IBHAYIBHELI lithi: “Bheka! Abantwana bayifa elivela kuJehova; isithelo sesisu singumvuzo.” (IHu. 127:3) Shono abazali abangamaKristu bejabula kakhulu lapho bethola umntwana.

Ukuzalwa komntwana akulethi injabulo yodwa kodwa kuletha nemithwalo engathi sína. Ukuze umntwana akhule abe umuntu omdala onempilo enhle, udinga ukudla okunempilo nsuku zonke. Uma leyo ngane izokwazi ukumelela ukukhulekela kweqiniso ngokuqinile, idinga ukudla okungokomoya nesiqondiso sabazali abalwela ukugxilisa kuyo izimiso zikaNkulunkulu. (IzAga 1:8) Kufanele kuqale nini ukuqeqesha okunjalo, futhi kufanele kuhlanganise nani?

Cabanga ngendaba yomuntu wakwaDani ogama lakhe nguManowa, owayehlala emzini waseZora kwa-Israyeli wasendulo. Ingelosi kaJehova yatshela umkaManowa owayeyinyumba ukuthi wayezozala indodana. (AbaHl. 13:2, 3) Akungabazeki ukuthi kwabajabulisa kakhulu lokho oManowa nomkakhe abathembekile. Nakuba kunjalo, kunezinto ezibalulekile abakhathazeka ngazo. Ngakho-ke, uManowa wathandaza: “Uxolo, Jehova. Umuntu kaNkulunkulu weqiniso osanda kumthumela ngicela aphinde eze kithi asifundise lokho okufanele sikwenze kumntwana ozozalwa.” (AbaHl. 13:8) UManowa nomkakhe babekhathazekile ngendlela okwakuyomelwe bayikhulise ngayo leyo ngane. Kusobala ukuthi bayifundisa indodana yabo, uSamsoni, umthetho kaNkulunkulu, kuyacaca nokuthi imizamo yabo yaphumelela. IBhayibheli lithi: “Ngemva kwesikhathi umoya kaJehova wamqhuba [uSamsoni].” Ngenxa yalokho, wenza imisebenzi eminingi yamandla njengomunye wabahluleli bakwa-Israyeli.—AbaHl. 13:25; 14:5, 6; 15:14, 15.

Kufanele kuqale ngokushesha kangakanani ukuqeqesha ingane? UThimothewu waqeqeshwa unina, u-Evnike nogogo wakhe uLowisi ‘ngemibhalo engcwele kusukela esewusana.’ (2 Thim. 1:5; 3:15) Yebo, ukuqeqeshwa kukaThimothewu ngemiBhalo kwaqala esemncane kakhulu.

Kuwukuhlakanipha ngabazali abangamaKristu ukuthandazela isiqondiso nokuhlela kusengaphambili ukuze baqale ukuqeqesha umntwana wabo ‘kusukela esewusana.’ IzAga 21:5 zithi: “Ngokuqinisekile amacebo okhuthele ayamzuzisa.” Ngokungangabazeki abazali balungiselela kahle umntwana engakazalwa. Bangaze babhale nohlu lwezinto umntwana azozidinga. Kubalulekile futhi ngabo ukuba bahlele imisebenzi engokomoya. Umgomo wabo kufanele ube ukuqala ukuqeqesha okunjalo zisuka nje ekuphileni komntwana.

Incwadi ethi Early Childhood Counts—A Programming Guide on Early Childhood Care for Development ithi: “Izinyanga ezingemva nje kokuzalwa zibaluleke kakhulu ekukhuleni kwengqondo. Phakathi nalesi sikhathi isibalo sezinhlaka zezinzwa ezakhekayo—ezisiza ekufundeni izinto ezintsha—sanda izikhathi eziphindwe ngamashumi amabili.” Yeka ukuthi kuwukuhlakanipha kangakanani ngabazali ukusisebenzisa ngokunenzuzo lesi sikhathi esifushane sokukhula kwengqondo yengane, ngokuthi baqale ukugxilisa imibono nezindinganiso ezingokomoya engqondweni yayo!

