IQEMBU lentsha engamaKristu linquma ukuyobukela ibhayisikobho. Lizwile ukuthi ontanga balo abaningi esikoleni bayijabulele kakhulu. Njengoba lingena ehholo lamabhayisikobho, libheka izingqwembe zezikhangiso libone izithombe zezikhali ezesabekayo nabesifazane okufana nokuthi banqunu. Lizokwenzenjani? Lizosale selingena ngaphakathi ehholo liyibuke le bhayisikobho?

Lesi simo sibonisa ukuthi sibhekene nezinqumo eziningi ezingase zithinte ingokomoya lethu nobuhlobo bethu noJehova ngendlela enhle noma embi. Ngezinye izikhathi, ungase uhlose ukwenza okuthile, kodwa kamuva usihlaziye kabusha isimo bese ushintsha umqondo wakho. Ingabe lokho kuwukuba manqikanqika noma kungenzeka yini ukuthi kuyafaneleka?

Uthando lwethu ngoJehova lwasishukumisela ukuba sinikezele ukuphila kwethu kuye futhi sibhapathizwe. Sinefiso esisuka enhliziyweni sokuhlale sithembekile kuye. Nokho, uSathane uDeveli, isitha sethu, uzimisele ukwephula ubuqotho bethu. (IsAm. 12:17) Siye senza isinqumo sokukhonza uJehova futhi sigcine imiyalo yakhe. Yeka ukuthi kungaba yinto edabukisa kanjani ukushintsha umqondo wethu ngokuphathelene nokuzinikezela kwethu kuJehova! Kungasilahlekisela ngokuphila kwethu.

Eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-2 600 edlule, inkosi yaseBhabhiloni, uNebukhadinezari, yamisa isithombe esikhulu segolide futhi yayala ukuba bonke bakhothame basikhulekele. Owayengakwenzi lokho wayeyophonswa esithandweni somlilo. Abantu abathathu ababesaba futhi bekhulekela uJehova uNkulunkulu—uShadiraki, uMeshaki no-Abhedinego—abenzanga ngokuvumelana nalowo myalo. Ngenxa yokuthi babengeke basikhothamele leso sithombe, baphonswa esithandweni somlilo. UJehova wabasindisa ngokuyisimangaliso,  kodwa babencamela ukufa kunokuyekethisa esinqumweni sabo sokukhonza uNkulunkulu.—Dan. 3:1-27.

Kamuva, umprofethi uDaniyeli waphikelela emthandazweni naphezu kokusongelwa ngokuphonswa emphandwini wezingonyama. Yebo, wanamathela emkhubeni wakhe wokuthandaza kuJehova kathathu ngosuku. UDaniyeli akazange ashintshe ekuzimiseleni kwakhe ukukhulekela uNkulunkulu weqiniso. Ngenxa yalokho, lo mprofethi wasindiswa “esidladleni sezingonyama.”—Dan. 6:1-27.

Izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zanamuhla nazo ziphila ngokuvumelana nokuzinikezela kwazo kuye. Esikoleni esithile e-Afrika, iqembu labafundi abangoFakazi BakaJehova lenqaba ukuhlanganyela emkhosini othile wokukhulekela uphawu lwesizwe. Lasongelwa ngokuthi lizoxoshwa esikoleni uma lingahlanganyeli nezinye izingane ekulukhulekeleni. Ngemva nje kwalokho, ungqongqoshe wezemfundo wahambela kulelo dolobha futhi waxoxa nabanye balabo bafundi abangoFakazi. Lab’ oFakazi bamchazela ukuma kwabo ngesibindi kodwa ngenhlonipho. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, le ndaba ayizange iphinde ivuswe. Abafowethu nodadewethu abancane sebeyakwazi ukuya esikoleni ngaphandle kokucindezelwa ukuba bayekethise ebuhlotsheni babo noJehova.

