1, 2. (a) Abantu abaningi bayichaza kanjani impumelelo? (b) Ungawuhlola kanjani umbono wakho ngempumelelo?

KUSHO ukuthini ukuphumelela ekuphileni? Uma ungabuza abantu lowo mbuzo, uyothola ukuthi izimpendulo zabo zihlukene kakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, abantu abaningi bachaza impumelelo njengokuba nemali, umsebenzi ophambili noma imfundo ephakeme. Abanye bayichaza ngobuhlobo babo nabanye—kungaba amalungu omkhaya, abangane noma abasebenza nabo. Umuntu okhonza uNkulunkulu angaze ahlobanise impumelelo nanelungelo lenkonzo ebandleni noma ukuphumelela enkonzweni.

² Ukuze wazi umbono wakho ngempumelelo, ungase ubhale phansi amagama abantu abambalwa ocabanga ukuthi baphumelele—obathanda nobahlonipha kakhulu. Iziphi izici ezivelele abafana ngazo? Ingabe bacebile noma bangosaziwayo? Ingabe bavelele? Izimpendulo zingase zembule okusenhliziyweni yakho, futhi lokho kungathonya izinqumo ozenzayo nemigomo oyiphishekelayo.—Luka 6:45.

3. (a) Yini okwakufanele uJoshuwa ayenze ukuze enze indlela yakhe iphumelele? (b) Yini esizoyicabangela manje?

³ Into ebaluleke kakhulu nokho ukuthi uJehova usibheka njengabaphumelelayo yini, ngoba ukuphila kwethu kuxhomeke ekwamukelweni nguye. Lapho enika uJoshuwa isabelo esinzima sokuhola ama-Israyeli awangenise eZweni Lesithembiso, uJehova wamtshela ukuba afunde uMthetho KaMose “ubusuku nemini” futhi aqaphele ukwenza ngokuvumelana nokulotshwe kuwo. UNkulunkulu wamqinisekisa: “Uma wenza kanjalo uyoyiphumelelisa indlela yakho futhi uyokwenza ngokuhlakanipha.” (Josh. 1:7, 8) Siyazi ukuthi uJoshuwa waphumelela. Kuthiwani ngathi? Singabona kanjani ukuthi umbono wethu ngempumelelo uyefana nokaNkulunkulu? Ukuze sithole lokhu, ake sicabangele ukuphila kwamadoda amabili okukhulunywa ngawo eBhayibhelini.

4. Kungani kungase kuthiwe uSolomoni waphumelela?

⁴ Ngezindlela eziningi, uSolomoni waphumelela kakhulu. Kungani? Iminyaka eminingi yokuphila kwakhe wesaba uJehova futhi wamlalela, ngakho wambusisa kakhulu. Khumbula ukuthi ngesikhathi uJehova enika uSolomoni ithuba lokwenza isicelo, le nkosi yacela ukuhlakanipha ukuze ihole isizwe. UNkulunkulu wabe esembusisa ngokuhlakanipha nangengcebo. (Funda eyoku-1 AmaKhosi 3:10-14.) Ukuhlakanipha kwakhe “kwakukukhulu kunokuhlakanipha kwabo bonke abaseMpumalanga nakho konke ukuhlakanipha kwaseGibhithe.” Udumo lukaSolomoni lwafinyelela “kuzo zonke izizwe nxazonke.” (1 AmaKh. 4:30, 31) Ngokuphathelene nengcebo, igolide lilodwa ayelithola unyaka ngamunye lalingamathani angu-25! (2 IziKr. 9:13) Wayenekhono ekuphatheni umbuso, kwezokwakha nakwezentengiselwano. Yebo, ngesikhathi esenza okuhle emehlweni kaNkulunkulu, uSolomoni wayephumelela.—2 IziKr. 9:22-24.

