UFERNANDO * urhidlwa livalo, ngombana abadala ababili bamtjele ukuthi babawa ukumbona ngemsitheleni. Phela bekuthi qobe ngemva kokuvakatjhelwa mbonisi okhambako, abadala bamhlathululele ngalokho okufuze asebenzele kikho nekazokuba mdala webandla. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, uFernando wazibuza bona kuzakhe kwenzeke na bona avuke angumdala epilwenakhe. Kodwana nje, umbonisi wesigodi uqeda ukukhambela ibandla langekhabo. Yeke, bamphathele ziphi-ke kwanjesi abadala?

UFernando weza nendlebe njengombana omunye wabadala eza nendaba. Umdala wathoma ngokuthi fahlafahla ngencwadi ka-1 Thimothi 3:1, ngemva kwalokho wanaba ngokuthi isihlopha sabadala sifumene umlayezo wokuthi uFernando ubekwe bona abe mdala webandla. UFernando khenge awakholwe amehlwakhe, yeke wababuza wathi, “Nithini?” Umzalwana walibuyelela alitjhwileko, kwamthabisa khulu uFernando bewabobotheka. Ngemva kwalokho, kwenziwa nesaziso ebandleni sokuthi uFernando sekangumdala webandla, yeke kwathaba woke umuntu ebandleni.

Kuyinto embi na ukufisa ukuba namalungelo ebandleni? Awa, akusiyinto embi. Kwancwadi ka-1 Thimothi 3:1 ithi, “Nengabe umuntu ulangazelela ukuba mbonisi, usuke athanda umsebenzi omuhle.” Inengi lamadoda amaKrestu liyasisebenzisa isikhuthazwesi, liqinise ubuhlobo balo noZimu khona lizokufanelekela ukufumana amalungelo angeziweko ebandleni. Ngebanga lalokho abantu bakaZimu abaseenkulungwaneni zamabandla babusiswe ngabadala neenceku ezikhonzako ezinamakghono amahle kwamambala. Kodwana amabandla lawo ayanda, ngebangelo-ke, abazalwana abangeziweko kusafuze basebenzele ukufumana amalungelo la. Nanyana kunjalo, ngiyiphi indlela efaneleko yokuwasebenzela? Kghani labo abafisa ukuba babonisi kufuze bahlale bagugunwa yindaba le njengoFernando?

Ibizo lesiGirigi eliseBhayibhelini elitjhugululwe ngokuthi ‘ukulangazelela’ linomqondo wokufisa into ngehliziyo yoke, newokuthabuluka ulalamele into ethileko. Lokho kwakha isithombengqondo somuntu  odlodlomelako, alalamele emthini bona akhe isithelo esivuthiweko. Kodwana ukulangazelela ukuba mbonisi akutjho bona umuntu kufuze abe marhamaru nekalalamela ilungelo ‘lokuba mbonisi.’ Kubayini kungakafuzi enze njalo? Kungombana umgomo oyihloko womuntu ofuna ukuba mdala kukwenza “umsebenzi omuhle” kunokuthi agijimisane nesikhundla.

Kuneemfuneko ezinengi ezihlobene nomsebenzi omuhle lo ezitlolwe ku-1 Thimothi 3:2-7 nakuTitosi 1:5-9. Nekakhuluma ngeemfuneko eziphakemekwezi umdala ongumakadabona uRaymond uthi: “Ngokombono wami, okuqakatheke khulu ngilokho wena ongikho. Kuliqiniso bona ukubeka ikulumo nokufundisa abanye kuqakathekile, kodwana lokho angekhe kuthathelwe phezulu ukudlula ukuba mumuntu ongasolekiko, olinganiselako ezintweni azenzako, ovuthiweko, ohlelekileko nowamukela abayeni.”

Sithi umzalwana uyalangazelela nekalinga ngokusemandlenakhe bona angasoleki begodu agegede nanyana yini engamenza angathembeki namkha asilaphale. Umuntu onjalo uyalinganisela emikghwenakhe, uvuthiwe, uhlelekile, begodu abakhonza naye bayamthemba bona angakghona ukubadosa phambili bekabasize nebanemiraro. Yeke njengomuntu otjhaphulukileko namkha omukela abayeni, ukhuthaza abasesebatjha nalabo abasand’ ukuhlanganyela. Uyabatlhogomela abagulako nabalupheleko ngebanga lokuthi uyakuthanda ukulunga. Koke lokhu ukwenzela ukusiza, ingasi ukuthenga amehlo bona afumane amalungelo. *

