‘Nihambe Ngokufanele . . . Ngokubekezela’

WABOSHWA ngokuphindaphindiwe futhi waba isisulu semibuzo eminingi. Ngesinye isikhathi kwaze ngisho kwabukiswa ngaye emigwaqweni phambi kwesixuku esasihleka usulu eneziboshwa zesilisa eziyisishiyagalolunye ezazinamacala ahlukahlukene asukela ekubulaleni aye ekudlwenguleni nasekwebeni. Sekukonke waboshwa futhi wahlukaniswa nomkhaya wakhe iminyaka engaphezu kwengama-20.

Lokhu okuhlangenwe nakho kowesifazane ongumKristu mhlawumbe akukodwa, ngoba abaningi ngokufanayo baye babekezela isikhathi eside ejele. Kodwa ngokuqinisekile “icala” lakhe lalingajwayelekile: Wayengomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Ukwenqaba ukholo lwakhe kwakuyoletha ukukhululwa okusheshayo. Yini-ke eyenza lona wesifazane wangazithoba nje kuphela ekuhlushweni okunjalo kodwa futhi wazigcina enesilinganiso senjabulo?

Ekuphenduleni lombuzo, ake sibhekisele komunye umKristu othembekile naye owaboshwa ngenxa yokuma okungokwenkolo akuthatha. Lona kwakungumphostoli uPawulu. Elobela ibandla e-Efesu, wathi: “Ngakho mina-siboshwa eNkosini ngiyanincenga ukuba nihambe ngokufanele ukubizwa enabizwa ngakho, ngokuthobeka konke nobumnene, ngokubhekakade [ukubekezela] nokubekezelelana ngothando, nikhuthalele ukugcina ubunye bukaMova ngesibopho sokuthula.”—Efesu 4:1-3.

AmaKristu e-Efesu ‘ayenokubizwa’ okumangalisayo kokuphila kwasezulwini noKristu Jesu. (1 Petru 1:3, 4) Kodwa ukuze akuzuze, kwakumelwe ‘ahambe,’ noma aziphathe, ngendlela eyayiqinisekisa ukuthi ayakufanelekela. UPetru waphawula ukuthi ‘ukubekezela’ kwakubalulekile ekwenzeni kwabo lokhu. Nokho, ‘ukubekezela,’ kwakusho okungaphezu nje kokuzwa ubuhlungu noma ukukhathazeka isikhathi eside. Umuntu onomlenze ophukile ‘uhlupheka isikhathi eside,’ kodwa ingabe unakho okunye ukukhetha? Nokho, umuntu obekezelayo, ukhuthazelela ukuphathwa ngonya ngaphandle kokuphindisela noma ukucasuka ngenxa yenjongo. Ukwephuza kwakhe ukubonakalisa intukuthelo kuyisenzo sokuzibamba kwangamabomu.

UPawulu wabonisa ukuzibamba okunjalo ekukhuthazeleleni ukuboshwa endlini ayegqunywe kuyo. Wayazi ukuthi kwakusiza ‘ekuqhubekeni kwevangeli.’ (Filipi 1:12) Futhi, kwavumela uPawulu ukuba abonise ukwethembeka kwakhe nokuzinikela kuJehova uNkulunkulu, ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ‘wayehamba ngokufanele’ ukubizelwa kwakhe ukuphila kwasezulwini. Ngalokho uPawulu ngenjabulo wabekezelela ukuboshwa. Futhi amaKristu amaningi kusukela ngalesosikhathi, ngokufanayo aye abonakalisa ukubekezela. Akusiwo wonke ‘anokubizwa’ kwasezulwini. Kodwa aye ashukunyiselwa ukuba ‘ahambe ngokufanele’ umvuzo wokuphila okuphakade ezulwini noma ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso emhlabeni.

