Ubumpofu—Ukuthola Ikhambi Laphakade

NAPHEZU kwemibiko engemihle evela emhlabeni wonke ngobumpofu, kukhona labo abalokhu benethemba lokuthi kukhona okungcono okungenziwa. Ngokwesibonelo, ngokwesihloko esikhulu se-Manila Bulletin, i-Asian Development Bank yabika ukuthi “izwe lase-Asia lingabuqeda ubumpofu ngeminyaka engu-25.” Leli bhange latusa ukuthuthukiswa kwezomnotho njengendlela yokutakula abantu ebumpofwini.

Ezinye izinhlangano nohulumeni zenze uhlu olude lwezihlongozo namasu okuzama ukuxazulula le nkinga. Kulolu hlu kukhona: izimiso zomshwalense wezenhlalo, ukuthuthukiswa kwemfundo, ukwesulwa kwezikweletu amazwe asathuthuka azikweleta amazwe athuthukile, ukususwa kwemigoqo yokuthenga izimpahla kwamanye amazwe ukuze amazwe anabantu abaningi abampofu akwazi ukuthengisa imikhiqizo yawo kalula, nokwakhiwa kwezindlu zabampofu abahola kancane.

Ngonyaka ka-2000, i-General Assembly yeZizwe Ezihlangene yabeka imigomo okumelwe ifinyelelwe ngo-2015. Le migomo yayihlanganisa ukuqedwa kobubha nendlala kanye nokungalingani okukhulu kwamaholo abantu ezweni. Yize imihle kangaka le migomo, abaningi bayangabaza ukuthi ingafinyelelwa kuleli zwe elingenalo ubumbano.

Izinyathelo Ezisebenzayo Zokubhekana Nobumpofu

Njengoba lilincane ithemba lokuthi ingenzeka intuthuko yangempela emhlabeni wonke, abantu bangalutholaphi usizo? Njengoba kushiwo ngaphambili, ikhona indawo okutholakala kuyo ukuhlakanipha okusebenzayo okungasiza abantu kwamanje. Iyiphi? YiZwi likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli.

Yini eyenza iBhayibheli lihluke kuzo zonke ezinye izincwadi? Ukuthi livela kumuntu ophakeme kunabo bonke, uMdali wethu. Emakhasini alo ubeke amagugu okuhlakanipha—izimiso ezisebenzayo ezingasetshenziswa yibo bonke abantu, kuzo zonke izindawo, ngazo zonke izikhathi. Uma zilandelwa, lezi zimiso zingabasiza abampofu ukuba bajabulele ukuphila okwanelisayo ngisho namanje. Ake sibheke izibonelo ezimbalwa.

Yiba nombono ofanele ngemali. IBhayibheli lithi: “Ukuhlakanipha kuyisivikelo njengoba nje nemali iyisivikelo; kodwa inzuzo yolwazi iwukuthi ukuhlakanipha kona kuyabalonda abaninikho.” (UmShumayeli 7:12) Liyini iphuzu? Imali ayikona konke. Yiqiniso, iyakunikeza ukulondeka okuthile. Isenza sikwazi ukuthenga izinto ezithile esizidingayo, kodwa ayenzi zonke izinto. Kukhona izinto ezibaluleke kakhulu imali engakwazi ukuzithenga. Ukuqaphela leli qiniso kuyosisiza sigcine izinto ezibonakalayo zisendaweni efanele, ngaleyo ndlela sigweme ukukhungatheka okuhlupha labo abagxilise ukuphila kwabo ekuqongeleleni imali. Imali ngeke ikuthenge ukuphila, kodwa ukwenza ngokuhlakanipha kungavikela ukuphila manje kuvule ngisho nethuba lokuthola ukuphila okungapheli.

Phila ngokwemali onayo. Esikufunayo akufani ngempela nalokho esikudingayo. Okufanele kuze kuqala yizidingo zethu. Kulula ukuzitshela ukuthi into ethile siyayidinga, kodwa eqinisweni sibe siyifuna, singayidingi. Umuntu ohlakaniphile uqale asebenzise umholo ezidingweni eziphuthumayo—ukudla, okokugqoka, indawo yokuhlala, nokunye. Ngemva kwalokho, ngaphambi kokuba awusebenzise ezintweni eziseceleni, uyabheka ukuthi imali esele ingazanela yini lezo zinto. Komunye wemifanekiso yakhe, uJesu watusa ukuba umuntu ‘ahlale phansi kuqala abale izindleko, ukuze abone ukuthi unakho yini okwanele.’—Luka 14:28.

