Ubambo-xesha Nawe

UMVELELI ongumKristu kwibandla elikuMzantsi Merika wayeneempawu ezininzi ezintle. Kodwa abahlobo bakhe abasenyongweni babemqhula ngokuthi unguArmagedon. Kwakutheni? Babedla ngokuthi, “Siyazi ukuba uyeza, kodwa nguThixo kuphela owaziyo ukuba nini!”

Ewe, ukubamba ixesha—okanye ukungalibambi—kuhlobene kakhulu nodumo lukabani. UKumkani osisilumko uSolomon wakuzekelisa oku ngale ndlela: “Iimpukane ezifileyo zinukisa zibilise amafutha omqholi; ubudenge obuncinane bunzima kunobulumko nozuko.” (INtshumayeli 10:1) UmKristu usenokuba neempawu ezintle ezininzi, kodwa uya kulingcolisa igama lakhe elihle ukuba akaliphapheli ixesha.

Omnye umveleli wathi: “Abantu abalibambayo ixesha bandenza ndibathembe. Bangabona bantu ndikhetha ukusebenza nabo.” Kwakhona bayaxatyiswa ngabantu bezoshishino. IEmily Post’s Etiquette icebisa ngelithi: “Fika emsebenzini ngexesha, fika ngexesha elililo ezintlanganisweni; iingxelo zingenise ngexesha lazo.” Ngokufanayo, iThe New Etiquette (1987) ithi, ngokuqhelekileyo, “abo bafika emva kwexesha bakrwada.” Bandula ke ababhali baleke umsundulo ngelithi: “Iinkonzo zonqulo zikwasesinye isihlandlo ekungafanelwe kufikwe emva kwexesha kuso.”

Thina sonke siyakuxabisa ukubona abanye belibamba ixesha. Ngokucacileyo umpostile uPawulos wavakalelwa ngalo ndlela, kuba wawabhalela oku amaKristu aseKolose: “Ngomoya ndinani, ndivuya, ndibona ulungelelwano lwenu.” (Kolose 2: 5) Ibe ngokuqinisekileyo sivakalelwa ngendlela awavakalelwa ngayo uKumkani uDavide ngokuphathelele amadinga kaYehova xa wabhala esithi kwiiNdumiso: “Thixo wam, musa ukulibala.”—INdumiso 40:17; 70:5.

“Yibani Ngabaxelisa UThixo”

Enyanisweni, uYehova akaze ashiywe lixesha. Ungobalaseleyo ekuliphapheleni ixesha. Oku kubonakala kuyo yonke imisebenzi yakhe yokudala. Ukusuka kummandla wendalo iphela ongasikelwanga mda ukusa kwezona zinto zincinane ziphilayo, zonke zisebenza ngokungathi zilawulwa yiwotshi enkulu engabonakaliyo. Ngokomzekelo, uhlobo oluthile lwenyibiba yaselwandle kufuphi naseJapan lukhupha iiseli zalo zembewu kanye ngonyaka ngo-Oktobha malunga neyesithathu emva kwemini ngosuku laxa inyanga iliceba okanye iphantse yasisonka. Ngentlakohlaza intlanzi encinane iyakwazi ukufumanisa ixesha lokuzala kwayo kwimizuzwana embalwa yokunyuka kwamaza kunxweme lwaseKhalifoniya.

Kwakhona uYehova ulibamba ngokuchanileyo ixesha xa kufikelelwa ekuzalisekiseni idinga lakhe. Ngokomzekelo, kwiEksodus 12:41 sifunda ukuba, “ekupheleni kweminyaka emakhulu mane, aneminyaka emanci mathathu, kwathi, kanye ngayo loo mini, yaphuma yonke imikhosi kaYehova ezweni laseYiputa.” Ngaloo ndlela uYehova waligcina idinga awalenza kwiinkulungwane ngaphambili kuAbram.—Genesis 15:13-16; Galati 3:17.a

UYehova wathumela uNyana wakhe, onguMesiya, ehlabathini kanye ngexesha elifanelekileyo elaxelwa kwangaphambili ngumprofeti uDaniyeli ngaphezu kweenkulungwane ezintlanu ngaphambili, ukuze abe “wabafela ngexesha elimisiweyo abangahloneli Thixo.” (Roma 5:6; Daniyeli 9:25) Ngokuphathelele isiphelo sale nkqubo yezinto, iBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba uYehova uyawazi “loo mhla nelo lixa.” (Mateyu 24:36) Akayi kuliphosa ixesha. Ngokucacileyo, sifanele siwuxelise umzekelo kaYehova wokubamba ixesha.—Efese 5:1.

