Phumelela Ngokwenene Ebomini

1, 2. (a) Abantu abaninzi bakugqala njani ukuphumelela? (b) Unokuyihlolisisa njani indlela okujonga ngayo ukuphumelela?

KUTHETHA ntoni ukuphumelela ebomini? Abantu bawuphendula ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo lo mbuzo. Ngokomzekelo, abaninzi bathi ukuze ube uphumelele kufuneka ube nemali eninzi, umsebenzi ohlawula kakuhle okanye ube nemfundo enomsila. Abanye bathi kuxhomekeke kwindlela obaphatha ngayo abantu—intsapho yakho, abahlobo okanye abantu osebenza nabo. Mhlawumbi yena umKristu unokuvakalelwa kukuba, ukuphumelela kunento yokwenza nokuba nesigxina sembopheleleko ebandleni okanye ukuba nemveliso kwinkonzo yasentsimini.

² Ukuze uhlolisise indlela okujonga ngayo ukuphumelela, khawubhale amagama abantu ocinga ukuba baphumelele—abo ubathandayo nobahlonelayo. Ziziphi iimpawu ezibalaseleyo abafana ngazo? Ngaba bazizityebi okanye badumile? Indlela ophendula ngayo iya kutyhila indlela ocinga ngayo yaye inokuba negalelo elibonakalayo kukhetho olwenzayo nakusukelo lwakho ebomini.—Luka 6:45.

3. (a) Yintoni awayemele ayenze uYoshuwa ukuze enze indlela yakhe iphumelele? (b) Ngoku siza kuhlolisisa ntoni?

³ Eyona nto ibalulekileyo yindlela uYehova akujonga ngayo ukuphumelela, kuba ubomi bethu buxhomekeke ekukholisweni kwakhe sithi. Xa uYehova wanika uYoshuwa imbopheleleko eqatha yokukhokelela amaSirayeli kwiLizwe Lesithembiso, wamyalela ukuba afunde uMthetho kaMoses “imini nobusuku” aze aqiniseke ukuba uyakuthobela oko kubhalwe kuwo. UThixo wamqinisekisa ngelithi: “Ngoko uya kuyenza iphumelele indlela yakho wandule ke wenze ngobulumko.” (Yosh. 1:7, 8) Njengoko sisazi, uYoshuwa waphumelela. Kuthekani ngathi? Sinokuqiniseka njani ukuba ukuphumelela sikujonga ngendlela kaThixo? Ukuze sibone oko, makhe sihlolisise indlela awayephila ngayo amadoda amabini ekuthethwe ngawo eBhayibhileni.

NGABA USOLOMON WAPHUMELELA EBOMINI?

4. Kutheni kunokuthiwa uSolomon waphumelela?

⁴ USolomon waphumelela ngeendlela ezininzi. Kutheni sisitsho? Kungenxa yokuba kangangeminyaka emininzi, woyika waza wathobela uYehova, owamsikelela ngendlela engathethekiyo. Uz’ ukhumbule ukuba xa uYehova wathi uSolomon makacele into, lo kumkani wacela ubulumko bokukhokela abantu. UThixo wamsikelela ngobulumko nobutyebi. (Funda eyoku-1 yooKumkani 3:10-14.) Ubulumko bakhe “babubuninzi ngakumbi kunobulumko bonke baseMpumalanga nakunabo bonke ubulumko baseYiputa.” USolomon waduma “kuzo zonke iintlanga macala onke.” (1 Kum. 4:30, 31) Ngendlela awayesisinhanha ngayo, wayefumana igolide emalunga neetoni ezingama-25 ngonyaka! (2 Kron. 9:13) Wayehamba yedwa kubuchule bokusebenzisana namanye amazwe, ekwakheni nakwezorhwebo. Ngoxa wayesaphila ngokwemilinganiselo kaThixo, uSolomon waphumelela.—2 Kron. 9:22-24.

