Ingabe IBhayibheli Liyakulahla Ukugembula?

AMAFILIMU adumile nemidlalo yethelevishini yokugembula kuvame ukwenza ukugembula kubonakale kuyindlela yokuchitha isizungu yabantu abahle, abacebile nabayizicwicwicwi. Lokhu kubonakala ikakhulu ezindaweni zokugembula, phecelezi ama-casino. Yiqiniso, ngokuvamile izibukeli ziyazi ukuthi lawo mafilimu amane nje ayizindaba eziqanjiwe.

Nokho, ekuphileni kwangempela akuwona ama-casino kuphela adonsa abantu. Babodwa abathenga amathikithi elotho, babodwa nababheja kwezemidlalo nasezingosini zokugembula kuyi-Internet. Incwadi ethi Internet Gambling ithi ukugembula “kuwumkhuba okhona cishe emhlabeni wonke futhi kwanda kuhle komlilo wequbula.” Ngokwesibonelo, umdlalo wokugembula ngamakhadi, phecelezi i-poker, usuwumdlalo ovame kakhulu kuyithelevishini nakuyi-Internet. Ngokusho kwephephandaba elithile, izazi zisanda kuhlola ukuthi bangaki abantu abadlala i-poker e-United States, futhi ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-18 zathola ukuthi lelo nani lase liphindeke kabili.

Ukugembula kuchazwa ngokuthi ukubheja ngemali ube ungazi ukuthi umphumela uyoba yini. Abantu abaningi bathi ayikho inkinga ngokugembula, inqobo nje uma ogembulayo esebenzisa eyakhe imali futhi engabi umlutha wako. Empeleni, i-New Catholic Encyclopedia ithi ukugembula “akubhekwa njengesono ngaphandle kwalapho sekwenza umuntu angayinakekeli kahle imithwalo yakhe.” Kodwa ayizange icaphune amavesi eBhayibheli ukuze isekele lo mbono. UmKristu kufanele ayibheke kanjani-ke le ndaba? Ingabe iBhayibheli liyakukhuthaza ukugembula noma liyakulahla?

Kumelwe siphawule ukuthi imiBhalo Engcwele ayikhulumi ngokuqondile ngokugembula. Kodwa lokho akusho ukuthi asikho isiqondiso esingasilandela kule ndaba. IBhayibheli alibeki undendende lwemithetho elawula zonke izimo noma izinto ezenziwa abantu, kodwa lisinxusa ukuba ‘siqhubeke siqonda ukuthi iyini intando kaJehova.’ (Efesu 5:17) Ngokusho kwesazi seBhayibheli, u-E. W. Bullinger, igama lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi ‘ukuqonda,’ lisho ukuqonda izici zendaba “ngokuyihlaziya nangokuyicabangisisa.” Ngakho-ke, umKristu angakwazi ukuqonda intando kaNkulunkulu ngale ndaba ngokuhlaziya nangokucabangisisa ngezimiso zeBhayibheli ezihlobene nokugembula. Lapho ufunda imiBhalo ecashunwe kulesi sihloko, kungakuhle ukuba uzibuze: “Ingabe ukugembula kuvumelana nalo mBhalo? IZwi likaNkulunkulu lithi iyini intando yakhe kule ndaba?”

Ucilo Angathuka Ezishaye Endukwini

Ukugembula kuhlanganisa ukubeka ithemba entweni engaqinisekile. Ngakho-ke, ukukholelwa enhlanhleni—amandla angaqondakaliyo okuthiwa alawula izinto ezithuka zenzeka—kunendima enkulu, ikakhulu lapho kubhejwe ngemali. Ngokwesibonelo, izinombolo zamathikithi elotho ziba yingxubevange; abadlali bomdlalo wokugembula othandwa kakhulu eChina obizwa ngokuthi i-mah-jongg akufanele baphimisele amagama athile; abadlali bamadayisi bayawaphephetha ngaphambi kokuwaphonsa. Kungani kwenziwa konke lokhu? Abagembuli bakholelwa ukuthi uma benza kanjalo bangase babe nenhlanhla.

