Linda Umlomo Wakho
KUNGAHLABA futhi kubhubhise njengesikhali sempi. Kodwa futhi kungaba-mnandi njengezinyosi futhi kuqabule njengamafutha. Kungaletha ukuphila, futhi kungaletha ukufa. IBhayibheli lilichaza kanjalo ikhono lomuntu lokukhuluma.—IzAga 12:18; 16:24; 18:21.
Khona-ke, akumangalisi ukuthi uSolomoni wathi: “Olinda umlomo wakhe ugcina ukuphila kwakhe; okhamisa izindebe zakhe uyakuba-nencithakalo.” (IzAga 13:3) Idumela elibi, imizwa elimele, ubuhlobo obungebuhle, ngisho nokulimala okungokomzimba—konke lokhu kuyimiphumela engenzeka yenkulumo yobuwula. Nokho, akungabazeki ukuthi ufuna ‘ukugcina ukuphila kwakho.’ Ungafunda kanjani ukulinda umlomo wakho futhi ugweme ukulimala okungenzeka?
“Lapho Amazwi Emaningi Khona . . . ”
Enye indlela elula kakhulu eyokungakhulumi kakhulu! Mhlawumbe uke waba nendoda noma nowesifazane obonakala enokuthile kokukusho kuyo yonke into. Yeka indlela umuntu onjalo angacasula ngayo! “Umlomo weziwula uphafuza ubuwula,” futhi “isiwula siyandisa amazwi,” kusho iBhayibheli. (IzAga 15:2; UmShumayeli 10:14) Yebo, lokhu akuchazi ukuthi wonke umuntu okhulumela futhi uyisiwula noma ukuthi wonke umuntu ongathandi ukukhuluma uhlakaniphile. Kodwa kuyingozi ukukhuluma ngokunganqamukiyo. IzAga 10:19 zikubeka ngalendlela: “Lapho amazwi emaningi khona, akuphuthi ukuphambeka; obamba umlomo wakhe uhlakaniphile.”
Cabanga Ngaphambi Kokuba Uphendule
Enye indlela yokulinda umlomo wakhe iwukucabanga ngaphambi kokukhuluma. Lapho kungazange kucatshangwe kusengaphambili ngalokho okushiwoyo, kokubili isikhulumi nezilaleli zaso kungalimala. Umlobi ophefumlelwe uthi: “Bakhona abaphahluka njengokuhlaba kwenkemba.”—IzAga 12:18.
Ibonisa indlela inkulumo engenangqondo engaba yimbi ngayo, incwadi yeBhayibheli kaJakobe ithi: “Bhekani umlilo omncane uvuthela ihlathi elingaka; nolimi lungumlilo, ulimi lumi luyizwe lokungalungi phakathi kwezitho zethu, lungcolisa umzimba wonke, luthungela ukuphila konke, luthungelwa yisihogo [“iGehena,” NW].”—Jakobe 3:5, 6.
IGehena lisuselwa egameni lesiGodi saseHinomi esasakhiwe eningizimu naseningizimu-ntshonalanga yeJerusalema. Ngezikhathi zomlando wakwaIsrayeli, kwakuhlala kuvutha umlilo owawushisa udoti womuzi, kwenza iGehena laba yisibonakaliso esifanelekayo sokubhujiswa kwaphakade. Nokho, ulimi olungalawulwa ‘lungathungelwa kanjani yiGehena?’ Umuntu oqamba amanga, okhuthaza izimfundiso ezihlambalaza uNkulunkulu, noma osebenzisa kabi ulimi angabangela kokubili yena ngokwakhe nabanye ukuba balahlekelwe umusa kaNkulunkulu. Ube yini umphumela? Ukubhujiswa kwaphakade! Ngokwesibonelo, uJesu Kristu watshela abaFarisi: “Maye kinina-babhali nabaFarisi, bazenzisi, ngokuba nihamba ulwandle nomhlaba ukuba nithole nokuba iproselithe lilinye, lithi selaba-njalo nilenze indodana yesihogo [“yeGehena,” NW] ngokuphindiwe kunani!”—Mathewu 23:15.
Ngakho-ke iBhayibheli lisinikeza leseluleko esiwusizo: “Inhliziyo yolungileyo iyacabanga ukuphendula.” (IzAga 15:28) Kungcono kakhulu ukucabanga ngalokho ozokusho, kunokuba uphahluke ngokuthile okungalimaza!
‘Izwi Ngesikhathi Salo’
Ukukhuluma ngesikhathi esifanele kungenye indlela futhi yokulinda umlomo wakho. USolomoni waphawula: “Konke kunesikhathi sakho . . . isikhathi sokuthula nesikhathi sokukhuluma.” (UmShumayeli 3:1, 7) Lapho umlingane wakho ebonakala ekhathele ngenxa yomsebenzi wokuziphilisa wosuku noma imisebenzi yasekhaya, ingabe empeleni lesi isikhathi sokuletha kuye izinkinga ezincane noma izicelo? Mhlawumbe lesi “isikhathi sokuthula.”
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ‘kunesikhathi sokukhuluma.’ KuzAga 15:23 siyafunda: “Nezwi ngesikhathi salo lihle kangakanani!” Ingabe uyamazi othile okhathazekile ngenxa yezinkinga nezinkathazo? Izwi lesikhuthazo elifika ngesikhathi salo alinakuba yini yikho kanye lokho lowomuntu akudingayo?
UJesu Kristu akazange ehluleke ukusebenzisa ithuba lokukhuthaza abanye. Wake watshela abafundi bakhe: “Zanini nina nodwa endaweni eyihlane, niphumule ingcosana.” Indaba iyanezela: “Base bemuka ngomkhumbi, baya endaweni eyihlane bebodwa. Abaningi sebebabona bemuka, baqonda, baze bagijimela khona ngezinyawo, bephuma kuyo yonke imizi, babandulela.” Ngokwesixuku, ngokuqinisekile lokhu kwakubonakala kuyisikhathi esifanele samazwi enduduzo! Nokho, ngokombono kaJesu nabafundi bakhe, lesosikhathi sasibonakala singafanele. “Wathi ephuma [emkhunjini], wabona isixuku esikhulu, waba-nesihe ngabantu, ngokuba babenjengezimvu ezingenamalusi; waqala ukubafundisa okuningi.” (Marku 6:31-34) Yebo, uJesu wayewulinda umlomo wakhe. Wayesazi isikhathi sokukhuluma nesikhathi sokuthula.—Qhathanisa noMathewu 26:63; 27:12-14.
Nawe, ngokufanayo, ungafunda ukulinda umlomo wakho. Yenza umzamo womuntu siqu wokugwema ukukhuluma kakhulu. Gwema inkulumo engenangqondo engalimaza idumela lakho nelabanye. Futhi funa amathuba okuhlanganyela nabanye ‘izwi elinenzuzo ngesikhathi salo.’ Ukwenza kanjalo kuyokusiza ukuba ‘ugcine ukuphila kwakho.’—IzAga 13:3.
[Isithombe ekhasini 23]
Ingabe uthambekele ekuphazamiseni abanye noma usho okuthile nganoma iyiphi indaba?