5. USolomon wagqiba ngelithini ngokuphathelele imbono kaThixo ngokuphumelela?

⁵ Amazwi kaSolomon akwiNtshumayeli abonisa ukuba akazange acinge ukuba ukuphumelela novuyo lufunyanwa kuphela ngabo bazizityebi nabadumileyo. Wabhala wathi: “Ndiyazi ukuba akukho nto ilunge ngakumbi kulo kunokuba nemihlali nokwenza okulungileyo ebudeni bokudla kwalo ubomi; kwanokuba wonk’ umntu ufanele adle, asele aze ngokwenene abone okulungileyo kuko konke ukusebenza kwakhe nzima. Sisipho sikaThixo eso.” (INtshu. 3:12, 13) Wayitsho nento yokuba oko kuzihlaziya kuluncedo kakhulu kumntu uThixo akholiswayo nguye nonolwalamano oluhle naye. Wayefanele uSolomon ukuthi: “Ukuqosheliswa kombandela, emva kokuba yonk’ into iviwe, naku: Yoyika uThixo oyinyaniso uze ugcine imiyalelo yakhe. Kuba oku kuyimbopheleleko yomntu.”—INtshu. 12:13.

6. Umzekelo kaSolomon usinceda njani sikwazi ukubona impumelelo yokwenene?

⁶ Kangangeminyaka emininzi, uSolomon waqhubeka esoyika uThixo. Sifunda ukuba “waqhubeka emthanda uYehova ngokuhamba emimiselweni kaDavide uyise.” (1 Kum. 3:3) Ngaba akuvumi ukuba leyo yimpumelelo yokwenene? USolomon walathiswa nguThixo ukuba akhe itempile engayiwayo yonqulo lokwenyaniso aze abhale iincwadi ezintathu zeBhayibhile. Nangona singenakwenza okufanayo, umzekelo kaSolomon waxa wayesathembekile kuThixo ufanele usikhokelele ekuhloleni impumelelo yokwenene yaye ufanele usincede siphumelele ngokwenene. Ngokuphathelele oku, khumbula ukuba ephefumlelwe, uSolomon watsho ukuba, izinto abantu abazigqala njengempumelelo—ubutyebi, ubulumko, udumo negunya—zingamampunge. Ezo zinto zililize “nokusukelana nomoya.” Ngokuqhelekileyo abantu abaninzi abathanda ubutyebi bafuna obungakumbi. Yaye basoloko bezikhathaza ngezinto abanazo. Ngaphezu koko, ubutyebi babo buphelela kwabanye.—Funda iNtshumayeli 2:8-11, 17; 5:10-12.

7, 8. USolomon akazange athembeke ngayiphi indlela, yaye oko kwaphumela entwenini?

⁷ Njengoko usazi, ekugqibeleni uSolomon waphambuka kwikhondo lokuthembeka. ILizwi likaThixo lithi: “Kwathi ngexesha lokuba mdala kukaSolomon abafazi bakhe bayenza intliziyo yakhe yatyekela ekulandeleni abanye oothixo; kwaye intliziyo yakhe ayizange iphelele kuYehova uThixo wakhe njengentliziyo kaDavide uyise. . . . USolomon waqalisa ukwenza okubi emehlweni kaYehova.”—1 Kum. 11:4-6.

⁸ Ecaphukile, uYehova wathi kuSolomon: “Ngenxa yokuba . . . ungawugcinanga umnqophiso wam nemimiselo yam endakuyalela yona, ndiya kubukrazula ubukumkani kuwe, ndibunike umkhonzi wakho.” (1 Kum. 11:11) Yaba yintlekele yokwenene leyo! Nangona uSolomon waphumelela ngendlela ezininzi, ekuhambeni kwexesha wamenza buhlungu uYehova. Wasilela ukwenza eyona nto ibalulekileyo ebomini—ukunyaniseka kuThixo. Ngamnye kuthi unokuzibuza, ‘Ngaba ndizimisele ukuqinisekisa ukuba izifundo endizifunde kubomi bukaSolomon ziya kundinceda ndiphumelele?’