Cabanga nangoJoseph, umkakhe owayenomdlavuza wayeseshona ngokuzumayo. Umndeni kaJoseph wawuziqonda futhi uzihlonipha izifiso zakhe ngokuqondene namasiko omngcwabo. Kodwa abasekhweni lakhe ababona oFakazi, futhi bafuna ukuba kwenziwe amasiko athile, kuhlanganise namanye angamthokozisi uNkulunkulu. UJoseph uyalandisa: “Lapho ngingavumi ukuyekethisa, bazama ukuthonya abantabami, kodwa bama baqina. Izihlobo zazama nokuhlela umlindelo ekhaya njengenhlalayenza, kodwa ngazitshela ukuthi uma ziphikilela nokufuna ukwenza umlindelo, ngeke ziwenze kwami. Zazazi ukuthi umlindelo awuhambisani nezinkolelo zami nomkami, ngakho ngemva kwengxoxo ende zahamba zawenzela kwenye indawo.

“Phakathi naleso sikhathi esinzima sokulila, nganxusa uJehova ukuba asisize ukuze umkhaya wami ungayephuli imithetho yakhe. Wayizwa imithandazo yami futhi wasisiza ukuba sihlale siqinile naphezu kwengcindezi esasibhekene nayo.” KuJoseph nabantabakhe, kwakungeke neze kufaneleke ukushintsha umqondo ngokuphathelene nokukhulekela kwabo.

Ngemva nje kwePhasika lika-32 C.E., owesifazane othile ongumFenike waya kuJesu Kristu eseSidoni. Wamcela ngokuphindaphindiwe ukuba axoshe idemoni endodakazini yakhe. UJesu waqale wathula wangamphendula. Watshela abafundi bakhe: “Angithunyelwanga kwabanye kodwa ezimvwini ezilahlekile zendlu ka-Israyeli.” Lapho ephikelela, uJesu wathi: “Akulungile ukuthatha isinkwa sabantwana usiphonse ezinjaneni.” Ebonisa ukuthi wayenokholo olukhulu, lona wesifazane waphendula: “Yebo, Nkosi; kodwa empeleni izinjana zidla imvuthuluka ewa etafuleni lamakhosi azo.” UJesu wenza ngokuvumelana nesicelo sakhe futhi wayiphulukisa indodakazi yakhe.—Math. 15:21-28.

Ngokwenza lokho, uJesu wayelingisa uJehova ngokuzimisela ukushintsha umqondo lapho isimo sifuna enze kanjalo. Ngokwesibonelo, ngesikhathi ama-Israyeli enze ithole legolide, uNkulunkulu wayefuna ukuwabhubhisa, kodwa wavuma lapho uMose emncenga ukuba asicabangele kabusha isinqumo saKhe.—Eks. 32:7-14.

Umphostoli uPawulu walingisa uJehova noJesu. Wake waba nomuzwa wokuthi kwakungafaneleki ukuhamba noJohane Marku ohambweni lwabo lwezithunywa zevangeli ngoba wayebashiyile benoBarnaba ohambweni lwabo lokuqala njengezithunywa zevangeli. Nokho, kubonakala sengathi kamuva uPawulu waqaphela ukuthi uMarku wayeye wazikhandla ukuze afaneleke nokuthi wayesezokuba usizo olukhulu kuye. Ngakho uPawulu wathi kuThimothewu: “Thatha uMarku uze naye, ngoba ulusizo kimi ekukhonzeni.”—2 Thim. 4:11.

 Kuthiwani ngathi? NjengoBaba wethu osezulwini onesihe, ukubekezela nothando, singase sikuthole kufaneleka ukushintsha umqondo wethu. Ngokwesibonelo, singase sishintshe umbono esinawo ngabanye abantu. Ngokungafani noJehova noJesu, thina asiphelele. Uma bona bazimisela ukushintsha, asinakuzicabangela yini izimo ezingenza sixole bese sishintsha umqondo wethu?

