Vumela Imikhwa Elungileyo Ibe Yingenelo Kuwe

INDODA ethile yayihlala kwihlomela-dolophu laseAthens kangangeminyaka eli-12. Yonke imihla yayigoduka ngendlela enye xa isuka emsebenzini. Yandula ke yafudukela kwihlomela-dolophu elikwelinye icala ledolophu. Ngenye imini emva komsebenzi, yayisendleleni egodukayo. Kuphela kuxa yazibona ikwingingqi eyayihlala kuyo ngaphambili apho yaqonda ukuba ilahlekile. Ngenxa yomkhwa, yayiye kwikhaya layo langaphambili!

Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba maxa wambi kusithiwa isiqhelo siyayoyisa ingqondo, impembelelo echaphazela ubomi bethu ngendlela enamandla kakhulu. Ngenxa yoko, imikhwa inokufaniswa nomlilo. Umlilo unokuba kukukhanya okwamkelekileyo ebumnyameni, yaye unokuyenza shushu imizimba yethu uze ufudumeze nokutya kwethu. Ukanti, umlilo unokuba lutshaba olukhohlakeleyo olutshabalalisa ubomi neempahla. Kunjalo nangomkhwa. Xa uhlakulelwe kakuhle, unokuba yingenelo kakhulu. Kodwa kwangaxeshanye unokuba yingozi.

Kwimeko yendoda ekhankanywe ekuqaleni, umkhwa wayidlela ixesha ibambezeleke phakathi kwezinye iinqwelo-mafutha edolophini. Xa kusiziwa kwizinto ezibaluleke ngakumbi, umkhwa unokusenza siphumelele okanye usikhokelele kwintlekele. Hlolisisa imizekelo embalwa yokwenene efumaneka eBhayibhileni ebonisa indlela umkhwa onokuyinceda okanye uyonakalise ngayo inkonzo nolwalamano lwethu noThixo.

Imizekelo YeBhayibhile Yemikhwa Emihle Nemibi

UNowa, uYobhi kunye noDaniyeli babesikelelwe ngolwalamano olusenyongweni noThixo. IBhayibhile iyabancoma “ngenxa yobulungisa babo.” (Hezekile 14:14) Okuphawulekayo kukuba, ikhondo lobomi lala madoda libonisa ukuba ayenemikhwa emihle.

UNowa waxelelwa ukuba akhe umkhombe, isakhiwo esikhulu kunebala lebhola ekhatywayo yaye esiphakame ngaphezu kwesakhiwo esinemigangatho emihlanu. Umsebenzi omkhulu kangako wawunokumongamela nawuphi na umakhi weenqanawa wamandulo. UNowa namalungu entsapho yakhe asixhenxe bawakha loo mkhombe bengenazo izixhobo eziphucukileyo zanamhlanje eziluncedo. Ukongezelela, uNowa waqhubeka eshumayela kubantu bexesha lakhe. Sinokuqiniseka ukuba wayenyamekela neentswelo zokomoya nezokwenyama zentsapho yakhe. (2 Petros 2:5) Ukuze akwazi ukuphumeza konke oku, uNowa kwakumele abe nemikhwa emihle yokusebenza. Ngaphezu koko, ingxelo yeBhayibhile ithi: “uNowa wahamba noThixo oyinyaniso. . . . Wenza ke uNowa njengako konke oko uYehova abemyalele kona.” (Genesis 6:9, 22; 7:5) Ekubeni iBhayibhile isithi ‘wayengenasiphoso,’ kusenokwenzeka ukuba waqhubeka ehamba noThixo emva koMkhukula nasemva kokuba imvukelo ejoliswe kuYehova ifikelele incopho yayo eBhabheli. Eneneni, uNowa waqhubeka ehamba noThixo kwada kwasekufeni kwakhe eneminyaka engama-950 ubudala.—Genesis 9:29.

Ukuba nemikhwa emihle kukaYobhi kwamnceda waba yindoda “engenakusoleka nethe tye.” (Yobhi 1:1, 8; 2:3) Kwakulisiko, okanye umkhwa wakhe ukuba abe ngumbingeleli wentsapho xa inikela amadini egameni labantwana bayo emva kwesidlo ngasinye sayo, xa kunokwenzeka kuthi kanti “‘bonile baza bamqalekisa uThixo entliziyweni yabo.’ Leyo yindlela awayesoloko esenza ngayo uYobhi.” (Yobhi 1:5) Amasiko aphathelele unqulo lukaYehova ngokuqinisekileyo ayebalulekile kwintsapho kaYobhi.

