (1 AmaKhosi 11:1-8) Empeleni okuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe okubuhlungu kubonisa ezinye zezingibe ezivamile zokuceba. Cabangela ezimbalwa zazo.

Izingibe Zokuceba

Ingozi enkulu kakhulu iwukuthanda imali nalokho engakuthenga. Ukuceba kwenza abanye banganeliseki nalapho sebecebile. Ekuqaleni, uSolomoni wakubona lokhu kuthambekela kwabanye. Wabhala: “Umthandi wesiliva nje ngeke aneliseke ngesiliva, nanoma ubani ongumthandi womcebo ngeke aneliswe yinzuzo engenayo. Nalokhu kuyize.” (UmShumayeli 5:10) Kamuva uJesu noPawulu baxwayisa amaKristu ngalolu thando olwakheka isinyenyela.—Marku 4:18, 19; 2 Thimothewu 3:2.

Uma sesiyithanda kakhulu imali, ingaseyona nje indlela yokufeza izinto ezithile, siba semathubeni okunqotshwa izilingo ezihlukahlukene, ezihlanganisa ukuqamba amanga, ukweba nokukhohlisa. UJuda Iskariyothe, omunye wabaphostoli bakaKristu, wakhaphela inkosi yakhe ngezinhlamvu ezingu-30 zesiliva. (Marku 14:11; Johane 12:6) Abanye baze badlulele, bakhulekele imali esikhundleni sokukhulekela uNkulunkulu. (1 Thimothewu 6:10) Ngakho, amaKristu kufanele azame njalo ukuba qotho ngokuthi siyini ngempela isisusa sawo sokufuna ukuba nemali eyengeziwe.—Hebheru 13:5.

Ukuphishekela ingcebo kunezinye izingozi ezingasheshi ukubonakala. Okokuqala, ukuba nengcebo eningi kwenza umuntu azethembe yena. UJesu wayekhuluma nangakho lokhu lapho ekhuluma ‘ngamandla engcebo okukhohlisa.’ (Mathewu 13:22) Umlobi weBhayibheli uJakobe naye waxwayisa amaKristu ukuba angamkhohlwa uNkulunkulu ngisho nalapho ehlela ibhizinisi. (Jakobe 4:13-16) Ngenxa yokuthi imali yenza sizizwe sizimele, labo abanayo bahlale besengozini yokuthembela kuyo kunokuthembela kuNkulunkulu.—IzAga 30:7-9; IzEnzo 8:18-24.

Okwesibili, njengoba uDavid okukhulunywe ngaye ngaphambili azibonela, ukuphishekela ingcebo kuvame ukuthatha isikhathi somuntu esiningi namandla, kancane kancane ayeke ukuphishekela izinto ezingokomoya. (Luka 12:13-21) Kulabo abacebile, kuhlale futhi kunesilingo sokuba ngokuyinhloko basebenzise lokho abanakho ukuze bazijabulise bona noma baphishekele izinto zabo siqu.

Kungenzeka yini ukuthi ukuwa kukaSolomoni ngokomoya kwabangelwa nawukuvumela kwakhe ukuphila ukuphila okuntofontofo ukuba kudunge umqondo wakhe? (Luka 21:34) Wayazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayekwenqabela ukuganwa ezinye izizwe. Noma kunjalo, wagcina ethathe amakhosikazi angaba inkulungwane. (Duteronomi 7:3) Efuna ukujabulisa abafazi bakhe bezinye izizwe, wazama ukwenza into esakuxubanisa izinkolo. Njengoba kushiwo ngaphambili, kancane kancane inhliziyo kaSolomoni yachezukiswa kuJehova.

Ngokusobala lezi zibonelo zibonisa ukuba yiqiniso kweseluleko sikaJesu: “Anikwazi ukuba yizikhonzi zikaNkulunkulu nezeNgcebo.” (Mathewu 6:24) UmKristu angabhekana kanjani-ke ngokuphumelelayo nezinkinga zomnotho abantu abaningi ababhekene nazo? Okubaluleke nakakhulu, likhona yini ithemba lokuthi sizoba nokuphila okungcono maduze?

Ukuchuma Kwangempela Maduze

Ngokungafani nezinzalamizi o-Abrahama noJobe kanye nesizwe sakwa-Israyeli, abalandeli bakaJesu bathunywe ‘ukwenza abantu bazo zonke izizwe babe abafundi.’ (Mathewu 28:19, 20) Ukufeza lowo msebenzi kudinga ukuzikhandla nesikhathi ebesingasetshenziselwa ezinye izinto. Ngakho, ukuze siphumelele kufanele senze lokho uJesu athi sikwenze: “Ngakho, qhubekani nifuna kuqala umbuso [kaNkulunkulu] nokulunga kwakhe, khona-ke zonke lezi ezinye izinto niyozenezelelwa.”—Mathewu 6:33.

Ngemva kokucishe alahlekelwe umkhaya wakhe nengokomoya lakhe, uDavid walungisa izinto.  Njengoba uJesu athembisa, lapho uDavid ephinda ebeka kuqala isifundo seBhayibheli, umthandazo nenkonzo, ezinye izinto zaqala ukulunga. Kancane kancane ubuhlobo bakhe nomkhaya wakhe bavuseleleka. Injabulo nokwaneliseka ayenako ngaphambili kwabuya. Usasebenza kanzima. Kuye akubanga indaba yomuntu ompofu ogcina esecebile. Kodwa wafunda izifundo ezibalulekile kokuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe okubuhlungu.

UDavid usebuye wayicabangisisa indaba yokuyokusebenzela e-United States, futhi unqume ukuthi angaphinde avumele imali ilawule izinqumo azenzayo. Uyazi manje ukuthi izinto eziyigugu kakhulu ekuphileni—umkhaya onothando, abangane abahle nobuhlobo noNkulunkulu—azinakuthengwa ngemali. (IzAga 17:17; 24:27; Isaya 55:1, 2) Yebo, izimiso ezinhle zibaluleke kakhulu kunengcebo. (IzAga 19:1; 22:1) Ebambisene nomkhaya wakhe, uDavid uzimisele ukuzibeka kuqala izinto eziza kuqala.—Filipi 1:10.

Seyihluleke kaninginingi imizamo yabantu yokwakha umphakathi ochume ngempela. Nokho, uNkulunkulu uthembise ukuthi uMbuso wakhe uzokwenza sibe nensada yezinto ezibonakalayo nezingokomoya esizidingayo ukuze siphile kahle. (IHubo 72:16; Isaya 65:21-23) UJesu wafundisa ukuthi ukuchuma kwangempela kuqala ngokuba umuntu anake isidingo sakhe esingokomoya. (Mathewu 5:3) Ngakho, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sicebile noma simpofu, ukuzibeka kuqala ekuphileni kwethu izinto ezingokomoya kuyindlela engcono kakhulu yokuzilungiselela izwe elisha likaNkulunkulu eliseduze. (1 Thimothewu 6:17-19) Lelo zwe liyoba nomphakathi ochume ngempela, ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo nangokomoya.

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UJobe wayethembele kuNkulunkulu, hhayi engcebweni yakhe

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Izinto eziyigugu kakhulu ekuphileni azinakuthengwa ngemali