5. USolomoni waphetha ngokuthini ngalabo abaphumelelayo emehlweni kaNkulunkulu?

⁵ Lokho uSolomoni akuloba encwadini yomShumayeli kubonisa ukuthi akazange akhohliswe ukuba acabange ukuthi impumelelo nenjabulo kutholwa kuphela yilabo abacebile noma abavelele. Lutho neze. Waloba: “Sengiyazi ukuthi akukho lutho olungcono ngabo kunokuba umuntu ajabule futhi enze okuhle phakathi nokuphila kwakhe; nokuthi wonke umuntu adle futhi empeleni aphuze abone okuhle ngawo wonke umsebenzi wakhe onzima. Kuyisipho sikaNkulunkulu.” (UmSh. 3:12, 13) Waqaphela ukuthi injabulo enjalo izuzisa ngempela kumuntu owamukelwa uNkulunkulu, onobuhlobo obuhle naYe. USolomoni washo kufanele: “Isiphetho sendaba, njengoba sekuzwakele konke, yilesi: Mesabe uNkulunkulu weqiniso ugcine imiyalo yakhe. Ngoba lokhu kuyiso sonke isibopho somuntu.”—UmSh. 12:13.

6. Isibonelo sikaSolomoni sisinika kuphi ukuqonda okuwusizo ekukaleni impumelelo yangempela?

⁶ USolomoni wahamba ngokwesaba uNkulunkulu iminyaka eminingi. IBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi “waqhubeka emthanda uJehova ngokuhamba ezimisweni zikaDavide uyise.” (1 AmaKh. 3:3) Ubungeke yini ubheke lokhu njengempumelelo yangempela? Eqondiswa uNkulunkulu, uSolomoni wakha ithempeli elihle ngokubabazekayo lokukhulekela kweqiniso futhi waloba izincwadi ezintathu zeBhayibheli. Nakuba singeke silindele ukwenza okufanayo, isibonelo sikaSolomoni ngesikhathi esathembekile kuNkulunkulu kufanele sisibonise indlela yokwazi ukuthi iyini impumelelo yangempela futhi lokho kungasisiza sikwazi ukuyifinyelela. Kule ndaba, khumbula ukuthi uSolomoni waphefumulelwa ukuba abhale ukuthi ingcebo, ukuhlakanipha, udumo namandla—okuyizinto abantu abaningi namuhla abazibheka njengempumelelo—kuyize. Empeleni, izinto ezinjengalezi ziwubala, ‘ukulwela ukufica umoya.’ Awukaze yini uphawule ukuthi abathandi bengcebo abaningi abaneliseki? Kunalokho, bahlale bekhathazekile ngalokho abanakho. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ingcebo yabo iyodlulela kwabanye ngolunye usuku.—Funda umShumayeli 2:8-11, 17; 5:10-12.

7, 8.  USolomoni wakubonisa kanjani ukungethembeki, futhi kwaba namuphi umphumela?

⁷ Uyazi nokuthi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uSolomoni waphambuka enkambweni yokwethembeka nokulalela. IZwi likaNkulunkulu lithi: “Ngesikhathi sokuguga kukaSolomoni abafazi bakhe base beyichezukisile inhliziyo yakhe ukuba ilandele abanye onkulunkulu; futhi inhliziyo yakhe ayizange ibe ephelele kuJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe njengenhliziyo kaDavide uyise. . . . USolomoni waqala ukwenza okubi emehlweni kaJehova.”—1 AmaKh. 11:4-6.

⁸ Enengwe kufanele, uJehova wathi kuSolomoni: “Ngenxa yokuthi . . . awusigcinanga isivumelwano sami nezimiso zami engazibeka njengomyalo kuwe, nakanjani  ngizowuhlwitha umbuso kuwe, futhi ngokuqinisekile ngizowunika inceku yakho.” (1 AmaKh. 11:11) Yeka umphumela odabukisayo! Nakuba uSolomoni ayephumelele ngezindlela eziningi, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi wadumaza uJehova. USolomoni wehluleka esicini esibaluleke kunazo zonke ekuphileni—ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu. Ngamunye kithi angazibuza, ‘Ingabe ngizimisele ukuqinisekisa ukuthi isifundo engisithola esibonelweni sokuphila kukaSolomoni siyongisiza ukuba ngiphumelele?’