Isihlopha sabadala singakuthabela ukweluleka nokukhuthaza labo abafisa ukuba badala, kodwana mumuntu ngokwakhe okufuze asebenzele ukwenza ngokuvumelana neemfuneko ezisemTlolweni. UHenry onesikhathi eside ambonisi uthi: “Nengabe ulangazelela ukuba mbonisi, sebenza budisi. Okwenzako akufakazele bona uyakufanelekela ukuba mdala.” Nekadzubhula umTjhumayeli 9:10, unaba ngokuthi: “‘Nanyana yini ofuna ukuyenza ngesandla sakho, yenze ngamandlakho woke.’ Nanyana ngisiphi isabelo abadala abakunikela sona, senze ngamandlakho woke. Thanda nanyana ngimuphi umsebenzi abakwabela wona ebandleni, ngitjho nanyana bakwabele ukuthanyela. Ngesikhathi esifaneleko, koke okwenzako bazokutjheja.” Nengabe ufisa ukuba mdala webandla ngelinye ilanga, khuthala bewuthembeke kiyo yoke imisebenzi  kaZimu. Thobeka, ungazikhakhazisi namkha ugijimisane nesikhundla.—Mat. 23:8-12.

Abanye abafisa amalungelo ebandleni bangalingeka bonyana babe nesifiso esingakafaneli sokuba mdala, namkha balinge ukuhlohlozela isihlopha sabadala bona sibabeke ebudaleni. Abanye bakwata bathelwe mamanzi lokha abadala nebabatjela ngalokho okufuze basebenzele kikho. Abantu abanjalo kufuze bazibuze naku umbuzo, ‘Inga-kghani amalungelo la ngiwafunela mina, namkha ngiwafunela ukutlhogomela izimvu zakaJehova?’

Kunenye ifuneko labo abalangazelela ukuba badala okungakafaneli bayikhohlwe, ifuneko yokuba “ziimbonelo emhlambini.” (1 Pit. 5:1-3) Umuntu ofuna ukuba sibonelo emhlambini ukhambela kude nezenzo nemicabango ekhohlisako. Uyabekezela, kungakhathaliseki bona umdala namkha awa. Phela ukuba mdala akumtjhentjhi umuntu, ngombana naye akakapheleli. (Num. 12:3; Rhu. 106:32, 33) Kungenzeka bonyana umzalwana uzibona alungile, kodwana abanye bamqale ngenye indlela. (1 Kor. 4:4) Yeke, nengabe umdala ukunikela isiluleko esisekelwe eBhayibhelini, yenza koke okusemandlenakho bona umlalele ngaphandle kokusilingeka. Bese usebenzela ukwenza ngokuvumelana neseluleko abakunikele sona.

Abanye abazalwana babona ngasuthi seside isikhathi balindile, kodwana do ukuba mdala. Inga-kghani kuyakutshwenya lokho na nengabe sekuminyaka eminengi “ulangazelela ukuba mbonisi”? Nengabe kunjalo, tjheja amezwi la: “Ithemba eliriyadiswako ligulisa ihliziyo; isifiso esiphumeleliswako simumuthi wokuphila.”—IzA. 13:12.

Iqiniso kukuthi kugulisa ihliziyo ukuthi umuntu azibekele umgomo kodwana angawufikeleli. No-Abrahamu naye khewazizwa njalo. UJehova wamthembisa indodana, kodwana kwadlula iminyaka engangeminyaka yena nonakwakhe uSara banganaye ngitjho newokubika. (Gen. 12:1-3, 7) Kwathi nekukhamba isikhathi u-Abrahamu wathoma ukulila ngendaba le, wathi: “[Jehova, NW] Somandla, kusizani bona [uJehova] angiphe umvuzo njengombana ngizakukhamba ngingakatjhiyi intonga ebandla nje . . . Iye, [uJehova, NW] akhange angiphe imbeleko.” UJehova wamqinisekisa bona nakuyimbeleko yona uzoyifumana, nanyana kunjalo kwadlula iminyaka eli-14 yoke ngaphambi kobana amezwi kaZimu wokumupha imbeleko azaliseke.—Gen. 15:2-4; 16:16; 21:5.

