Sindisa Ubomi Bomntwana Wakho!

UMICHAEL kunye noAlphina bahlala kwilali esengxingweni phakathi kweenduli eziluhlaza yaka KwaZulu-Natal, eMzantsi Afrika. Baye bajamelana namahlandinyuka amaninzi njengoko bebekhulisa abantwana babo abasixhenxe. Ngenxa yenkxaso epheleleyo yomkakhe, uMichael wenze konke okusemandleni ukuthobela umyalelo weBhayibhile koobawo othi: “Qhubekani nibakhulisela [abantwana benu] kwingqeqesho nasekweyiselweni kwengqondo kuYehova.” (Efese 6:4) Kodwa maxa wambi kuvela iingxaki.

Ngokomzekelo, kuqhelekile ngamakhwenkwe awalusayo aseAfrika ukudibanisa iinkomo zakumawawo ukuze abe nexesha elingakumbi lokudlala kunye. Maxa wambi enza iintlondi aze ancokole ngezinto angafanelanga athethe ngazo. Xa oonyana bakaMichael babesenjenjeya ukuya kwalusa iinkomo zakowabo, wayebanika imiyalelo engqongqo ukuba bangabuthelani nabantwana abathile. (Yakobi 4:4) Noxa kunjalo, xa esendleleni egodukayo evela emsebenzini, maxa wambi wayebabhaqa bethe finini kanye phakathi kwabo. Ngenxa yoko, kwakuye kufuneke abase isandla ngamanye amaxesha.—IMizekeliso 23:13, 14.

Ngaba ucinga ukuba uMichael wayengqongqo gqitha ebantwaneni bakhe? Abanye basenokucinga njalo, kodwa uYesu Kristu wathi “ubulumko bungqineka bububulungisa ngemisebenzi yabo.” (Mateyu 11:19) UMichael noAlphina baye badala umoya wothando emzini wabo, bechitha ixesha kunye nabantwana babo yaye bebafundisa ngeengxelo nangeenyaniso zeBhayibhile.

UMichael noAlphina baneentombi ezine—uThembekile, uSiphiwe, uTholakele kunye noThembekani. Xa bebonke bangabashumayeli bexesha elizeleyo beendaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo. Ababini koonyana babo bakhonza njengabaveleli abongamelayo kumabandla amaNgqina kaYehova. Unyana wabo wesithathu, nonomfazi ungumhambisi wevangeli wexesha elizeleyo, ukhonza njengesicaka solungiselelo.

Inkungu nelanga yabazali abangamaKristu eneentsapho ezinkulu iye yasikelelwa ngempumelelo ekukhuliseni abantwana bayo. Noxa kunjalo, bambi abantwana abaye bakhuliswa kakuhle ngabazali babo bayayishiya inyaniso. Alithandabuzeki elokuba, ezingqondweni zabazali babo kuthi qatha umzekeliso kaYesu wonyana wolahleko baze bahlale benethemba lokuba unyana okanye intombi yabo iza kuguquka ize ifumane usindiso ekugqibeleni.—Luka 15:21-24.

Noko ke, into ebuhlungu yeyokuba, abanye abazali abangamaKristu baye baphuncukane nabantwana babo besiya ehlabathini. Oku kuyinto ebangela ixhala ingakumbi kwiindawo ezithile zeAfrika apho abantwana babonakala beqhuba kakuhle de bafikelele kwiminyaka yeshumi elivisayo. Bandula ke, bathi bakuba sentlahleni yobutsha, babambiseke kwiindlela zokuziphatha okubi zehlabathi likaSathana. (1 Yohane 5:19) Ngenxa yoko, oobawo abaninzi abakufanelekeli ukukhonza njengabadala bebandla. (1 Timoti 3:1, 4, 5) Ngokucacileyo, ubawo ongumKristu ufanele alugqale njengeyona nto ibalulekileyo usindiso lwentsapho yakhe. Ngoko ke, yintoni enokwenziwa ngabazali ukusindisa ubomi babantwana babo?

Yiba Ngumhlobo Osenyongweni

UYesu wayengafezekanga nje kuphela kodwa wayephakame lee kuye nawuphi na umntu ngolwazi nangamava. Sekunjalo, wayebaphethe njengabahlobo abasenyongweni abafundi bakhe ababengafezekanga. (Yohane 15:15) Kungenxa yeso sizathu le nto babenqwenela ukuba kunye naye yaye bevuyiswa bubukho bakhe. (Yohane 1:14, 16, 39-42; 21:7, 15-17) Abazali banokufunda koku. Kanye njengezithole ezinamagqabi akhongozele ukukhanya okufudumeleyo kwelanga, abantwana baqhuba kakuhle xa kukho imeko-bume yothando nobuhlobo ekhaya.