IMPUMELELO YOKWENENE

9. Kutheni kunokuthiwa ngokwemilinganiselo yehlabathi uPawulos waphumelela? Cacisa.

⁹ Ubomi bukampostile uPawulos babahluke lee kobukaKumkani uSolomon. Yena uPawulos wayengahlali kwiitrone ezenziwe ngophondo lwendlovu okanye atye nookumkani. Kunoko wayekhe alambe, anxanwe, agodole okanye angabi nanto yokunxiba. (2 Kor. 11:24-27) Wathi akwamkela uYesu njengoMesiya, uPawulos akabi nasigxina sibekekileyo kunqulo lwamaYuda. Wathiywa ziinkokeli zonqulo zamaYuda. Wavalelwa entolongweni, watywatyushwa, wabethwa ngeentonga waza waxulutywa ngamatye. UPawulos watsho ukuba yena namanye amaKristu batshabhiswa, batshutshiswa baza bahlaziswa. “Siye saba njengenkunkuma yehlabathi, inkuthu yazo zonke izinto, de kwangoku.”—1 Kor. 4:11-13.

10. Kutheni kwakunokubonakala ngathi uPawulos akakufuni ukuphumelela?

¹⁰ Esengumfana ogama linguSawule, umpostile uPawulos wayebonakala ephila kamnandi. Njengoko kusenokwenzeka ukuba wazalelwa kwintsapho edumileyo, wafundiswa nguGamaliyeli, umfundisi ohloniphekileyo yaye kamva wabhala wathi: “Ndandisenza inkqubela enkulu kubuYuda kunabaninzi ababeziintanga zam.” (Gal. 1:14) USawule wayesikhupha ngeempumlo isiHebhere nesiGrike ibe wayengummi waseRoma, nto leyo eyamenza wanamalungelo amaninzi. Ukuba wayekhethe ukusukela ukuphumelela ngale ndlela yehlabathi, ngewayefumene udumo nemali eninzi. Kodwa yena wakhetha ukuphila ubomi ekusenokwenzeka ukuba babubonakala bububudenge kwezinye zezalamane zakhe. Kutheni wenza oko?

11. Luluphi usukelo nemilinganiselo awayeyixabisile uPawulos, yaye ngoba?

¹¹ UPawulos wayemthanda uYehova yaye eyona nto wayeyifuna kukumkholisa kunokufumana ubutyebi nokuduma ebantwini. Esakufumana ulwazi oluchanileyo lwenyaniso, uPawulos wayixabisa intlawulelo, ubulungiseleli bamaKristu, nethemba lokuphila ezulwini—zinto ezo abangenaxesha lazo abantu behlabathi. UPawulos waqonda ukuba kukho imbambano emele izinziswe. USathana wayethe angabenza abantu bayeke ukukhonza uThixo. (Yobhi 1:9-11; 2:3-5) Nakuba wayevavanywa, uPawulos wayezimisele ukuthembeka kuThixo, aze abe nenzondelelo ngonqulo lokwenyaniso. Abayicingi nokuyicinga loo nto abantu behlabathi xa bethetha ngokuphumelela.

12. Kutheni sikhetha ukuthembela kuThixo?

¹² Ngaba nawe unenzondelelo njengoPawulos? Nangona ukuphila ngokuthembeka kungasoloko kulula, siyazi ukuba kusenza sisikelelwe size sithandwe gqitha nguYehova, ibe kusenza siphumelele ngokwenene. (IMize. 10:22) Kuyasinceda ngoku yaye ngokuqinisekileyo kunokusenza sisikelelwe nakwixesha elizayo. (Funda uMarko 10:29, 30.) Ngenxa yoko, sinezizathu ezininzi zokungathembeli ‘kubutyebi obungaqinisekanga, kodwa sithembele kuThixo, osinika zonke izinto ngokobutyebi ukuze sizinandiphe.’ ‘Ngokwenjenjalo siya kuba siziqwebela isiseko esihle nesikhuselekileyo sekamva, esikhokelela kubomi benene.’ (1 Tim. 6:17-19) Sinokuqiniseka ukuba, kwiminyaka elikhulu ukususela ngoku, nkqu neliwaka nangaphezulu, sakukwazi ukuthi, “Siphumelele ngokwenene ebomini!”