9. Ngokwezindinganiso zezwe, ingabe uPawulu wayephumelela? Chaza.

⁹ Ukuphila komphostoli uPawulu kwahluka kakhulu kokweNkosi uSolomoni. UPawulu wayengahlali esihlalweni sobukhosi esenziwe ngezinyo lendlovu noma adle namakhosi. Kunalokho, ngezinye izikhathi wayebulawa indlala, ukoma, amakhaza futhi aswele nokokugqoka okwanele. (2 Kor. 11:24-27) Ngemva kokuba amukele uJesu njengoMesiya, uPawulu akabange esaba nasikhundla enkolweni yobuJuda. Kunalokho, abaholi benkolo yobuJuda bamzonda. Waboshwa, wabhaxabulwa, washaywa ngezinduku futhi wakhandwa ngamatshe. UPawulu wavuma ukuthi yena namaKristu ayekanye nawo babethukwa, beshushiswa futhi behlanjalazwa. “Siye saba njengezibi zezwe, imfucumfucu yazo zonke izinto, kuze kube manje.”—1 Kor. 4:11-13.

10. Kungani kwakungase kubonakale sengathi uPawulu wayelahle impumelelo?

¹⁰ Ngesikhathi umphostoli uPawulu eseyinsizwa esabizwa ngokuthi uSawulu, izinto zazibonakala zimhambela kahle. Njengoba ayezalwa emkhayeni okungenzeka wawuvelele, wafundiswa uGamaliyeli umfundisi ohloniphekile, futhi kamuva wabhala: “Ngangenza intuthuko enkulu enkolweni yobuJuda kunabaningi kontanga yami.” (Gal. 1:14) Wayesazi kahle isiHebheru nesiGreki, eyisakhamuzi saseRoma, okwakumnika amalungelo akhethekile ayefiswa abaningi. Ukube wayekhethe ukuphishekela leyo mpumelelo yezwe, ngabe athola isikhundla esivelele kakhulu kanye nengcebo. Kunalokho, wakhetha inkambo eyabonakala kwabanye—mhlawumbe ngisho nakwezinye izihlobo zakhe—iwubuphukuphuku obuphindiwe. Kungani?

11. Iziphi izindinganiso nemigomo uPawulu ayezazisa kakhulu, futhi ngani?

¹¹ UPawulu wayethanda uJehova futhi efisa ukwamukelwa nguYe ngaphezu kwengcebo nokuvelela. Ukuzuza ulwazi olunembile lweqiniso kwasiza uPawulu wasazisa isihlengo, inkonzo yobuKristu, ithemba lokuphila ezulwini—izinto abantu abaningi abangazinaki. UPawulu waqaphela ukuthi kwakunempikiswano okwakumelwe ixazululwe. USathane wayegomele ngokuthi  angahlubula abantu ekukhonzeni uNkulunkulu. (Jobe 1:9-11; 2:3-5) Kungakhathaliseki izinkinga ayebhekana nazo, uPawulu wayezimisele ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu nokukhuthazela ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso. Lowo umgomo izwe elingawucabangi nakuwucabanga endabeni yokuphumelela.