Bazali, ngaba abantwana benu baziva bekhululekile ukuza kunixelela ngazo zonke izinto ezibaxhalabisileyo? Ngaba niyabaphulaphula? Ngaphambi kokuba nifikelele kwizigqibo, ngaba nibenza baniphalazele iingcinga neemvakalelo zabo ukuze nibe sekukhanyeni ngemeko leyo? Ngaba ngomonde niyabanceda bafumane iimpendulo kwimibuzo ethile ngokuphanda ngazo kwiimpapasho zeBhayibhile?

Omnye unozala waseMzantsi Afrika wacacisa wathi: “Ukususela kusuku lwayo lokuqala esikolweni, sasisoloko siyikhuthaza intwazana yethu ukuba isichazele izinto ezenzeke emini. Ngokomzekelo, ndandiye ndiyibuze: ‘Ubukunye nabani na ngethuba lekhefu lasemini? Khawundichazele wethu ngomfundisi-ntsapho wakho omtsha. Unjani ebusweni? Ziziphi izinto eziza kwenziwa kule veki?’ Ngenye imini, intwazana yethu yafika imaphikana ekhaya isithi umfundisi-ntsapho wayo wesiNgesi wayeza kukhupha iklasi iye kubukela umfanekiso oshukumayo eyayiza kuthi kamva iwuhlalutye. Umxholo walo mfanekiso ushukumayo wawukrokrisa. Emva kokuba siwuhlole iinkalo zonke, safumanisa ukuba awufanelekanga kumKristu. Sakushikixa oku njengentsapho. Ngengomso intwazana yethu yangqala ngqo kumfundisi-ntsapho, imtyebisela ukuba ayikufuni ukubukela lo mfanekiso ushukumayo, ekubeni imilinganiselo ebalaseliswa kuwo ingavisisani kwaphela neenkolelo zayo zobuKristu. Lo mfundisi-ntsapho waphinda wawetyisa lo mbandela waza kamva wayibulela intwazana yethu, esithi akafuni kusa iklasi kwinto eyayiza kuyishiya ikhathazekile.” Umdla onothando ababesoloko bewubonakalisa aba bazali ekusindisweni kwentombi yabo waxakatha isiqhamo esihle. Yonwabile yaye inesimo sengqondo esihle ibe kungokunje ikhonza njengetsha-ntliziyo kwisebe leWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society eMzantsi Afrika.

UYesu wamisela umzekelo osemagqabini ekuqhubaneni nabantwana babanye abantu. Wayekuthanda ukuba kunye nabo. (Marko 10:13-16) Hayi indlela ekufanele kubavuyise ngayo abazali ukwenza izinto kunye nabantwana babo! Kwezinye iindawo zaseAfrika, ubawo uba neentloni zokubonwa edlala ibhola okanye eminye imidlalo noonyana bakhe. Kodwa ubawo ongumKristu ufanele angaze azive ebalulekile ukuba angabonwa esenza izinto kunye nabantwana bakhe. Abantwana abaselula bafuna abazali abakunandiphayo ukuchitha ixesha kunye nabo. Oku kwenza kube lula ngabantwana ukuchaza izinto ezibaxhalabisileyo. Xa zingasiwa so ezo mfuno zingokweemvakalelo, abantwana basenokucaphuka okanye bakhethe ukuzithela cwaka, ingakumbi ukuba basoloko belungiswa kuyo yonke into.

Xa wayebhalela amaKolose ngolwalamano lwentsapho, uPawulos wathi: “Nina boyise, musani ukubacaphukisa abantwana benu, khon’ ukuze bangafi intliziyo.” (Kolose 3:21) Oku kusenokubonakalisa ukuba maxa wambi kukho ukungalungelelani kwengqeqesho eninzi ngoxa ubuhlobo bubuncinane. Abantwana, kuquka abakwishumi elivisayo, abathandwayo nabaxatyiswayo baya kusabela ngakumbi kuqeqesho.

