Gcina Isikhathi!

“UKUNGASIGCINI isikhathi kuyinkinga engapheli phakathi kwabaqondisi bezinkampane,” kubika i-USA Today. Iyanezela: “Bafika ngemva kwesikhathi emihlanganweni eyisithupha kweyishumi,” ibhekisela ekuhlolweni okuye kwenziwa kubaqondisi bezinkampane abangu-2 700.

Kwezentengiselwano, ukungasigcini isikhathi akubhekwa nje njengokungahloniphi kuphela. Ucwaningo olwenziwa kubantu abangu-81 000 ababefake izicelo zomsebenzi lwaphetha kanje: “Amahora alahlekayo ngokungasigcini isikhathi nokuphutha emsebenzini ayimbangela enkulu yokulahleka kwesamba semali.” Yiqiniso, ukungasigcini isikhathi akudali izinkinga kwezentengiselwano nje kuphela. Ukuhlolwa okwenziwa kothishanhloko basezikoleni eziphakeme kwembula ukuthi “ukungasigcini isikhathi kwabafundi kwakuyinkinga yesimilo eyinhloko nevela njalo.”

UMdali wethu wayehlose ukuba sisazi isikhathi. Wasibekela “izinkanyiso ezimbili ezinkulu”—ilanga nenyanga—ukuze zisisize ekuboneni isikhathi. (Genesise 1:14-16) Namuhla, amawashi esimanje asisiza ukuba sikwazi ukubona imizuzu nemizuzwana yesikhathi sethu. Nokho, naphezu kwalobu buchwepheshe, kuseyinkinga kwabaningi bethu ukugcina isikhathi—emsebenzini, esikoleni, noma kwezinye izimo ezibalulekile okunqunyelenwe isikhathi kuzo.

Ingabe le nkinga idalwa nje ukuntuleka kwesikhathi? Kuyavunywa ukuthi isikhathi esifunwa umsebenzi nomkhaya singase sisicindezele. Noma kunjalo, umama osebenzayo okuthiwa uWanda Rosseland uthi: “Ngayeka ukulokhu ngikhononda ngokuthi anginaso isikhathi esanele lapho ngiqaphela ukuthi sonke sinamahora angu-24 ngosuku. Ngiye ngacabanga ngakho futhi nganquma ukuthi kuleli zwe lethu lanamuhla, akukhona ukuthi sinesikhathi esincane, kodwa ukuthi sinezinto eziningi ezisiphazamisayo.”

Cabanga nangoRenee,a umama wezingane ezinhlanu, ongomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Uyakhumbula: “Lapho izingane zami zisezincane, ukuzilungiselela ukuya esikoleni nasemihlanganweni yobuKristu kwakuyinselele. Noma kunjalo, ngangingenayo inkinga yokugcina isikhathi. Kodwa njengoba zonke sezikhulile, senginomkhuba omubi wokufika ngemva kwesikhathi.” Ingabe nawe unalo mkhuba omubi? Uma kunjalo, ungashintsha! Nazi izinto ezimbalwa ongazenza.

● CABANGELA IMIPHUMELA. Ukufika ngemva kwesikhathi njalo kungase kubonakale kuyinto encane. Kodwa cabanga ngala mazwi eBhayibheli: “Yizimpukane ezifile ezibangela ukuba amafutha omenzi wamafutha okugcoba anuke kabi, aphuphume. Benza kanjalo nobuwula obuncane koyigugu ngokuhlakanipha nodumo.” (UmShumayeli 10:1) Yebo ‘ubuwula obuncane’ nje bokungabacabangeli abanye bungonakalisa idumela lakho kuthisha noma kumqashi wakho.

Lapho efunda ekolishi elithile endaweni yakubo, owesifazane okuthiwa uMarie waphawula ukuthi abanye abafundi “babengasinaki isikhathi,” bevame ukufika ngemva kwesikhathi ekilasini. Uyakhumbula: “Kodwa kwadingeka ukuba bashintshe ngokushesha. Oprofesa ababili babengananazi ngesikhathi. Ngakho uma abafundi befika sekwephuze ngemizuzu nje embalwa, babephawulwa njengababengekho. Kanti-ke wawufeyila uma uphuthe kaningi.”

Umkhuba wokungasigcini isikhathi ungonakalisa idumela lakho nakubangane bakho nontanga. Owesilisa oseqinile nje ngeminyaka okuthiwa uJoseph ukhumbula omunye umKristu ayemazi emashumini eminyaka adlule. Nakuba lo muntu ayethulelwa isigqoko ngekhono ayenalo lokufundisa, wayenobuthakathaka obudumazayo. UJoseph uyakhumbula: “Wayefika ngemva kwesikhathi njalo nje. Ngiqonde ukuthi sasimehlula isikhathi kunoma yini! Futhi wayebonakala engakhathazeki neze ngakho. Abantu babenza amahlaya ngokungagcini kwakhe isikhathi.” Ingabe abantu sebeqale ukukubiza ngokuthi ungumva kwezinye? Uma kunjalo, kulula ukuba bangazinaki izimfanelo ezinhle onazo.