12. Kungani uye wakhetha ukubeka ithemba lakho kuNkulunkulu?

¹² Ingabe uzimisele ukwenza njengoPawulu? Nakuba ukuphila kokwethembeka kungelula ngaso sonke isikhathi, siyazi ukuthi kuletha isibusiso sikaJehova nokwamukelwa nguYe, futhi yilokho okwenza umuntu aphumelele ngempela. (IzAga 10:22) Siyazuza manje, futhi ngokuqinisekile singalindela ukuthola izibusiso esikhathini esizayo. (Funda uMarku 10:29, 30.) Khona-ke, sinesizathu sokubeka ithemba lethu, hhayi “engcebweni engaqinisekile kodwa kuNkulunkulu, osinika zonke izinto ngokucebile ukuze sizijabulele.” ‘Sizibekelela ngokulondekile isisekelo esihle sesikhathi esizayo, ukuze sibambisise ukuphila kwangempela.’ (1 Thim. 6:17-19) Yebo, singaqiniseka ngokuphelele ukuthi eminyakeni eyikhulu kusukela manje, noma eyinkulungwane ngisho nangaphezulu siyokwazi ukubheka emuva sithi, “Ngakhetha inkambo yempumelelo yangempela!”

13. Isiphi iseluleko uJesu asinikeza ngokuphathelene nokuzibekelela ingcebo?

¹³ Nakhu uJesu akusho ngengcebo: “Yekani ukuzibekelela ingcebo emhlabeni, lapho inundu nokugqwala kudla khona, nalapho amasela egqekeza khona ebe. Kunalokho, zibekeleleni ingcebo ezulwini, lapho kungoni nundu nakugqwala khona, nalapho amasela engagqekezi khona ebe. Ngoba lapho umcebo wakho ukhona, yilapho nenhliziyo yakho iyoba khona futhi.”—Math. 6:19-21.

14. Kungani kungahlakaniphile ukufuna ingcebo yasemhlabeni?

¹⁴ Ingcebo yomuntu yasemhlabeni ingase ingabi imali kuphela. Ingahlanganisa noma yiziphi izinto uSolomoni aloba ngazo ezibonakala ziyimpumelelo emehlweni abantu—isikhundla, udumo noma amandla. UJesu waveza iphuzu elifana nalelo elashiwo uSolomoni encwadini yomShumayeli—ingcebo yezwe iyadlula. Njengoba kungenzeka ukuthi ukubonile lokhu ezweni elikuzungezile, ingcebo enjalo iyashabalala futhi ingakulahlekela kalula. UProfesa F. Dale Bruner usho lokhu mayelana nengcebo: “Kuyaziwa ukuthi udumo luyinto edlulayo. Umuntu obeyiqhawe ngoMgqibelo odlule usuke esephuphile ngozayo. Umuntu ophumelelayo ngokwezimali kulo nyaka ucwila esikweletwini ngonyaka ozayo. . . . [UJesu] uyabathanda abantu. Ubanxusa ukuba bangazibangeli ukudumazeka okungenakugwenywa okubangelwa udumo oluphela ngokushesha. Luyashabalala. UJesu akafuni ukuba abafundi [bakhe] badumazeke. ‘Nsuku zonke leli zwe limvukela esiswini umuntu ebelimdumisa.’” Nakuba abantu abaningi bengavumelana nala mazwi, kodwa bangaki abavumela  iqiniso elikuwo lishintshe indlela abaphila ngayo? Kuthiwani ngawe?

15. Uhlobo olunjani lwempumelelo okufanele siluphishekele?

¹⁵ Abanye abaholi benkolo baye bashumayela ukuthi akulungile ukuphishekela impumelelo futhi bathi kufanele kuyekwe ukuzama ukufinyelela impumelelo. Nokho, phawula ukuthi uJesu wayengayilahli yonke imizamo enjalo. Kunalokho, wayenxusa abafundi bakhe ukuba baqondise imizamo yabo kwenye indawo, ebayala ukuba bazibekelele “ingcebo” engashabalali “ezulwini.” Isifiso sethu esikhulu kufanele kube ukuphishekela ukuba sibe abaphumelelayo phambi kukaJehova. Yebo, amazwi kaJesu asikhumbuza ukuthi sinelungelo lokukhetha lokho esifuna ukukuphishekela. Nokho, iqiniso liwukuthi siyophishekela lokho okusenhliziyweni yethu, lokho okubalulekile kithi.