Nokho, bayingcosana ngokuqhathaniswa okuye kwadingeka ukuba bezwe ubunzima bokuphila kwasejele. Ingabe kubalulekile ukubekezela ngaphansi kwezinye izimo? Yebo, ngempela, ngoba uPawulu wakhuthaza lonke ibandla lase-Efesu ukuba ‘lihambe ngokufanele . . . ngokubekezela.’ IEfesu laliyidolobha elibaluleke kakhulu esifundazweni samaRoma saseAsia. Ingcebo yalo yayingaba ugibe kumaKristu. Kwakuyidolobha eliphawuleka ngokuziphatha okuxekethile, ubudemoni, ubuthakathi, nomlingo, idolobha elaligcwaliswe abakhulekeli bakankulunkulukazi uDiyana. Isazi-mlando sasendulo uLucius Seneca sathi ngokuphathelene nabase-Efesu: “Abantu bafuna injabulo kuyo yonke imithombo. Akukho-mkhuba omubi ongasetshenziswa . . . asikunaki lokho okuhloniphekile.” Ngakho-ke ukuhamba ngokufanele, kwakungokuhlangenwe nakho okuvivinyayo kumaKristu lapho.

Khona-ke, akumangalisi, ukuthi uPawulu wabuye walobela abase-Efesu: “Ngakho ngisho, ngifakaza eNkosini, ngithi ningabe nisahamba njengalokhu kuhamba abezizwe ebuzeni bengqondo yabo, behlelwe emqondweni, behlukanisiwe nokuphila kukaNkulunkulu.” (Efesu 4:17, 18) Yeka ukuthi kumelwe ukuba kwakunzima kanjani ukuhlala phakathi kwabantu abonakele kanjalo! Kodwa ngokubekezela, umKristu okungenani wayengaphila ukuphila okwakungabekezelelwa.

Kudingekile Namuhla

Ngokufanayo namuhla sizithola sizungezwe ububi, izinto ezibonakalayo, nethonya lobudemoni. Eqinisweni, kukhona ngisho nokucindezeleka okukhulu kumaKristu namuhla ngoba uSathane uye wehliselwa phansi emhlabeni futhi uhlose ukulimaza ukholo lwethu. (IsAmbulo 12:12, 17) Ngakho-ke kumelwe sibhekisise ukuthi sihamba kanjani uma sifuna ukubonakala sifanelekile. Futhi njengamaKristu asendulo, kumelwe sibekezele. Kuyiqiniso, akuvamile ngomuntu ukuba abonise ukuzibamba okunjalo. Nokho, ukubekezela kuwubufakazi bomoya kaNkulunkulu kumKristu. “Izithelo zikaMoya . . . nokubekezela [ukubhekakade],” kusho abaseGalathiya 5:22. Nokho, kusisiza kanjani?

Ukubekezela kusisiza ukuba sibekezelele ubunzima bezomnotho, izinkinga zempilo, nokunye ukucindezela kokuphila kwalelikhulu lama-20. Asazi nje kuphela ukuthi kungani izinkinga ezinjalo zikhona kodwa futhi siyazi ukuthi ukukhululwa sekuseduze! (2 Thimothewu 3:1-5; Luka 21:28) Ngisho nalapho sihlangabezana nokuphikiswa okunzima emsebenzini wokusakaza izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso, ukubekezela kusebenza njengodonga oluvimbelayo olungasisizi ukuba sibekezele kuphela kodwa futhi olugcina nethemba lethu liphilile.

Ukulandela iseluleko sikaPawulu ‘sokubekezela ngokujabula’ nakho kuye kwasisiza ukuba senze ngcono izimo zasekhaya ezivivinyayo. (Kolose 1:11) Ngezinye izikhathi amaKristu aboshelwa emshadweni nabangakholwayo. Enye indoda yathi: “Akusikho nje kuphela ukuthi ukuphila komkhaya wethu kwaphazamiseka kakhulu kodwa nokuthi kwakumelwe ngikhuthazelele zonke izinhlobo zobunzima . . . Akukho kudla okwakulungiselelwa . . . Akukho zingubo ezazihlanziwe futhi zilungile . . . Ngezinye izikhathi ekhuluma ulimi olungcolile ebhekise kimi.” Kodwa lendoda engumKristu yayibekezela. Yathi, “isikhathi ngasinye ngangiphendukela kuJehova ngomthandazo, futhi ngathembela kuYe ukuba angisize ngibe nezimfanelo ezinhle zokubekezela ukuze ngingalahlekelwa ukulinganisela kwami kobuKristu . . . Lokhu kuye kwangisiza ukuba ngibekezele.” Waba yini umphumela? Ngemva kweminyaka engama-20 yokuphikisa, umkakhe naye waba umKristu! “Yeka ukuthi ngibonga kanjani kuJehova,” kusho lendoda, “ngokuthi wangisiza ukuba ngihlakulele isithelo somoya, ukubekezela.”