APHO BUKHOYO UBUNCWANE BENU

13. Sisiphi isiluleko esanikelwa nguYesu ngokuphathelele ukuziqwebela ubuncwane?

¹³ UYesu wathi ngobuncwane: “Musani ukuziqwebela ubuncwane emhlabeni, apho kudla khona inundu nomhlwa, nalapho amasela aqhekeza khona ebe. Kunoko, ziqwebeleni ubuncwane ezulwini, apho inundu nomhlwa zingadliyo khona, nalapho amasela angaqhekeziyo ebe. Kuba apho bukhoyo ubuncwane benu, nentliziyo yenu yoba lapho.”—Mat. 6:19-21.

14. Kutheni kungebobulumko ukufuna ubuncwane behlabathi?

¹⁴ Ubuncwane anokuba nabo umntu emhlabeni abupheleli nje emalini. Bunokuquka nantoni na kwizinto awathetha ngazo uSolomon ezinento yokwenza nokuphumelela ngokwembono yabantu—udumo okanye igunya. UYesu wathetha into eyakha yathethwa nguSolomon kwiNtshumayeli—ubuncwane behlabathi buyaphela. Njengoko kusenokwenzeka ukuba ukhe wabona, bonke obo buncwane buthi pheselele lula. UNjingalwazi F. Dale Bruner ubhala athi ngobuncwane: “Akukho mntu ungayaziyo into yokuba udumo alunakuthenjwa. Umntu oliqhawe namhlanje kusa engelilo ngomso. Osisinhanha esingawothiyo umlilo kulo nyaka, kozayo uyimpula kaLujaca. . . . [UYesu] uyabathanda abantu. Wababongoza ukuba baphephe ukuphelelwa lithemba okubangelwa ludumo olufiphalayo ngokuhamba kwexesha. Ludlula okwethunzi. UYesu akafuni ukuba abafundi bakhe badane. ‘Suku ngalunye abantu bajikelwa ziimeko sele becinga ukuba baphumelele ebomini.’” Nangona abantu abaninzi bevumelana nala mazwi, bangaphi kubo ababuvumelayo ubunyaniso bawo ukuba butshintshe indlela abaphila ngayo? Ngaba nawe uya kwenjenjalo?

15. Luluphi uhlobo lokuphumelela esifanele silusukele?

¹⁵ Ezinye iinkokeli zonqulo ziye zafundisa ukuba kuphosakele ukufuna ukuphumelela, ibe yonke imigudu yokuzama ukuphumelela ifanele ithintelwe. Noko ke, phawula ukuba uYesu wayengayigwebi imigudu enjalo. Kunoko wayebongoza abafundi bakhe ukuba batshintshe imigudu abayenzayo, ebakhuthaza ukuba baziqwebele ‘ubuncwane obungonakaliyo ezulwini.’ Owona mnqweno wethu uphambili ufanele ube kukuzama ukuphumelela ngokwembono kaYehova. Ngokwenene amazwi kaYesu asikhumbuza ukuba siyazikhethela usukelo lwethu. Eyona nyaniso kukuba, siya kusukela oko kusezintliziyweni zethu nokuxabisekileyo kuthi.