● BACABANGELE ABANYE. Ukungasigcini isikhathi kubonisa ukuba luhlaza futhi kuyabaphazamisa abanye. Kungase futhi kunikeze umuzwa wokuthi uyazazisa. Echaza ukuthi kungani abaqondisi abaningi bezinkampane bevame ukungasigcini isikhathi semihlangano, usomabhizinisi othile wavuma: “Iningi lethu limane nje linenkinga yokuzazisa.” Ngokuphambene, amaKristu aphatha abanye njengabakhulu kunawo. (Filipi 2:3) Asebenzisa noMthetho Wegolide aphathe abanye ngendlela athanda ukuphathwa ngayo. (Mathewu 7:12) Akukucasuli yini lapho kudingeka ulinde abathile? Khona-ke, musa ukwenza abanye bakulinde.

● FUNDA IKHONO LOKULAWULA ISIKHATHI. Ingabe uyajikajika bese utatazela ngomzuzu wokugcina? Ingabe uzixina kakhulu, uzame ukwenza izinto eziningi kakhulu ngesikhathi esincane? Isimiso esikumShumayeli 3:1 singase sibe usizo: “Kukhona isikhathi esimisiwe sayo yonke into.” Ukuba ‘nesikhathi esimisiwe’ sokwenza izinto kukuvumela ukuba uzenze ngendlela ehlelekile.

Okokuqala, yiba nohlu lwazo zonke izinto okudingeka uzenze. Okulandelayo, landela isimiso esikweyabaseFilipi 1:10: “Niqiniseke ngezinto ezibaluleke kakhulu.” Yebo, hlela izinto eziza kuqala. Yini okumelwe yenziwe nakanjani? Yiziphi izinto ezingabuye zenziwe ngesinye isikhathi kungaphazamiseki lutho? Ekugcineni, thola ukuthi lezi zinto zizodinga isikhathi esingakanani nokuthi ungazenza nini. Zibekele imigomo enengqondo, ugweme ukuhlohla izinto eziningi esikhathini esincane.

Owesifazane othile okuthiwa uDorothy ubonga abazali bakhe ngokumfundisa ukugcina isikhathi. Uyalandisa: “Uma kwakudingeka sibe semhlanganweni wobuKristu ngo-7:30 kusihlwa, umama wayesigeza kusasele ihora nemizuzu engu-45. Kwakufanele sihlele ukuba sibe nanesikhathi sokudla ukudla kwantambama, sigeze izitsha, sigqoke, bese singena emotweni siye emhlanganweni webandla. Ukugcina isikhathi kwakusegazini nje kithi.” Ngezinye izikhathi kuyasiza nokucabangela isikhathi sezimo ezingase zivele kungalindelekile. UDorothy uyakhumbula: “Muva nje kwakudingeka ngidlule ngithathe abantu abambalwa ngiye nabo emhlanganweni. Endleleni isondo lemoto laphuma umoya. Ngakwazi ukulungisa isondo ngaphinde ngafika ngesikhathi kulaba bantu. Uyabona, njalo nje ngizinikeza nesikhathi engingasisebenzisa uma kwenzeka imoto iba nenkinga noma kuba nesiminyaminya emgwaqweni.”

● THOLA AMACEBISO KWABANYE. KuzAga 27:17 iBhayibheli lithi: “Insimbi ilolwa ngensimbi. Ngakho umuntu ulola ubuso bomunye.” Ngokuvumelana naleso simiso, xoxa nabanye abanezimo ezifana nezakho—kodwa abasigcinayo isikhathi. Ngokuvamile baba namacebiso awusizo.

URenee, ocashunwe ngaphambili, uzimisele ukushintsha umkhuba wakhe wokungasigcini isikhathi. Uthi: “Muva nje ngizenzele isinqumo sokulungisa. Nakuba bekungelula, kodwa ikhona inqubekela phambili.” Nawe ungalungisa. Uma ungaba nesimo sengqondo esihle bese wenza umzamo, ungafunda ukugcina isikhathi!

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Izithombe ekhasini 16]

Ukungasigcini isikhathi njalo kunganikeza abaqashi bakho umuzwa ongemuhle ngawe futhi kubonisa ukungabacabangeli abanye

[Isithombe ekhasini 17]

Ukuhleleka kungakusiza ukuba ugweme ukuchitha isikhathi