“Ngexesha Lawo Elimisiweyo”

UYehova ebesoloko ebalindele abakhonzi bakhe ukuba baliphaphele ixesha, ingakumbi ngokuphathelele unqulo lwakhe. “Ucwangciso lwemihla ngemihla,” lwalulandelwa xa amaSirayeli ayenikela amadini. UYehova wawayalela oku: ‘Umsondezo wam. . .nowugcina ukuwusondeza kum ngexesha lawo elimisiweyo.’ Wakwayalela uMoses oku ngokuphathelele iintlanganiso: “Lonke ibandla maligcine ixesha elimisiweyo.”—Levitikus 23:37, NW; Numeri 10:3, NW; Num 28:2.

Kamva, amaYuda aligcina ‘ilixa lesiqhumiso.’ (Luka 1:10) ‘Ixesha lomthandazo, ilixa lesithoba,’ laligcinwa ngamaYuda nangabanye. (IZenzo 3:1; 10:3, 4, 30) Ibe ngokuphathelele iintlanganiso zamaKristu, uPawulos wabhala: “Zonke izinto mazenziwe ngokubekekileyo, nangolungelelwano.”—1 Korinte 14:40.

Oku kukonke kwakuya kufuna ntoni kumaSirayeli nakumaKristu okuqala? Kwakuya kufuna ukuba agcine amaxesha amisiweyo, ingakumbi ngokuphathelele unqulo lwawo. Akukho sizathu sakucinga ukuba uYehova ebeya kulindela okunganeno kunoko kubakhonzi bakhe namhlanje.

Isizathu Sokuba Bambi Bakufumanise Kunzima

Indlela elijongwa ngayo ixesha iyahluka kanobom ukusuka komnye ummandla wehlabathi ukuya komnye. Umvangeli wasemazweni unikela ingxelo yokuba kwenye idolophana yaseMzantsi Merika, umfazi wakhe maxa wambi wayeba kuphela komntu okhoyo xa wayesazisa ingoma yokuvula ekuqalisweni kwentlanganiso yamaKristu. Kodwa xa esazisa ingoma yokuvala, bekudla ngokubakho abantu abangama-70. Kwelinye icala, kwilizwe elikwiNtshona Yurophu, malunga nabantu abaliwaka babuzwa oku: “Ukuba benimenyelwe kwisidlo sangokuhlwa ngeye–7:00, ngaba beniya kufika kwimizuzu emihlanu okanye elishumi ngaphambili, okanye emihlanu okanye elishumi emva kwexesha, okanye kanye ngexesha elimisiweyo?” Inkoliso yabo yaphendula ngokuthi, “ubunene bufuna intlonipho enenyameko ngalowo ukumemileyo nokufika kanye ngomzuzu obekiweyo.”

Sekunjalo, ukubamba ixesha kungaphezulu kunokuba kube ngumbandela nje wokhetho lwengingqi. Kungumkhwa, kanye njengoko nokucoceka, ubuhle okanye ukuba linene kunjalo. Kambe ke, asizalwanga sinemikhwa enjalo; simele siyihlakulele. Ukuba wawufundiswe ukubamba ixesha usengumntwana, usikelelekile. Kodwa abaninzi baphuma kwiintsapho neemvelaphi apho bezimbalwa izihlandlo zokumiselwa kwexesha lokwenziwa kwemisebenzi ethile yaye kungekho mfuneko injalo yokulungelelanisa imigudu kabani neyabanye. Kuphela kuxa baye baba yinxalenye yebandla lamaKristu baze banenxaxheba kwiintlanganiso zalo nakubulungiseleli basesidlangalaleni ethe imfuneko yokubamba ixesha yaba yinto yokwenene kubo. Basenokufumanisa kunzima ukuphucula kumkhwa wokuba nemizanga abakhuliswa ngawo beselula. Sekunjalo, ukuba nothando ngoThixo nommelwane kusenokumshukumisela ubani ukuba enze inguqulelo. Phofu, kutheni kufuneka kwenziwe inguqulelo nje?

Kutheni Umele Ulibambe Ixesha?