Ingabe akunangozi ukubeka ithemba enhlanhleni? Abanye abantu kwa-Israyeli wasendulo babecabanga kanjalo. Babekholelwa ukuthi inhlanhla ingabenza bacebe. UJehova uNkulunkulu wazizwa kanjani ngalokho? Ngomprofethi wakhe u-Isaya, wabatshela: “Nina niyilabo abamshiyayo uJehova, abayikhohlwayo intaba yami engcwele, labo abahlelela unkulunkulu weNhlanhla itafula futhi abagcwalisela unkulunkulu weSimiselo iwayini elixutshiwe.” (Isaya 65:11) Emehlweni kaNkulunkulu, ukukholelwa enhlanhleni kuwuhlobo lokukhonza izithombe futhi kungqubuzana nokukhulekela kweqiniso. Kubonisa ukuthi umuntu uthembela emandleni angaqondakaliyo kunokuthembela kuNkulunkulu weqiniso. Asinasizathu sokukholelwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu usewushintshile umbono wakhe.

Indlela Abantu Abawina Ngayo

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi babheja engosini ye-Internet, bathenga ithikithi lelotho, babheja kwezemidlalo noma bagembula kuma-casino, abagembuli bavame ukukhohlwa ukuthi imali ewinwayo isuke iphuma kuphi. Ukugembula akufani nokukhipha imali ngenjongo yokuthenga okuthile ngoba abagembulayo bafuna ukuwina imali elahlekela abanye.a ISikhungo SaseCanada Semilutha Nempilo Engokwengqondo, sithi: “Lapho kuba khona umuntu oyedwa owina izigidi zemali, kusuke kunezigidi zabanye abasuke bekhala izinyembezi ngenxa yokulahlekelwa!” Yiziphi izimiso zeBhayibheli ezingasiza umKristu ukuba aqonde indlela uNkulunkulu azizwa ngayo ngale ndaba?

Umthetho wokugcina eMiyalweni Eyishumi eyanikwa ama-Israyeli uthi: “Ungafisi umfazi womunye umuntu, noma isigqila sakhe noma isigqilakazi sakhe noma inkomo yakhe noma imbongolo yakhe nanoma yini engeyomunye umuntu.” (Eksodusi 20:17) Ukufisa izinto zomunye umuntu—izinto ezibonakalayo, ingcebo nemali yakhe—kwakuyisono esikhulu esibalwe kanye nokufisa umfazi womuntu. Emakhulwini eminyaka kamuva, umphostoli uPawulu waphinde wanika amaKristu lo myalo: “Ungahahi.” (Roma 7:7) Ingabe umKristu ofuna ukuwina imali elahlekela abanye akanakuba necala lokuhaha?

Umhleli kamagazini okhuluma ngokugembula uJ. Phillip Vogel wabhala: “Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi [abagembuli abaningi] bayakuvuma lokhu noma cha, ngaphambi kokugembula baphupha sebeshintshe imadlana encane abanayo—ngisho noma ingama-dollar ambalwa—bayenza yaba izizumbulu zemali.” Bafisa ukuzibona beyizigwili ngomzuzwana. Ngokusobala, lokhu kungqubuzana neseluleko seBhayibheli esithi kufanele umKristu “asebenze kanzima, enze umsebenzi omuhle ngezandla zakhe, ukuze abe nokuthile kokwabela umuntu oswele.” (Efesu 4:28) Umphostoli uPawulu naye wakusho ngokuqondile lokhu: “Uma umuntu engafuni ukusebenza, makangadli futhi.” Wanezela: ‘Kufanele adle ukudla azizuzela kona.’ (2 Thesalonika 3:10, 12) Nokho, ingabe ukugembula kungabhekwa njengomsebenzi wangempela?