16. Yini esingayethemba ngokugcwele?

¹⁶ Uma kusenhliziyweni yethu ukujabulisa uJehova, singamethemba ukuthi uyoqinisekisa ukuthi siyazithola izinto esizidingayo. Angase avumele ukuba silambe noma some okwesikhashana, njengoba kwaba njalo ngomphostoli uPawulu. (1 Kor. 4:11) Noma kunjalo, singasethemba ngokugcwele iseluleko sikaJesu esihlakaniphile: “Ningalokothi nikhathazeke nithi, ‘Sizodlani?’ noma, ‘Sizophuzani?’ noma, ‘Sizogqokani?’ Ngoba konke lokhu kuyizinto izizwe eziziphishekela ngokulangazela. UYihlo wasezulwini uyazi ukuthi niyazidinga zonke lezi zinto. Ngakho, qhubekani nifuna kuqala umbuso nokulunga kwakhe, khona-ke zonke lezi ezinye izinto niyozenezelelwa.”—Math. 6:31-33.

17, 18. (a) Impumelelo yangempela incike kuphi? (b) Yikuphi impumelelo engancikile kukho?

¹⁷ Nanti iphuzu eliyisihluthulelo: Ukuphumelela kwethu ngempela akuncikile ezintweni esizifinyelele noma esikhundleni esinaso emehlweni abantu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, impumelelo yangempela ayilinganiswa ngelungelo lenkonzo esilijabulelayo elungiselelweni lobuKristu. Nokho, isibusiso esinjalo singahlotshaniswa nalokho okuyisisekelo sangempela sempumelelo, ukulalela nokwethembeka kwethu kuNkulunkulu, osiqinisekisayo: “Okufunekayo kubaphathi ukuba umuntu atholakale ethembekile.” (1 Kor. 4:2) Kufanele sikhuthazele ekubeni abathembekile. UJesu wathi: “Lowo okhuthazele kwaze kwaba sekupheleni nguye oyosindiswa.” (Math. 10:22) Awuvumi yini ukuthi ukusindiswa kuwubufakazi obungenakuphikwa bempumelelo?

¹⁸ Uma ucabanga ngalokhu okungenhla, ungabona ukuthi ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu akuhlobene nokuvelela, imfundo, imali noma isikhundla emphakathini; futhi akuncikile ekuhlakanipheni, eziphiweni onazo noma emakhonweni. Kunoma yisiphi isimo esingazithola sikuso, singathembeka kuNkulunkulu. Phakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu bangekhulu lokuqala, kwakukhona abacebile nabampofu. Kwabacebile, sasifaneleka isiyalo sikaPawulu sokuba “benze okuhle, bacebe emisebenzini emihle, babe nesandla esivulekile, belungele ukwabelana izinto nabanye.” Abacebile nabampofu ‘babengakubambisisa ukuphila kwangempela.’ (1 Thim. 6:17-19) Kusenjalo nanamuhla. Sonke sinamathuba afanayo nomthwalo ofanayo wemfanelo: Kumelwe sihlale sithembekile futhi ‘sicebe emisebenzini emihle.’ Uma senza kanjalo, siyophumelela emehlweni oMdali wethu futhi sithole injabulo yokwazi ukuthi siyamjabulisa.—IzAga 27:11.

19. Ngokuphathelene nempumelelo, yini ozimisele ukuyenza?

¹⁹ Ungase ungakwazi ukuzilawula zonke izimo zakho, kodwa ungayilawula indlela ozisingatha ngayo. Lwela ukwethembeka ngaphansi kwanoma yiziphi izimo. Ngeke uzisole. Methembe uJehova ukuthi uyokubusisa ngokucebile—manje naphakade. Ungalokothi ukhohlwe amazwi kaJesu aqondiswe kumaKristu agcotshiwe: “Zibonakalise uthembekile kuze kube ngisho nasekufeni, khona-ke ngiyokunika umqhele wokuphila.” (IsAm. 2:10) Yileyo-ke impumelelo yangempela!