EPhilippines, u-Eufrosina, umzali ongayedwa onezingane ezintathu, uye wabhekana nenselele yokuziphilisa nokusebenzisa imali ngokucophelela kusukela umyeni wakhe amshiya eminyakeni ethile edlule. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, uye waqeqesha izingane zakhe ukuba ziqaphele ukuthi kunezinto imali okumelwe isetshenziswe kuzo kuqala. Ngokwesibonelo, izingane zakhe zingase zibone okuthile ezikuthandayo. Esikhundleni sokumane enqabe ukukuthenga, ubonisana nazo athi: “Ningakuthola uma nikhetha kanjalo, kodwa kuzodingeka ninqume. Imali esinayo yanele into eyodwa kuphela. Singathenga le nto eniyithandayo, noma sithenge inyama encane noma imifino esizoyidla nerayisi lethu kuleli sonto. Manje, nikhetha kuphi? Nqumani nina.” Ngokuvamile, izingane zakhe zisheshe zilibone iphuzu bese zivuma ukuthi zikhetha ukudla kunokuba kuthengwe enye into.

Yaneliswa. “Uma sinokudla nokokwembatha, siyokwaneliswa yilezi zinto,” kusho esinye isimiso seBhayibheli. (1 Thimothewu 6:8) Imali ngokwayo ayiyilethi injabulo. Baningi abantu abacebile abangajabuli, kanti baningi abantu abampofu abajabulayo nje impela. Laba abampofu bafunde ukwaneliswa yizinto ezidingekayo ekuphileni. UJesu wakhuluma ngokuba ‘neso elihle’ eligxile ezintweni ezibaluleke ngokwengeziwe. (Mathewu 6:22) Lokhu kusiza umuntu ukuba aneliswe. Abantu abaningi abampofu bazizwa banelisekile nje impela ngoba bahlakulele ubuhlobo obuhle noNkulunkulu futhi imikhaya yabo inenjabulo—izinto ezingenakuthengwa ngemali.

Lezi izibonelo ezimbalwa zamacebiso eBhayibheli asebenzayo angasiza abampofu babhekane nesimo abakuso. Akhona namanye amaningi. Ngokwesibonelo, gwema imikhuba emibi enjengokubhema nokugembula, esaphaza imali; yazi izinto ezibaluleke ngokwengeziwe ekuphileni, ikakhulukazi imigomo engokomoya; lapho imisebenzi iyindlala khona zama ukwenzela abanye izinto abazidingayo. (IzAga 22:29; 23:21; Filipi 1:9-11) IBhayibheli litusa ukusetshenziswa ‘kokuhlakanipha okusebenzayo kanye nekhono lokucabanga’ ngoba “kuyoba ukuphila emphefumulweni wakho.”—IzAga 3:21, 22.

Nakuba amacebiso eBhayibheli engase abasize labo abalwisana nobumpofu, imibuzo ephathelene nekusasa ilokhu ingaphenduliwe. Ingabe abampofu bayokhungathwa ubumpofu kuze kube phakade? Ingabe kuyoke kulungiswe ukungalingani phakathi kwabacebe kakhulu nabangamahlwempu? Ake sihlole ikhambi abaningi abangaliqapheli.

IBhayibheli Linikeza Isizathu Sethemba

Abaningi bayavuma ukuthi iBhayibheli liyincwadi enhle. Nokho, ngokuvamile abaqapheli ukuthi linokwaziswa okuqondile mayelana nezinguquko ezizokwenzeka masinyane.

UNkulunkulu uhlose ukuthatha isinyathelo sokuxazulula izinkinga zesintu, kuhlanganise nobumpofu. Njengoba ohulumeni babantu bengakwazi noma bengathandi ukuzixazulula, uNkulunkulu uhlose ukumisa omunye esikhundleni sabo. Kanjani? IBhayibheli lisho ligcizelele kuDaniyeli 2:44 lithi: “UNkulunkulu wezulu uyomisa umbuso ongeke neze uchithwe. Futhi lowo mbuso ngeke udluliselwe kwabanye abantu. Uyochoboza uqede yonke le mibuso, wona uqobo ume kuze kube nini nanini.”