Ngokuphathelene nendodakazi yakhe encane, omunye umama oyiphayona elivamile wathi: “Bengilokhu ngihamba nayo enkonzweni kusukela inenyanga eyodwa vo. Nakuba yayingakuqondi okwakwenzeka, ngikholelwa ukuthi ukuhamba nayo zisuka enkonzweni kwaba nethonya eliyinzuzo kuyo. Ngesikhathi isineminyaka emibili, yayisihambisa amapheshana ngokuzethemba kubantu esasibathola enkonzweni yasensimini.”

Ukumqeqesha zisuka umntwana kunezithelo ezinhle. Nakuba kunjalo, abazali bathola ukuthi ukufundisa izingane ngoNkulunkulu kuhlale kunezinselele.

Ukungahlaliseki kwengane noma ukungakwazi ukuhlala ithule isikhathi eside kungaba inselele enkulu kubazali. Izingane ziyashesha ukuphelelwa isithakazelo entweni. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, zinelukuluku lokwazi futhi zizama ukwazi indawo ezihlala kuyo. Yini abazali abangayenza ukuze basize izingane zabo zilalele lokhu abazama ukuzifundisa kona?

Ake ucabange ngalokho uMose akusho. UDuteronomi 6:6, 7 uthi: “La mazwi engikuyala ngawo namuhla kumelwe abe senhliziyweni yakho; kumelwe uwagxilise kubantwana bakho futhi ukhulume ngawo lapho uhleli endlini yakho nalapho uhamba endleleni nalapho ulala nalapho uvuka.” Igama elithi “uwagxilise” lidlulisela umqondo wokufundisa ngokuphindaphinda. Ingane encane injengesithombo esidinga ukuniselwa njalo. Njengoba ukuphindaphinda kusiza abantu abadala ukuba bakhumbule izinto ezibalulekile, ngokuqinisekile kuyozisiza nezingane!

Ukuze abazali bafundise izingane iqiniso likaNkulunkulu kudingeka bachithe isikhathi nazo. Ezweni lanamuhla elisheshayo, ukubekela eceleni isikhathi esinjalo kungaba inselele ngempela. Kodwa umphostoli uPawulu watusa ukuba ‘sithengisise ithuba’ lemisebenzi ebalulekile yobuKristu. (Efe. 5:15, 16) Kungenziwa kanjani lokhu? Ukulwela ukulinganisela phakathi kokuqeqesha ingane, ukunakekela imithwalo engokwasezulwini nomsebenzi wokuziphilisa  kwaba inselele kumdala othile ongumKristu onenkosikazi eyayiyiphayona elivamile elinesimiso esimatasa. Babeyosenza kanjani isikhathi ukuze baqeqeshe indodakazi yabo? Ubaba uthi: “Njalo ekuseni ngaphambi kokuba ngiye emsebenzini, mina nomkami siyifundela incwadi ethi INcwadi Yami Yezindaba ZeBhayibheli noma incwajana ethi Ukuhlola ImiBhalo Nsuku Zonke. Kusihlwa, siyaqiniseka ukuthi siyayifundela ngaphambi kokuba iyolala, futhi siya nayo enkonzweni. Asifuni ukuphunyukwa iminyaka yokuqala yokuphila kwayo.”

Ngokuqinisekile sifuna izingane zethu zikhule zibe abantu abavuthiwe. Noma kunjalo, isizathu sethu esiyinhloko sokubaqeqesha ukugxilisa uthando lukaNkulunkulu ezinhliziyweni zabo.—Marku 12:28-30.

IHubo 127:4 lithi: “Njengemicibisholo esandleni sendoda enamandla, banjalo abantwana bobusha.” Ngakho izingane zifaniswa nemicibisholo okufanele iqondiswe ngokunembile kulokho okucitshwayo. Umcibi ngeke akwazi ukuwubuyisa umcibisholo lapho esewudedele. Abazali babamba ‘imicibisholo’—izingane zabo—isikhathi esifushane. Leso sikhathi kufanele sisetshenziselwe ukugxilisa izimiso zikaNkulunkulu ezingqondweni nasezinhliziyweni zezingane zabo.

Ngokuphathelene nabantwana bakhe abangokomoya, umphostoli uJohane wabhala: “Anginaso isizathu esikhulu sokubonga kunalezi zinto, ukuba ngizwe ukuthi abantwana bami bayaqhubeka behamba eqinisweni.” (3 Joh. 4) Abazali abangamaKristu bangasho amazwi afanayo okubonga lapho bebona izingane zabo ‘ziqhubeka zihamba eqinisweni.’