16. Yintoni esinokuthembela kuyo ngokupheleleyo?

¹⁶ Ukuba ukukholisa uYehova kuyeyona nto iphambili kuthi, uya kuqinisekisa ukuba sifumana zonke izinto eziyimfuneko. Unokusivumela ukuba silambe okanye sinxanwe okwethutyana, njengompostile uPawulos. (1 Kor. 4:11) Noko ke, sinokulithemba eli cebiso lobulumko likaYesu: “Musani ke ukuxhala nisithi, ‘Siza kudla ntoni na?’ okanye, ‘Siza kusela ntoni na?’ okanye, ‘Siza kunxiba ntoni na?’ Kuba zonke ezi zizinto iintlanga ezizisukela ngentumekelelo. Kuba uYihlo osemazulwini uyazi ukuba ziyimfuneko kuni zonke ezi zinto. Qhubekani, ke ngoko, nifuna kuqala ubukumkani nobulungisa bakhe, yaye zonke ezinye izinto ziya kongezelelwa kuni.”—Mat. 6:31-33.

PHUMELELA NGOKWEMBONO KATHIXO

17, 18. (a) Kuxhomekeke entwenini ukuphumelela ngokwenene? (b) Yintoni ekungaxhomekekanga kuyo ukuphumelela ngokwenene?

¹⁷ Nantsi eyona nto ibalulekileyo: Ukuphumelela ngokwenene akuxhomekekanga kwizinto esiziphumezileyo okanye kwindlela elisijonga ngayo ihlabathi. Ukongezelela, ukuphumelela ngokwenene akuxhomekekanga kwisigxina sembopheleleko onaso kwibandla lamaKristu. Noko ke, iintsikelelo zixhomekeke kwesona siseko sempumelelo, ukuthobela nokuthembeka kuThixo, osixelela oku: “Okufunekayo kumagosa kukuba ahlale ethembekile.” (1 Kor. 4:2) Simele siqhubeke sithembekile. UYesu wathi: “Lowo uye wanyamezela kwasa ekupheleni ngulowo oya kusindiswa.” (Mat. 10:22) Ngaba akuvumelani nelokuba ukuthembeka de sisindiswe kuyeyona mpumelelo yokwenene?

¹⁸ Njengoko sele sifundile, sibonile ukuba ukunyaniseka kuThixo akunanto yakwenza nodumo, imfundo, imali onayo okanye indlela obaluleke ngayo; kungenayo nento yokwenza nobukrelekrele okanye ubuchule onabo. Enoba sijamelene naziphi na iimeko, sinokuthembeka kuThixo. Ngenkulungwane yokuqala, abanye abakhonzi bakaThixo babezizityebi, abanye ke bengathathi ntweni. UPawulos wabanika isiluleko esiluncedo abo babezizityebi ukuba “benze okulungileyo, batyebe emisebenzini emihle, bangagogotyi lutho, balungele ukwabelana.” Abo babezizityebi kunye nabo babengathathi ntweni babenokububamba babuqinise ‘ubomi benene.’ (1 Tim. 6:17-19) Nanamhlanje kusenjalo. Sonke sinethuba nembopheleleko efanayo: Simele sihlale sithembekile size ‘sityebe emisebenzini emihle.’ Ukuba senza njalo, siya kuphumelela ngokwembono yoMdali wethu size sonwatyiswe kukwazi ukuba siyamkholisa.—IMize. 27:11.

19. Uzimisele ukwenza ntoni ukuze uphumelele ngokwenene?

¹⁹ Usenokungakwazi ngokupheleleyo ukuzilawula iimeko okuzo, kodwa unokuyilawula indlela ohlangabezana ngayo nazo. Zama ukuthembeka enoba uphantsi kwaziphi na iimeko. Oko kuya kukunceda ngokwenene. Qiniseka ukuba uYehova uya kukusikelela ngokwenene—ngoku nangonaphakade. Ungaze uwalibale la mazwi athethwa nguYesu kumaKristu athanjisiweyo: “Zingqine uthembekile kude kuse ekufeni, mna ke ndokunika isithsaba sobomi.” (ISityhi. 2:10) Kokona kuphumelela kokwenene oko!