Ukubekezelelana

Njengoba ukubekezela kuyisithelo somoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu, akuhlangani ‘nemisebenzi yenyama,’ njengobutha, ukulwa, umona, ukuthukuthela, ukubanga, nomhawu. (Galathiya 5:19-21) Yini eba umphumela lapho sivumela ‘lemisebenzi’ ukuba ihlale futhi ibuse ekusebenzelaneni kwethu omunye nomunye?

Isimo esihilela uMose sibonisa lokho okungenzeka. Kwathiwa “wayemnene kunabo bonke abantu ababesebusweni bomhlaba.” (Numeri 12:3) Nokho, kwesinye isehlakalo, wayeka ukuba obekezelayo. Lapho kuphela amanzi esizwe, abantu abangenalo ukholo bakhala: “Niletheleni ibandla likaJehova kulelihlane, ukuze sifele lapha, thina nezinkomo zethu, na?” (Numeri 20:4) Lesimo safuna kuMose kokubili ukuzibamba nokusabela okufanelekile ngesizathu sokuthi inkulumo yabo yokuhlubuka ngempela yayiqondiswe kuJehova ngokwakhe! Nokho, uMose wavumela imizwelo yenyama ukuba imbuse. Umhubi wathi: “Bamcunula ngasemanzini aseMeriba; kwaba-kubi kuMose ngenxa yabo. Ngokuba baphambana noMoya wakhe; wakhuluma ngamawala ngomlomo wakhe.”—IHubo 106:32, 33.

Njengokungathi wayengumniki wamanzi omangalisayo, uMose ngokucasuka wathi: “Yizwani manje nina-bahlubuki; siyakunivezela yini amanzi kulelidwala na?” (Numeri 20:10) Yebo, uMose wavumela ukwehlulwa umoya wokulwa nowokukhonona ababenawo. Futhi ngenxa yokulahlekelwa kwakhe ukuzibamba nangokwehluleka kwakhe ukudumisa uJehova, wanqatshelwa ukungena eZweni Lesithembiso.

AmaKristu namuhla kumelwe aqaphele ukuwela kulolugibe. Ngezinye izikhathi abazalwane bethu siqu abangamaKristu bangaba umthombo wokucasuka, njengoba amaIsrayeli ayenjalo kuMose. “Inceku kaKristu ayifanele ukulwa, kodwa mayibe-mnene kubo bonke, inesu lokufundisa, ibekezela.” (2 Thimothewu 2:24) Ngakho umyalo okweyoku-1 Thesalonika 5:14 ufanelekile: “Nibabekezelele bonke.”

Izibonelo Ezifanele Ukulingiswa

UKristu wabeka isibonelo esiphelele sokubekezela. Kwakungamelwe abekezelele ‘ukuphikwa izoni’ kuphela kodwa nezinkinga ezaziphakama phakathi kwabafundi bakhe siqu. (Heberu 12:3) Ngezinye izikhathi babephuza ukuqonda noma ukusebenzisa izimfundiso zakhe. Nokho, akazange asebenzelane ngonya nabo. Ngobusuku bokukhashelwa kwakhe abafundi bakhe balala, uKristu wabayala ngomusa ngokuthi: “Nilaleleni na? Vukani nikhuleke ukuba ningangeni ekulingweni.”—Luka 22:46.

Kusukela ekuvukeni kwakhe, uJesu uye waqhubeka ebonisa ukukhuthazela nokubekezela. USawulu, ngokwesibonelo, wayengumshushisi wamaKristu, engohlambalazayo, futhi eyindoda eziphakamisayo. Nokho uKristu wambonisa umusa ngendlela eyaholela ekubeni kukaSawulu umlandeli ovelele kaKristu. UPawulu (owayenguSawulu) uyachaza: “Ngahawukelwa ngalokhu ukuze uJesu Kristu abonakalise kimi engingesikhulu konke ukubekezela kwakhe, ngibe-yisibonelo kwabazakukholwa nguye, baze babe-nokuphila okuphakade.”—1 Thimothewu 1:15, 16.