Ukuthanda UThixo

Elona lifa lixabiseke kakhulu abazali abanokulishiyela abantwana babo ngumzekelo wabo ngenkqu wokubonakalisa uthando. Abantwana bafuna ukubona nokuva abazali babo bechaza uthando lwabo olungazenzisiyo ngoThixo. Igatyana lomfana elikhonza kwisebe leWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society eMzantsi Afrika lacacisa lathi: “Ngoxa ndandiseyinkwenkwana, ndandidla ngokuncedisana notata kwimisebenzi yekhaya. Ndandikuthanda ukumncedisa, ngenxa yokuba uTata wayeyixabisa ngokwenene loo nto incinane ndandiyenza. Wayedla ngokusebenzisa elo xesha endibalisela ngezinto ezininzi ngoYehova. Ngokomzekelo, ndikhumbula ngomnye uMgqibelo xa sasisebenza nzima sicheba ingca. Elaloo mini lalikhupha iintlanzi emanzini. UTata wayebil’ elinqugwala, ngoko ke ndathi ngqee ukuya kukha iigilasi ezimbini zamanzi ndaza ndafaka nomkhenkce kuwo. UTata wathi: ‘Mfowam, uyayibona phofu indlela alumke ngayo uYehova? Umkhenkce udada ngaphezulu emanzini. Ukuba ubunokwehlela ezantsi, zonke izinto eziphilayo emazantsi amachibi nemigxobhozo beziya kufa. Kunokuba kube njalo, umkhenkce uyingubo ezifudumezayo! Ngaba oku akusincedi simazi ngakumbi uYehova?’a Kamva, xa ndaphoswa ngaphaya kwezitshixo ngenxa yokugcina ubundilele, ndafumana ixesha lokuzikis’ ukucinga. Ngobunye ubusuku xa ndandiwe umxhelo kwisisele endandikuso, kwathi qatha loo mazwi kaTata. Hayi indlela awayenentsingiselo ngayo! Ukuba bekusemandleni am bendinokumnqula ngonaphakade uYehova.”

Ewe, abantwana bafuna ukubona uthando ngoThixo lubonakala kwinto yonke eyenziwa ngabazali babo. Uthando ngoThixo nokumthobela ngokungazenzisiyo kufanele kubonakale ngokukodwa njengamandla aphembelela ukuya kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu, ukuba nesabelo kubulungiseleli basentsimini nofundisiso lweBhayibhile lwentsapho. (1 Korinte 13:3) Kanti eyona nto ide yabaluleka nangakumbi kukuba, uthando ngoThixo lufanele lubonakale kwimithandazo yentsapho esuk’ emazantsi entliziyo. Ukubaluleka kokunika abantwana bakho ilifa elinjalo asinto inokude icinezelwe kakhulu. Kungenxa yoko le nto amaSirayeli ayalelwayo: “Uze umthande uYehova uThixo wakho ngentliziyo yakho yonke, nangomphefumlo wakho wonke, nangamandla akho onke. La mazwi ndikuwisela umthetho ngawo namhlanje, aze abe sentliziyweni yakho. Uze uwatsolise koonyana bakho, uthethe ngawo ekuhlaleni kwakho endlwini yakho, nasekuhambeni kwakho ngendlela, nasekulaleni kwakho, nasekuvukeni kwakho.”—Duteronomi 6:5-7; thelekisa uMateyu 22:37-40.

Owona mqobo mkhulu ekuthandeni uThixo nasekumthobeleni yimveli yethu yesono esiyizuze njengelifa. (Roma 5:12) Ngoko ke, iBhayibhile inikela lo myalelo: “Bathandi bakaYehova, kuthiyeni okubi.” (INdumiso 97:10) Iingcinga ezimbi zidla ngokukhokelela kwizenzo ezimbi. Ukuze aziphephe, umntwana umele ahlakulele nolunye uphawu olubalulekileyo.

Ukoyika UThixo

Uthando oluhambisana noloyiko olunzulu lokungamkholisi uYehova luyinto enqweneleka gqitha. UYesu Kristu wasimisela umzekelo ogqibeleleyo walowo wafumana uvuyo ‘ekoyikeni uYehova.’ (Isaya 11:1-3) Uloyiko olunjalo lubalulekile xa umntwana edlula entlahleni yobutsha yaye eqala ukuba nenkanuko enamandla yesini. Ukoyika uThixo kunokumnceda oselula axhathise iingcinezelo zehlabathi ezisenokumkhokelela ekuziphatheni okubi. (IMizekeliso 8:13) Kwezinye iindawo, abazali baba neentloni ngokufundisa abantwana babo indlela yokujamelana nezilingo ezingokwesini. Eneneni, abaninzi bacinga ukuba kuphosakele ukuthetha ngale mibandela. Kodwa ube yintoni umphumo wokungahoyi okunjalo kwabazali?