Ngemva kokususa le “mibuso,” noma ohulumeni, iNkosi emiswe uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe iyothatha isinyathelo. Leyo Nkosi ayiyena umuntu wasemhlabeni kodwa ingumuntu wasezulwini njengoNkulunkulu ngokwakhe, onamandla okwenza izinguquko ezinkulu ezidingekayo ukuze kuqedwe ukungalingani okukhona manje. UNkulunkulu ukhethe iNdodana yakhe uqobo ukuba yenze lokhu. (IzEnzo 17:31) IHubo 72:12-14 lichaza lokho okuzokwenziwa yile Nkosi, lithi: “Iyokhulula ompofu okhalela usizo, nohluphekile nanoma ubani ongenamsizi. Iyohawukela ophansi nompofu, imiphefumulo yabampofu iyoyisindisa. Iyokhulula umphefumulo wabo ekucindezelweni nasebudloveni, igazi labo liyoba yigugu emehlweni ayo.” Yeka ithemba elimangalisayo! Inkululeko ekugcineni! INkosi emiswe uNkulunkulu izobalamulela abampofu nabaphansi.

Ngaleso sikhathi izinkinga eziningi ezihlobene nobumpofu ziyoxazululwa. Ivesi 16 leHubo 72 lithi: “Kuyoba khona inala yokusanhlamvu emhlabeni; kuyoba khona ukuchichima esiqongweni sezintaba.” Ngeke kusaba khona ukuntuleka kokudla ngenxa yendlala, ukuswela imali noma ukuphatha kwabantu okonakele.

Kuyoxazululwa nezinye izinkinga. Ngokwesibonelo, namuhla abantu abaningi kakhulu emhlabeni abanawo amakhaya athi bona. Nokho, uNkulunkulu uthembisa athi: “Ngokuqinisekile bayokwakha izindlu bahlale kuzo; nakanjani bayotshala izivini badle izithelo zazo. Ngeke bakhe kuhlale omunye; ngeke batshale kudle omunye. Ngoba izinsuku zabantu bami ziyoba njengezinsuku zomuthi; nomsebenzi wezandla zabo abakhethiweyo bami bayowusebenzisa ngokugcwele.” (Isaya 65:21, 22) Wonke umuntu uyoba nekhaya lakhe futhi ajabulele umsebenzi wakhe. Ngakho uNkulunkulu uthembisa ikhambi lobumpofu eliphelele nelaphakade. Ngeke esaba khona amagebe amakhulu phakathi kwabacebile nabampofu, ngeke besaba khona abantu abakhandlekayo ukuze baziphilise.

Lapho umuntu eqala ukuzwa lezi zithembiso zeBhayibheli angase athi yiphupho nje. Nokho, ukulihlola ngokucophelela iBhayibheli kuveza ukuthi zonke izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu zesikhathi esidlule zafezeka. (Isaya 55:11) Ngakho akuyona indaba yokuthi uma zizofezeka. Kunalokho, umbuzo wangempela uwukuthi, Yini okumelwe uyenze ukuze uzuze lapho zifezeka?

Uyoba Khona?

Njengoba lo hulumeni kungokaNkulunkulu, kumelwe sibe uhlobo lwabantu uNkulunkulu ayolwamukela njengezakhamuzi zalowo mbuso. Akasishiyanga singazi ukuthi singafaneleka kanjani. Iziqondiso zibekwe eBhayibhelini.

Le Nkosi emisiwe, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, ilungile. (Isaya 11:3-5) Ngakho, kuyolindeleka ukuba labo abamukelwayo ukuba baphile ngaphansi kwalo hulumeni babe abantu abalungile. IzAga 2:21, 22 zithi: “Ngabaqotho abayohlala emhlabeni, futhi ngabangasoleki abayosala kuwo. Kepha ababi bayonqunywa emhlabeni; abakhohlisayo bona, bayosishulwa kuwo.”

Ingabe ikhona indlela yokwazi ukuthi yini ongayenza ukuze ube nalezi zimfuneko? Yebo, ikhona. Ngokutadisha iBhayibheli nangokusebenzisa iziqondiso zalo, ungazibeka ethubeni lokuthola leli kusasa elimangalisayo. (Johane 17:3) OFakazi BakaJehova bayokujabulela ukukusiza kulokho kutadisha. Sikumema ukuba ulisebenzise leli thuba lokuba ingxenye yomphakathi ongasoze wabubona ubumpofu nokungabi nabulungisa.

[Isithombe ekhasini 5]

U-Eufrosina: “Ukusebenzisa imali ngokucophelela kusiza umkhaya wami ukuba ube nezinto ozidingayo”

[Izithombe ekhasini 6]

Ubuhlobo obuhle noNkulunkulu nenjabulo emkhayeni akunakuthengwa ngemali