Nakuba ukugembula kungase kube umdlalo okhandlayo, umgembuli akazizuzeli imali ngoba enze umsebenzi noma inkonzo ethile, kodwa uyayiwina. Ubheja ngemali engawazi ngempela umphumela futhi ethembele ekutheni uma elokhu ezama, ucilo angathuka ezishaye endukwini. Ngamanye amazwi, umgembuli ufuna ukuthola okuthile ngaphandle kwezithukuthuku. Nokho, amaKristu eqiniso anxuswa ukuba athole imali ngokusebenza ngokwethembeka. Inkosi ehlakaniphile uSolomoni, yabhala: “Akukho lutho olungcono kumuntu kunokuba adle futhi aphuze, abangele umphefumulo wakhe [ukuba] ubone okuhle ngenxa yomsebenzi wakhe onzima.” Yanezela: “Lokhu . . . kuvela esandleni sikaNkulunkulu weqiniso.” (UmShumayeli 2:24) Yebo, izinceku zikaNkulunkulu azibeki ithemba lazo emaphusheni noma zifune izindlela ezinqamulelayo zokuthola imali, kunalokho zilindela uNkulunkulu ukuba azinike injabulo nezibusiso.

‘Ugibe’ Okufanele Lugwenywe

Ngisho noma umgembuli ewina, wenza kahle uma engagcini nje ngokucabanga ngenjabulo yesikhashana yokuwina, kodwa nangemiphumela yesikhathi eside yokugembula. IzAga 20:21 zithi: “Ifa litholwa ngokuhaha ekuqaleni, kodwa ikusasa lalo ngeke libusiswe.” Abantu abaningi abawina ilotho nabanye abagembuli baye bafunda kabuhlungu ukuthi imali ayilethi injabulo. Yeka ukuthi kungcono kanjani ukulalela iseluleko seBhayibheli sokungabeki ithemba “engcebweni engaqinisekile, kodwa kuNkulunkulu, osinika zonke izinto ngokucebile ukuze sizijabulele.”—1 Thimothewu 6:17.

Kukhona nolunye ugibe oluyingozi nakakhulu okufanele lugwenywe. IZwi likaNkulunkulu lithi: “Labo abazimisele ngokuceba bawela esilingweni nasogibeni nasezifisweni eziningi ezingenangqondo nezilimazayo, eziphonsa abantu ekubhujisweni nasencithakalweni.” (1 Thimothewu 6:9) Injongo yogibe ukubamba isisulu. Kunenqwaba yabantu eye yadela imali yayo encane noma yazitshela ukuthi izozama izikhathi ezimbalwa nje eye yabanjwa ugibe lokugembula, yazithola isiyimilutha. Iye yalahlekelwa imisebenzi, yalimaza abantu ababathandayo futhi yabhidlikelwa yimizi.

Njengoba sesixoxe ngemiBhalo eminingi ehlobene nokugembula, ingabe usuyayiqonda intando kaNkulunkulu kule ndaba? Umphostoli uPawulu wanxusa amaKristu akanye naye: “Yekani ukulolongwa nifane nalesi simiso sezinto, kodwa maniguqulwe ngokushintsha ingqondo yenu, ukuze nizitholele ngokwenu okuyintando kaNkulunkulu enhle neyamukelekayo nepheleleyo.” (Roma 12:2) Yintando kaNkulunkulu okufanele iqondise ukuphila komKristu, hhayi umbono weningi. Njengoba uJehova ‘enguNkulunkulu ojabulayo,’ ufuna sijabulele ukuphila, singavuni imiphumela ebuhlungu ebangelwa ugibe lokugembula.—1 Thimothewu 1:11.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 14]

Izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ziyisebenzela ngokwethembeka imali

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 13]

Injabulo Yokuwina

Ingabe kulula ngomuntu osenomkhuba wokugembula ukuba abe umlutha? Ngemva kokuhlola ukusabela kwabagembuli ngemva kokuwina noma kokulahlekelwa, uDkt. uHans Breiter wathi “lapho umuntu ogembulayo ewina, ubuchopho bakhe buqala ukusebenza njengobuchopho bomuntu owumlutha wesidakamizwa i-cocaine.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

Abagembuli basuke befuna ukuwina imali kabani?