Iingcaphephe zonyango ezintathu uBuga, uAmoko noNcayiyana badlan’ iindlebe namantombazana ali-1702 kunye namakhwenkwe angama-903 awayephuma kumaphandle aseTranskei, eMzantsi Afrika. ISouth African Medical Journal yanikela ingxelo yokuba “ama-76 ekhulwini amantombazana nama-90,1 ekhulwini amakhwenkwe ayekolu hlolisiso ayekhe aneentlobano zesini.” Umlinganiselo wobudala bamantombazana yayiyiminyaka eli-15, yaye amaninzi anyanzelwa ukuba abe neentlobano zesini. Angaphezu kwama-250 awakha amitha kwakanye okanye izihlandlo ezininzi. Esinye isiphumo yayingumlinganiselo ophakamileyo wezifo ezidluliselwa ngeentlobano zesini.

Kuyabonakala ukuba, uninzi lwabazali aluyiboni imfuneko yokufundisa abantwana babo indlela yokuphepha isini sangaphambi komtshato. Kunoko, lo lindixesha uchazwe ngasentla uyacacisa: “Ukuzala de waphul’ uluthi nokuba ngunozala ziimpawu ezixatyiswe kakhulu emfazini ngabantu abahlala kwiilali zaseTranskei, ibe amantombazana asele ethe dlundlu akubona zibekwa nje oku.” Nezinye iindawo ezisehlabathini zikwanale ngxaki.

Abantu abaselula abaninzi eAfrika ityala baliphosa kubazali babo ngenxa yokungabancedi babenolwazi ngesini. Kanti abanye abazali abangamaKristu baye baneentloni gqitha ekusebenziseni incwadi ethi Ubutsha Bakho—Ukufumana Okona Kulungileyo Kubo.b Kwiphepha 20-3, icacisa indlela ebekekileyo yokusetyenziswa kwamalungu esini kunye neenguqulelo ezenzekayo ekufikiseni.

Abazali abangamaKristu abaloyisayo ucelomngeni lokuxubusha imbono kaThixo ngesini nabantwana babo bamele banconywe. Oku kwenziwa kakuhle ngokwamanqanaba, ngokwamandla omntwana okugcina imibandela. Ngokuxhomekeka kubudala bomntwana, abazali kusenokufuneka bangagwegwelezi xa bethetha ngamalungu omzimba nemisebenzi yawo. Ngapha koko, oselula ongekabi nalwazi lungako usenokungayiqondi eyona nto kuthethwa ngayo.—1 Korinte 14:8, 9.

Omnye ubawo waseMzantsi Afrika oneentombi ezimbini kunye nonyana ucacisa enjenje: “Kangangezihlandlo ezininzi, ndiye ndafumana amathuba okuxubusha ngemibandela enobuzaza engokwesini kwaneentombi zam. Noko ke, umkam wayenikela ingqalelo ekhethekileyo kwiintombi zethu, esebenzisa incwadi ethi Ubutsha Bakho—Ukufumana Okona Kulungileyo Kubo. [Bona iphepha 26-31.] Xa unyana wam wayeneminyaka eli-12 ubudala, ndagqiba ekubeni sikhe solule imilenze kunye siye ezintabeni. Ngeso sihlandlo, saxubusha ngokweenkcukacha inguqulelo eyenzekayo kumzimba wenkwenkwe nangenjongo efanelekileyo eya kuphunyezwa yiyo kamva emtshatweni. Kwakhona ndancokola naye ngemfuneko yokuphepha umkhwa othob’ isidima wokuphulula amaphambili aze awaphathe ngembeko nangentlonelo amantombazana—kanye ngendlela amphatha ngayo unina noodade wabo.”

Imivuzo Evuyisayo

Ubawo kunye nomama okhankanywe ngasentla apha babesiwa bevuka yaye abayivali imilomo luvuyo kuba beye banempumelelo ekukhuliseni abantwana babo abathathu. Sithetha nje bobathathu bangabantu abakhulileyo, abatshate namaKristu athembekileyo. Unyana wabo kunye nabakhwenyana, bonke bakhonza njengabadala kwibandla lamaKristu yaye izibini ezimbini kwezi bezikumsebenzi wokuhambisa ivangeli wexesha elizeleyo kangangeminyaka emininzi.

Ewe, abazali ababila besoma besebenzela usindiso lwentsapho yabo banokulindela umvuzo ovuyisayo kubantwana babo abasabelayo kwimfundiso enjalo yeBhayibhile, kuba IMizekeliso 23:24, 25 ithi: “Ozele isilumko uyavuya ngaso. Makavuye uyihlo nonyoko.” Khawucinge nje ngentsapho enkulu ekhankanywe ekuqaleni kwintshayelelo yeli nqaku. UAlphina uthi: “Ndithi ndakucinga ngenkqubela yokomoya eyenziwe ngabantwana bam, isuke intliziyo yam iphuphume luvuyo.” Kwanga bonke abazali abangamaKristu bangasebenza bejonge kulo mvuzo wonwabisayo.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

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