ImiBhalo isitshela ukuba ‘silandele ezinyathelweni zakhe [uKristu].’ (1 Petru 2:21) Ingabe ubonisa ukubekezela okufanayo kokholwa nabo lapho bephuza ukusebenzisa isimiso esithile seBhayibheli? Ingabe ubonisa umoya efanayo wokubekezela kubantu bezwe abangazi lutho ngeqiniso? Ingabe ushukunyiselwa ukusiza abanjalo ukuba bathole iqiniso?

Nokho, isibonelo esingenakuqhathaniswa sokubekezela, uJehova. “UJehova unobubele nesihawu; wephuza ukuthukuthela, uvama umusa.” (IHubo 103:8; Eksodusi 34:5-7) Nakuba abantu abanjengoMose bakhungatheka ngamaIsrayeli anenkani, uJehova wathi: “Usuku lonke ngelulela izandla zami kuso isizwe esingalaleliyo nesiphikayo.” (Roma 10:21) Kodwa kwakunenjongo kulokho kubekezela. Njengobaba onendodana eyihlongandlebe, uJehova wenqaba ukulahla ithemba lokuthuthukisa ubuhlobo ayebuzama noIsrayeli. Futhi ukubekezela kwakhe kwavuna imiphumela—insali yalesosizwe yasindiswa!

Imingcele Ekubekezeleni

Nokho, ukubekezela kukaNkulunkulu akusikho okungenamingcele. Ukwenqaba ngokuphikelelayo kukaIsrayeli izixwayiso zikaJehova kwaphumela ekwehlukanisweni kwawo noNkulunkulu njengesizwe. UIsaya wathi: “Kepha bahlubuka, badabukisa umoya wakhe ongcwele, waphenduka isitha sabo, walwa nabo.” (Isaya 63:10) Yebo, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi “yavuka intukuthelo kaJehova ngabantu bakhe.” (2 IziKronike 36:15, 16) Ukubekezela kwakhe kwafika esiphelweni sakho.

Lokhu kunokubaluleka okungathi sína ngathi namuhla. Kungaba okungenangqondo ukuphetha ngokuthi uNkulunkulu uyobubekezelela phakade ububi. Kuyiqiniso, njengoba uPawulu esho: “UNkulunkulu, ethanda ukubonakalisa ulaka nokuveza amandla akhe, wathwala ngokubekezela okukhulu izitsha zolaka ezilungiselwe ukubhujiswa.” Nokho bekunenjongo ekubekezeleni okunjalo ukuba “abonakalise ingcebo yenkazimulo yakhe.” (Roma 9:22, 23) Yebo, ukuzibamba kukaNkulunkulu, kuye kwaphumela ekumenyezelweni kwegama lakhe emhlabeni wonke. Futhi, uNkulunkulu uye wamemezela ‘usuku lokuphindisela’ ngabantu bakhe. (Isaya 61:2) Kuyiqiniso ukuthi abaningi basihleka usulu futhi basijivaze lesosigijimi sesixwayiso, njengamaEphikhuru namaStoyiku osukwini lukaPawulu athi, “Leliphoshophosho lithini na?” (IzEnzo 17:18) Kodwa khumbula, uNkulunkulu uyoletha ‘impindiselo kwabangamazi nakwabangalaleli ivangeli leNkosi yethu uJesu.’—2 Thesalonika 1:8.

Nokho, okwamanje, kumelwe siqhubeke nomsebenzi wokushumayela isahlulelo sikaNkulunkulu kuze kube yilapho uNkulunkulu embula ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sokuyeka. Kumelwe ‘sibekezele ize ifike iNkosi.’ (Jakobe 5:7) Kodwa ukukhuthazela ngokubekezelela ububi obuhlukahlukene lokhu kuphila okubuletha kithi kulesimiso kuyoletha imiphumela engokoqobo. Kuyokhulisa ukwencika kwethu kuJehova. Kuyololonga ubuhlobo bethu nabanye futhi kuvimbele izinkinga okungadingekile ukuba zivele. Ukubekezela kungase kusho ubunzima, kodwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi singobani noma sihlalaphi, sikhululekile noma siboshiwe, sihlangabezana nokuphikiswa ekhaya noma enkonzweni yobuKristu, ukuthula nobunye okuthuthukiswa ukubekezela kuyonezela enjabulweni nasekwanelisekeni ekuphileni kwethu. (Efesu 4:2) Khona-ke, ngawo onke amandla, hambani ngokufaneleyo ngokubekezela.