UDaniyeli ‘wamkhonza rhoqo’ uYehova ubomi bakhe bonke. (Daniyeli 6:16, 20) Yiyiphi imikhwa yokomoya awayenayo uDaniyeli? Phakathi kweminye, wayethandaza rhoqo kuYehova. Phezu kwawo nje ummiselo wasebukhosini owawungakuvumeli oko wayekwenza, “izihlandlo ezithathu ngemini [uDaniyeli], wathandaza, edumisa uThixo wakhe, njengoko wayeqhele ukwenjenjalo.” (Daniyeli 6:10) Akazange awuyeke umkhwa wakhe wokuthandaza kuThixo, nangona oko kwakubeka ubomi bakhe engozini. Akuthandabuzeki ukuba lo mkhwa wakhe wamomeleza uDaniyeli wagqibelela ngokukhethekileyo kuThixo. Ngokucacileyo, uDaniyeli wayenawo nomkhwa omhle wokufundisisa nokuphanda nzulu ngezithembiso ezibangel’ umdla zikaThixo. (Yeremiya 25:11, 12; Daniyeli 9:2) Ngokuqinisekileyo le mikhwa mihle yamnceda wanyamezela kwada kwasekupheleni, elubaleka ngokholo ugqatso lobomi de walugqiba.

Ngokwahlukileyo koko, uDina wahlangabezana nemiphumo ebuhlungu ngenxa yokuba nomkhwa ombi. “Wayedla ngokuphuma aye kubona iintombi zelo lizwe,” ezazingamnquli uYehova. (Genesis 34:1) Ukuba nalo mkhwa owawubonakala ungeyongozi kwakhokelela kwintlekele. Okokuqala, wadlwengulwa nguShekem, umfana owayegqalwa ‘njengoyena ubekekileyo kwindlu kayise iphela.’ Kwalandela isenzo sokuziphindezela sabantakwabo ababini esakhokelela ekubulaweni kwawo onke amadoda esixeko siphela. Onjani ukuba mbi umphumo!—Genesis 34:19, 25-29.

Sinokuqiniseka njani ukuba imikhwa yethu iyingenelo kunokuba isenzakalise?

Ukusebenzisa Umkhwa

Esinye isithandi sobulumko sabhala sathi: “Imikhwa esinayo siya kufa nayo.” Kodwa akumele kube njalo. IBhayibhile ibonisa ngokucacileyo ukuba sinokukhetha ukuyitshintsha imikhwa yethu emibi size sihlakulele emihle.

Xa sinemikhwa emihle, indlela yokuphila yobuKristu iba yingenelo kakhulu yaye kuba lula ukuphila ngayo. UAlex, umKristu waseGrisi, uthi: “Ukuba nomkhwa wokunamathela kucwangciso lokwenza imisebenzi eyahlukahlukeneyo kundongela ixesha elibalulekileyo.” UTheophilus, umKristu ongumdala uthi, ukuba nomkhwa wokuzicwangcisa izinto kuyamnceda akwazi ukwenza izinto ezininzi. Uthi: “Ndiqinisekile ukuba bendingenako ukunyamekela iimbopheleleko zam zobuKristu ngokuphumelelayo ukuba bendingenawo umkhwa wokuzicwangcisa kakuhle izinto.”

NjengamaKristu, sibongozwa ukuba ‘siqhubeke sihamba ngokulungeleleneyo kulo mzila mnye.’ (Filipi 3:16) “Umzila ubandakanya umkhwa othile ocwangcisiweyo.” Imikhwa emihle ngolo hlobo iyingenelo kuthi kuba akubi yomfuneko ukuba sichithe ixesha siceba inyathelo ngalinye—sele sinalo ucwangciso esilulandelayo njengomkhwa wethu. Xa into sele ingumkhwa wakho iphantse izenzekele. Njengoko imikhwa emihle yokuqhuba inokubangela ukuba umqhubi enze isigqibo esikhawulezileyo sokusindisa ubomi xa kukho ingozi endleleni, imikhwa emihle inokusinceda senze izigqibo ezifanelekileyo ngokukhawuleza xa sihamba ekhondweni lethu lobuKristu.

Njengoko umbhali oliNgesi uJeremy Taylor esitsho: “Ngokusoloko uyenza into, ide ibe ngumkhwa wakho.” Ukuba sinemikhwa emihle, kuba lula ukwenza izinto ezintle. Ngokomzekelo, ukuba njengabalungiseleli bobuKristu sinomkhwa wokuba nesabelo rhoqo kumsebenzi wokushumayela, kuya kuba lula yaye konwabise ukuya kwinkonzo yasentsimini. Ngokuphathelele abapostile, sifunda ukuba “imihla yonke etempileni nakwizindlu ngezindlu baqhubeka ngaphandle kokuyekelela befundisa kwaye bevakalisa iindaba ezilungileyo ezingoKristu, uYesu.” (IZenzo 5:42; 17:2) Kwelinye icala, ukuba siya entsimini manqapha-nqapha, sinokunxunguphala, sifune ixesha elongezelelekileyo ngaphambi kokuba sibe nesibindi kulo msebenzi wobuKristu ubalulekileyo.

Kunjalo nangezinye iinkalo zomzila wethu wobuKristu. Imikhwa emihle inokusinceda silifunde rhoqo ‘iLizwi likaThixo imini nobusuku.’ (Yoshuwa 1:8; INdumiso 1:2) Omnye umKristu wayenomkhwa wokufunda iBhayibhile kangangemizuzu engama-20 ukusa kwengama-30 ngaphambi kokuba alale. Nokuba sele edinwe eyimfe, ufumanisa ukuba xa elele engakhange afunde, akalali buhlayo. Kufuneka avuke aze anyamekele imfuno yakhe yokomoya. Lo mkhwa mhle wamnceda wakwazi ukuyifunda yonke iBhayibhile kanye ngonyaka iminyaka eliqela.

