UPaul ongumyeni nobaba wezingane ezimbili uthi: “Ngemva kokwehla kwamandla emali ezweni lakithi, ukudla kwabiza kakhulu futhi kwaba ivelakancane. Kwakuphela amahora amaningi simi emgqeni wokuthenga ukudla, kodwa ezikhathini eziningi ukudla kwakuphela singakalitholi ithuba lokuthenga. Abantu bazaca kakhulu ngenxa yendlala futhi abanye babequleka emgwaqweni. Izinto eziyisidingo zazibiza kakhulu, kwakudingeka ube nezigidigidi zemali ukuze ukwazi ukuzithenga. Ekugcineni imali yasezweni lakithi yayingasathengi lutho. Ngalahlekelwa imali yami eyayisebhange, umshuwalense kanye nemali eyayigcinelwe impesheni.”

UPaul wayazi ukuthi ukuze yena nomndeni wakhe baqhubeke bephila, kwakudingeka asebenzise “ukuhlakanipha okusebenzayo.” (IzAga 3:21) Uthi: “Ngaphambilini ngangisebenza ngogesi, kodwa ngesikhathi isimo sisibi, ngangenza noma imuphi umsebenzi engangiwuthola, ngisho noma wawukhokhela imali encane kunomholo ovamile. Abanye babengikhokhela ngokudla noma ngezinto zasendlini. Uma ngikhokhelwe ngezinsipho zokugeza ezine, ngangisebenzisa ezimbili bese ngithengisa ezisele. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ngathola amatshwele angu-40. Lapho esekhulile, ngawathengisa ngabe sengithenga amanye angu-300. Kamuva, ngathenga amasaka amabili empuphu anesisindo esingama-khilogremu angu-50 lilinye ngezinkukhu ezingu-50. Ngala masaka ngakwazi ukondla umndeni wami kanye neminye imindeni eminingana isikhathi eside.”

UPaul wayazi nokuthi ukuthembela kuNkulunkulu kuyisenzo sokuhlakanipha. UNkulunkulu uyasisiza lapho senza lokho asiyala ukuba sikwenze. Ngokuphathelene nokuthola izinto eziyisidingo ekuphileni, uJesu wathi: “Yekani ukuhlala nikhathazekile; ngoba . . . uYihlo uyazi ukuthi niyazidinga lezi zinto.”—Luka 12:29-31.

Ngokudabukisayo, isitha sikaNkulunkulu esikhulu, uSathane, siye sakhohlisa abantu abaningi sabangela ukuba bagxilise ukuphila kwabo ezinkathazweni zokuphila. Abantu bakhathazeka ngokweqile ngezidingo zabo, ezingokoqobo nabazicabangayo, futhi bayazikhandla  ukuze bathole izinto abangazidingi ngempela. Abaningi bazifaka ezikweletini, bese befunda kabuhlungu ukuthi “obolekayo uyinceku yomuntu obolekisayo.”—IzAga 22:7.

Abanye abantu benza izinqumo ezilimazayo. UPaul uthi: “Omakhelwane bami abaningi bashiya imindeni yabo nabangane bayofuna ‘amadlelo aluhlaza’ kwamanye amazwe. Abanye bahamba bengenazo izincwadi ezisemthethweni zokuthuthela kwelinye izwe futhi abakwazanga ukuwuthola umsebenzi. Babehlale bebalekela amaphoyisa futhi belala emigwaqweni. Abazange bavumele uJehova ukuba abasize. Thina sanquma ukubhekana nezinkinga zezimali ndawonye njengomndeni, sisizwa uNkulunkulu.”

UPaul uqhubeka athi: “UJesu wathi: ‘Ningalokothi nikhathazeke ngosuku olulandelayo, ngoba usuku olulandelayo luyoba nezalo izinkathazo. Ububi bosuku ngalunye banele lona.’ Ngakho usuku ngalunye ngangithandazela ukuba uNkulunkulu ‘asiphe isinkwa salolo suku’ ukuze siphile. UNkulunkulu wasisiza, njengoba uJesu athembisa. Ngezinye izikhathi sasidla ukudla esingakuthandi. Ngolunye usuku, ngama emgqeni wokuthenga ukudla ngingazi ukuthi hlobo luni lokudla oluthengiswayo. Lapho sekufanele ngithenge, ngathola ukuthi kwakuyi-yogurt. Angiyithandi i-yogurt. Kodwa iwukudla, ngakho sadla yona ngalobo busuku. Ngiyambonga uJehova ngokuthi phakathi naso sonke leso sikhathi, umndeni wami awuzange ulale ungadlile.” *

“Njengamanje siyakwazi ukuziphilisa. Kodwa isimo esidlule kuso sisifundise ukuthi ikhambi elibaluleke kakhulu lokubhekana nokukhathazeka, ukuthembela kuNkulunkulu. UJehova * uyohlale esisiza uma nje siqhubeka sifuna ukwenza intando yakhe. Siye sakubona ukuba yiqiniso kweHubo 34:8: ‘Nambithani nibone ukuthi uJehova muhle; iyajabula indoda enamandla ephephela kuye.’ Ngenxa yalokho, asikwesabi ukuphinde sibhekane nezimo zomnotho ezinzima.

Manje sesiyaqonda ukuthi ukuze abantu baqhubeke bephila, abadingi umsebenzi noma imali, kodwa badinga ukudla. Sibheke phambili esikhathini lapho isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu siyogcwaliseka khona: ‘Kuyoba khona inala yokusanhlamvu emhlabeni.’ Okwamanje, ‘uma sinokudla nokokwembatha, siyokwaneliswa yilezi zinto.’ Siqiniswa amazwi eBhayibheli athi: ‘Indlela yenu yokuphila mayingabi nalo uthando lwemali, naneliswe izinto ezikhona. Ngoba uthé: “Angisoze ngakushiya noma ngikulahle nganoma iyiphi indlela.” Ukuze sibe nesibindi futhi sithi: “UJehova ungumsizi wami; ngeke ngesabe.”’” *

‘Ukuhamba noNkulunkulu’ njengoba kwenza uPaul nomndeni wakhe kudinga ukholo oluqinile. (Genesise 6:9) Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi njengamanje sibhekene nenkinga enkulu yezimali noma sisazobhekana nayo esikhathini esizayo, isibonelo sikaPaul sokholo nokuhlakanipha okusebenzayo sisifundisa izifundo ezibalulekile.

Kodwa kuthiwani uma izinkinga zomndeni zibangela ukuba sikhathazeke?