UBenjamin Franklin wakhe wabuza lo mbuzo: “Ngaba uyabuthanda na ubomi. Ngoko musa ukudlala ngexesha, kuba ubomi benziwe ngalo.” Sonke siyayiqonda inyaniso ekulo mazwi. Noko ke, okubaluleke ngokufanayo kumaKristu kukungachithi ixesha labanye abantu. Umvangeli wasemazweni wathi, “umntu ofika emva kwexesha ubonakala esithi ngezenzo zakhe, ‘Ixesha lam lixabiseke ngakumbi kunelakho, ngoko wena unokulinda mna ndide ndigqibe.’” Umntu ongalibambiyo ixesha akubonakali engalungelelananga yaye engathembekanga nje kuphela kodwa enokuzingca ngandlel’ ithile yaye engenaluvelwano. AmaKristu okwenyaniso afuna ukuba ‘angenzi nanye into ngokweyelenqe, nangokozuko olulambathayo. Athi ngokuthobeka kwentliziyo omnye ambalele omnye ekuthini nguyena wongamileyo kunaye.’—Filipi 2:3.

Bambi basenokuvakalelwa kukuba abakuthandi ukuphila ngewotshi, kuze kufuneke ukuba ntshukumo nganye abayenzayo ilawulwe yiyo. Noko ke, ukuba ngobamba ixesha ayingombandela nje wokulawulwa yiwotshi. Ngumbandela wokusoloko ucinga ngezilangazelelo noko kuluncedo kwabanye, “angathi elowo axunele kwezakhe izinto zodwa, elowo axunele nakwezabanye.”—Filipi 2:4.

Ngokomzekelo, qwalasela esi siluleko seBhayibhile: “Yamkelanani, njengokuba naye uKristu wasamkelayo.” (Roma 15:7) Ngokomlinganiselo okusebenza ngawo oku kwimibuliso yokoqobo, ngokucacileyo kunzima ngakumbi ukukwenza ukuba ubani unomkhwa wokufika emva kwexesha kwiintlanganiso. Ngokufika kwangethuba ezintlanganisweni, usenokufak’ isandla kumoya wothando, wobuhlobo nowokwamkelana, kwiintlanganiso ezinjalo ukusa kumlinganiselo omkhudlwana. Ibe iingenelo zifunyanwa macala omabini. Ukufika ngethuba kukwenza ukwazi ukuba nesabelo kwingoma yokuvula nomthandazo—nto ezo eziyinxalenye ebalulekileyo yonqulo olumanyeneyo lwebandla. Ukuva umxholo okanye ingongoma ephambili isaziswa kuya kukunceda ngokonakona ukuba ulandele ukuqhubela phambili kocwangciso.

Ukubamba kwakho ixesha kuya kubanceda abanye ukuba balungelelanise imigudu yabo, ibe ngenxa yoko kunokufezwa okuninzi. Xa wayehlasela isixeko saseAyi, uYoshuwa wathumela inxalenye yemikhosi yakhe ukuya kurhwebesha utshaba kuso isixeko ngoxa uninzi lwamadoda akhe lwalulalele ukuze lusithimbe eso sixeko. Kwathi ke, ngexesha lamanqam, uYoshuwa wenza umqondiso. Amadoda akhe “agidima; akusolula isandla sakhe,” yaye asithimba eso sixeko. Ngaba ubunokuyithelekelela into eyayinokwenzeka ukuba babengazange bathabathe isenzo ngexesha elimisiweyo?—Yoshuwa 8:6-8, 18, 19.

Abalungiseleli abangamaKristu namhlanje banezizathu ezininzi zokuliphaphela ixesha. Ukuba nesabelo ekushumayeleni uBukumkani kunye nabanye, ukulungiselela iinxalenye zendibano okanye zeentlanganiso, kwanokucoca iHolo yoBukumkani, konke oku kufuna ukuba silungelelanise imisebenzi yethu neyabanye. Ngokubamba ixesha, sinokufeza okungakumbi. Oku kuyinyaniso kwanangokuthile okulula njengokufaka ingxelo kabani yomsebenzi wokushumayela ekupheleni kwenyanga. Xa wonk’ ubani ebonakalisa intsebenziswano ngokwenza oku ngokukhawuleza, kuya kwandula ke kube nokuhlanganiswa iingxelo ezichanileyo nezikhuthazayo zebandla nezehlabathi liphela.

Kwakhona ukubamba ixesha kubandakanya ukugcina amaxesha abekiweyo nokuyigqiba imisebenzi ngamaxesha amisiweyo, nto leyo eyenzeka ngokufuthi imihla yonke. Yimbi ibalulekile, eminye ayinamsebenzi. Ngokomzekelo, umtshato wakho ufanele uqale ngexesha elibekiweyo. Usenokuthanda ukuba iqanda lakho ulibilise kangangemizuzu nje ethile. Enoba iyintoni na imeko, umntu obamba ixesha akafuni ukudyuduzela ebamba le ayeke leya, eshiywa lixesha kuyo yonke into. Kunoko, uzolile yaye ulungelelene. Kuninzi akwenzayo ngenxa yokuba uyaluceba usuku lwakhe aze aqalise ngexesha okanye kwanangaphambilana kancinane.