Ukushintsha umqondo wethu kungase kube into enhle esingakhetha ukuyenza lapho sicabangela imigomo engokwasezulwini. Abathile abafundelwayo futhi asebenesikhashana beba khona emihlanganweni yebandla bangase bakuhlehlise ukubhapathizwa. Noma abanye abafowethu bangase banqikaze ukungenela inkonzo yamaphayona, ngisho noma izimo zabo zibavumela ukuba bandise inkonzo yabo ngaleyo ndlela. Kanti abazalwane abathile babonakala bengathambekele ekufinyeleleni amalungelo enkonzo ebandleni. (1 Thim. 3:1) Sikhona yini isimo kulezi ongena kuso wena? UJehova ukumema ngothando ukuba uwanambithe la malungelo. Ngakho-ke, kungani ungawushintshi umqondo wakho futhi uhlanganyele enjabulweni yokuzinikela ekukhonzeni uNkulunkulu nabanye?

Nakhu u-Ella akusho ngenkonzo yakhe ehhovisi legatsha loFakazi BakaJehova e-Afrika: “Lapho ngisanda kufika eBethel, ngangingazi ukuthi ngizohlala isikhathi eside. Nganginesifiso sokukhonza uJehova ngomphefumulo wonke, kodwa ngangisondelene kakhulu nomndeni wakithi. Ekuqaleni ngangibakhumbula kakhulu! Noma kunjalo udade engangihlala naye endlini wangikhuthaza, ngakho nganquma ukuhlala. Ngemva kokukhonza iminyaka eyishumi eBethel, nginomuzwa wokuthi ngingathanda ukuqhubeka isikhathi eside ngangokunokwenzeka ngikhonza abafowethu nodadewethu ngokungayishiyi inkonzo yaseBethel.”

Uyakhumbula ukuthi kwenzekani kuKhayini lapho eba nomhawu ngomfowabo futhi ethukuthela? UNkulunkulu watshela le ndoda eyayinyukubele ukuthi yayingaphinde ithole umusa wakhe uma nje ingaphenduka yenze okuhle. UNkulunkulu weluleka uKhayini ukuba ehlule isitha ‘esasicathama emnyango.’ UKhayini wayengasishintsha isimo sakhe sengqondo nomqondo wakhe, kodwa wakhetha ukusishaya indiva iseluleko sikaNkulunkulu. Ngokudabukisayo, uKhayini wambulala umfowabo futhi waba umbulali wokuqala emhlabeni!—Gen. 4:2-8.

Cabanga nangesibonelo seNkosi u-Uziya. Yaqale yenza okulungile emehlweni kaJehova futhi yaqhubeka ifuna uNkulunkulu. Nokho, ngokudabukisayo, u-Uziya wona idumela lakhe elihle ngokuzidla. Wangena ethempelini eyonikela impepho, nakuba ayengeyena umpristi. Ingabe wawushintsha umqondo wakhe lapho abapristi bemxwayisa ukuba angasenzi leso senzo sokugabadela? Lutho. U-Uziya “wafutheka” wangasigqiza qakala leso sixwayiso. Ngenxa yalokho, uJehova wamshaya ngochoko.—2 IziKr. 26:3-5, 16-20.

Yebo, kunezikhathi lapho kufanele nakanjani siwushintshe khona umqondo wethu. Nasi isibonelo sanamuhla. UJoachim wabhapathizwa ngo-1955, kodwa ngo-1978 wasuswa ekuhlanganyeleni. Ngemva kweminyaka engaphezu kwengu-20 wabonisa isimo sengqondo sokuphenduka futhi wabuyiselwa njengomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Muva nje, umdala othile wambuza ukuthi kungani alinda isikhathi eside kangaka ngaphambi kokucela ukubuyiselwa. UJoachim waphendula: “Ngangithukuthele futhi ngiqhosha. Ngiyazisola ngokulinda isikhathi eside kangaka. Ngesikhathi ngisasusiwe ekuhlanganyeleni, ngangazi ukuthi oFakazi BakaJehova bafundisa iqiniso.” Kwadingeka ukuba ashintshe isimo sakhe sengqondo futhi aphenduke.

Singase sizithole sisesimweni esifuna ukuba sishintshe umqondo nenkambo yethu. Kwangathi singazimisela ukwenza kanjalo ukuze sithokozise uJehova.—IHu. 34:8.