UMzekelo wethu, uYesu Kristu, wayenomkhwa wokuya kwiintlanganiso apho kwakuxutyushwa khona iBhayibhile. “Ngokwesiko lakhe ngomhla wesabatha, wangena kwindlu yesikhungu, waza wema ukuze afunde.” (Luka 4:16) KuJoe, umdala onentsapho enkulu osebenza iiyure ezininzi, ukuba nomkhwa kumncede wanomnqweno wokubakho rhoqo kwiintlanganiso. Uthi: “Lo mkhwa undenza ndiqhubeke, undinika amandla okomoya afuneka kakhulu ukuze ndikwazi ukujamelana nocelomngeni kunye neengxaki ngokuphumelelayo.”—Hebhere 10:24, 25.

Imikhwa enjalo iyimfuneko kugqatso lobuKristu lobomi. Ingxelo evela kwilizwe elalibatshutshisa abantu bakaYehova yathi: “Abo banemikhwa emihle yokomoya kwaye benoxabiso olunzulu ngenyaniso abanangxaki yokunyamezela xa iintshutshiso zihlasela, kodwa abo bathi ‘ngexesha elilungileyo’ bangayi kwiintlanganiso, bangayi rhoqo entsimini yaye balalanise kwizinto ezincinane ngokufuthi bayoyisakala xa bejamelene novavanyo ‘olunjengomlilo.’”—2 Timoti 4:2.

Yiphephe Imikhwa Emibi, Sebenzisa Emihle

Kuthiwa ‘umntu ufanele abe nemikhwa afuna ukuphila ngayo kuphela.’ Eneneni kukuzibetha ngenyhek’ etyeni ukuba nemikhwa emibi. Nangona kunjalo, imikhwa emibi inokuyekwa.

Kangangethuba elithile uStella wayelikhoboka likamabonwakude. Uyavuma: “Kuyo yonke into embi endikhe ndayenza, ndandinesizathu ‘esivakalayo’ sokuyenza.” Kwakunjalo nangomkhwa wakhe wokubukela umabonwakude kakhulu. Wayezixelela ukuba uza kubukela nje ukuze “aphumze ingqondo kancinane” okanye “enze into eyahlukileyo.” Kodwa wakwenza umkhwa wakhe oku, nto leyo eyayimenza abukele umabonwakude kangangexesha elide. Uthi: “Ekugqibeleni, lo mkhwa mbi wayibambezela inkqubela yam yokomoya.” Ngokuzimisela, ekugqibeleni wakwazi ukulinciphisa ixesha alichitha kumabonwakude waza wakwazi ukuzikhetha izinto anokuzibukela. UStella uthi: “Ndisoloko ndizikhumbuza isizathu sokuba ndifune ukwahlukana nalo mkhwa, yaye ndayama ngoYehova ukuze ndikwazi ukubambelela kwisigqibo sam.”

UmKristu ogama linguCharalambos walatha kumkhwa ombi owamenza akakwazi ukwenza inkqubela ngokomoya—ukuzibekel’ amangomso izinto. Uthi: “Xa ndaphawula ukuba umkhwa wokuzibekela amangomso izinto uyingozi, ndaqalisa ukuzama ukuguqula ubomi bam. Xa ndandizibekela usukelo, ndaceba ngokukhethekileyo ukuba ndiza kuqala nini yaye njani ukusebenzela kulo. Ukubambelela kwisigqibo sam ngalo lonke ixesha ndisenza izigqibo naxa ndiceba izinto kwaba luncedo kakhulu, yaye oko kusengumkhwa omhle unanamhla.” Eneneni, imikhwa emihle yeyona imele ithabathel’ indawo imikhwa emibi.

Abantu esinxulumana nabo banokusenza sibe nemikhwa ethile, emihle okanye emibi. Imikhwa emihle iyasulela, njengoko kunjalo nangemibi. Njengoko ‘unxulumano olubi lusonakalisa imikhwa elungileyo,’ izinxulumani ezilungileyo zinokusimisela imizekelo emininzi yemikhwa esinokuyilandela. (1 Korinte 15:33) Okona kubalulekileyo kukuba, imikhwa inokulomeleza okanye iludodobalise ulwalamano lwethu noThixo. UStella uthi: “Ukuba sinemikhwa emihle, oko kwenza umgudu wokukhonza uYehova ube lula. Ukuba iyenzakalisa, iyayithintela imigudu yethu.”

Zenzele imikhwa emihle, uze uyivumele ikukhokele. Iya kuba namandla, ibe yingenelo ebomini bakho.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 19]

Njengomlilo, imikhwa inokuba yingenelo okanye ibe yingozi

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 21]

Yayilisiko likaYesu ukuba kwindlu yesikhungu ngeSabatha ukuze afunde iLizwi likaThixo

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 22]

Imikhwa emihle yokomoya yomeleza ulwalamano lwethu noThixo