Eneneni, kukho izizathu ezininzi zokuba umKristu efanele aliphaphele ixesha. Ngaphezu kwako konke, kuyenye indlela yokubonakalisa uthando lwethu olungazingciyo ngamaKristu angoowethu nokuhlonela kwethu amalungiselelo olawulo lobuthixo onqulo lokwenyaniso.

Phofu, ubani unokuwukhulisa njani umkhwa wokubamb’ ixesha?

‘Wazi Amaxesha Amisiweyo’

IBhayibhile ithi: “Nengwamza . . . iyawazi amaxesha ayo amisiweyo” okuba ifuduke, yaye imbovane ‘ilungisa isonka sayo ehlotyeni’ ukulungiselela ubusika. (Yeremiya 8:7; IMizekeliso 6:8) Apha sifumana imfihlelo yokubamba ixesha neyokwenza izinto.

Nathi simele ‘siwazi amaxesha ethu amisiweyo.’ Ngoxa singengobantu abalukhuni okanye abanenzondelelo yempambano, sifanele siliphaphele ixesha. Kufuneka sazi kungekuphela nje oko kufuneka sikwenze kodwa kwakhona sazi ixesha esiza kukwenza ngalo. Kufuneka siqhele ukucinga kusengaphambili, silungiselela amathuba okubambezeleka, yaye sikulungele ukunciphisa ixesha koko sikwenzayo ngenxa yokuthile okubaluleke ngakumbi, njengeentlanganiso zethu, ubulungiseleli basentsimini neminye imisebenzi yolawulo lobuthixo.

Ngokuphathelele oku, ukusebenzisana njengentsapho kuyimfuneko. Kuye kwaphawulwa ukuba ubawo ngokufuthi uyekela emfazini ukulungiselela intsapho. Wandula ke aphume ngomnyango eyedwa, aze akrwaqule ngasemva ekhwaza esithi, “Khawulezisani, okanye niza kushiywa lixesha!” UYakobi wayengenjalo; ngendlela eluncedo “wabakhwelisa oonyana bakhe, nabafazi bakhe, ezinkameleni” xa kwakulixesha lokuba bahambe.—Genesis 31:17.

Ngoko, ubawo, unokuyinceda njani intsapho yakhe? Abantwana banokufundiswa indlela yokuvumela ixesha lokulungiselela izinto ezibalulekileyo kunokuyekela yonke into kumzuzu wokugqibela. Banokuncedwa ukuba bakhulise ingqiqo yokuba nembopheleleko nokuba babe neqhayiya ekwenzeni izinto ngokukhawuleza. Njengentsapho, qwalaselani imizekelo yeBhayibhile ebonisa ukubaluleka kokulungiselela ngexesha. (Genesis 19:16; Eksodus 12:11; Luka 17:31) Kunokwenzeka ukuba esona sifundo sincamisileyo nesona sinomphumo sifumaneka kumzekelo ofanelekileyo wabazali.

Kwakhona abaveleli abangamaKristu banokulinceda ibandla ngokumisela umzekelo ofanelekileyo. Babengenakumiselwa ngaphandle kokuba babe ‘ngabazibekileyo [“abanocwangco,” NW].’ (1 Timoti 3:2) Kunokwenzeka ukuba abanye abazalwana noodade baya kuba ngababamb’ ixesha ngakumbi ukuba bayazi ukuba abadala baya kuba sebelapho ukuze bababulise nokuze bakhokele. Ngoko abaveleli abaphaphileyo baya kuzabalazela ukuba babe seHolweni yoBukumkani kwangethuba ukuze bancede ibandla. Izicaka zolungiselelo ezifika kwangethuba ukuze zibulise abazalwana bazo zize zinyamekele iintswelo zabo zixatyiswa gqitha.

Kakade ke, ukubamba ixesha kufuna ukuzeyisa nokuziqeqesha. Ewe, kungekhona nje ukuze ube ngothe ngqo okwejoni lasemkhosini, kodwa ngenxa yothando ngamaKristu angoowethu nokuhlonela ulungelelwano lolawulo lobuthixo. Oku kuyinxalenye yokuzabalazela kwethu ukwambatha ubuntu obutsha. (Kolose 3:10, 12) Ngaphezu kwako konke, sifuna ukuba njengoBawo wethu wasezulwini, uYehova uThixo, osifundisa ukuba “into yonke inexesha elimisiweyo.”—INtshumayeli 3:1.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]