Njengombana u-Abrahamu bekasalindile nje, kghani waphelelwa lithabo lokukhonza uJehova? Awa. Khenge azingabaze iinthembiso zakaZimu. Bekasolo aqale phambili ekutholeni umvuzo athenjiswe wona. Ngikho umpostoli uPowula watlola wathi: “Ngokunjalo u-Abrahamu ngokunyamezela wazuza isithembiso.” (Heb. 6:15) Ekugcineni, uZimu uMninimandlawoke wanikela indoda le isibusiso esingaphezu kwalokho ebeyikucabanga. Sifundani ku-Abrahamu?

Nengabe ufisa ukuba mdala kodwana sekuminyaka eminengi usolo ulindile, yewuphosele koke ezandleni zakaJehova. Ungathomi udinwe kumsebenzela. UWarren, owasiza abazalwana abanengi bona bathuthuke ngokomoya, ubeka naka amabanga: “Kuthatha isikhathi eside ukuthi umuntu afaneleka ukuba mdala. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, amakghono nalokho  umzalwana akucabangako kuziveza kancanikancani endleleni aziphatha ngayo nenza ngayo izabelo zakhe. Abanye bacabanga bona bayiphethe ngesibhukwini kwaphela nebafumana amalungelo. Kanti babethe phasi kwathunya ithuli ngombana loyo mbono ongakalungi begodu kungenza umuntu ahlale atshwenyekile. Umuntu uphumelela kwaphela nekasebenzela uJehova kungakhathaliseki bona wabelwe kuphi.”

Omunye umzalwana kwamthatha iminyaka elitjhumi yoke ngaphambi kobana abe mdala webandla. Nekadzubhula umtlolo ojayelekileko okuHezekiyeli isahluko1, aveza nesifundo asitholileko emtlolweni lo wathi: “UJehova utjhayela ikoloyakhe—ejamelela ihlanganwakhe—ngebelo alifunako. Okuqakatheke khulu kukuthi izinto kufuze zenzeke ngesikhathi sakaJehova ingasi ngesikhathi esifunwa ngithi. Nengabe ngifuna ukuba mdala webandla, lokho akukafuzi kube ngilokho okuthandwa yihliziywami—lokho engikufunako namkha lokho engikufisako. Ngombana lokho okufunwa ngimi kungenzeka kungabi ngilokho uJehova acabanga bona ngiyakutlhoga.”

Nengabe ufisa bona ngelinye ilanga wenze umsebenzi omuhle owenziwa babonisi abamaKrestu, sebenza budisi ngokobana wenze koke ongakwenza ekwakheni ukuthula ebandleni. Nengabe kuthatha isikhathi bona ube mdala, ungatshwenyeki khulu namkha uphele ihliziyo. URaymond, okukhulunywe ngaye ngehla uthi: “Umuntu ogagamela izinto akaneliseki. Yeke, labo abahlala batshwenyeke ngamalungelo balahlekelwa lithabo elikhulu lokusebenzela uJehova.” Ngakho-ke, yewusebenzele ukuba neenthelo zomoya kaZimu, khulukhulu isithelo sokubekezela. Lwela ukuthuthukisa ubuhlobo bakho noZimu ngokufunda iBhayibheli ngaso soke isikhathi. Thuthukisa nesikhathi sakho somsebenzi wokutjhumayela iindaba ezimnandi nangokuraga iimfundo zeBhayibheli nabantu abathanda ukuzwa ngoZimu. Wudose phambili umndenakho emisebenzini eniyenzela uZimu, uhlele nokuKhulekela komNdeni. Kuthabele ukwakha itjhebiswano nabazalwana nabodadwenu ebandleni. Njengombana usebenzela ukuba mdala, uzozithabela izinto ozozenza ungakabi ngumdala.

Ukusebenzela ukufanelekela amalungelo athileko ebandleni kulithuba elisibusiso esivela kuJehova, yeke akafuni bona abantu batshwenyeke namkha bahlale bangakathabi nebenza umsebenzakhe, begodu nehlanganwakhe ayikuthandi lokho. UZimu ubusisa woke umuntu ofuna ukumsebenzela anomnqopho omuhle. Ngikho eembusisweni zakhe ‘angafaki ubuhlungu hlangana nazo.’—IzA. 10:22, NW.

Ngitjho nanyana sekusikhathi eside usebenzela ukuba mdala, ungakghona ukuthuthukisa ubuhlobo bakho noZimu. Njengombana ulwela ukuba neenthelo zomoya kaZimu begodu usebenza budisi ebandleni, ngaphandle kokuliselela umndenakho, uJehova angekhe akukhohlwe koke lokho omenzela khona. Kuthabele ukusebenzela uJehova nanyana kukuphi lapho wabelwe khona.