Ingabe Uyazikhethela—Noma Uyekela Abanye Bakukhethele?

UPEDRO wayekhulekela uMaleiwa, okuthiwa umdali womuntu nomenzi womhlaba, kwaze kwaba yilapho eneminyaka eyisishiyagalombili ubudala. Wayesaba uYolujá, okuthiwa umbikezeli wakho konke okubi nesifo, futhi wayefuna ukugwema amacebo anonya kaPulowi, unkulunkulukazi wokuzisholo wabangaphansi komhlaba.

UPedro wayengumGuajiro, esinye sezizwe eziningi zamaNdiya zaseVenezuela. Walandela inkolo engokwesiko yokhokho bakhe kwaze kwaba ngolunye usuku lapho uthisha wesikole sendawo emlungiselela ukuba abhapathizwe—njengomKatolika.

“Akekho owaxoxa nami, futhi ngangingazi lutho ngenkolo yami entsha,” kuchaza uPedro. “Kodwa ngabona ukuthi kwakungeke kube nzima ukwamukela lolukholo olusha, olwalungadingi zinguquko ezinkulu ekuziphatheni kwami kwansuku zonke. Ngangithembekile enkolweni yami entsha, njengoba ngangiya njalo eMiseni elaliba ngesikhathi esithile ngoDecember.”

Naphezu kokuba owezinkolo ezimbili ezihlukene, uPedro wayengenzanga ukukhetha kokunakekela kuzo zombili. Ukukhetha wakwenzelwa abanye. Okuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe kuye kwenzeka ngokuphindaphindiwe izikhathi ezingenakubalwa emakhulwini eminyaka. Eqinisweni, uma kuqhathaniswa bambalwa abantu ezigidini eziyizigidi ezinhlanu zabantu abaphilayo namuhla abenze ukukhetha okucatshangelwe kahle endabeni yenkolo. Inkolo yabo ngokuvamile iyinto eyazuzwa ngefa, efana nokubukeka kwabo, izimfanelo zabo zobuntu, noma ikhaya abahlala kulo.

Bazikhethela Ngokwabo

Kodwa ingabe lokho esikuzuza ngefa kungcono kakhulu ngaso sonke isikhathi? Singase sizame ukuthuthukisa ukubukeka kwethu ngangokunokwenzeka. Singase sifune ukwenza ngcono ikhaya abazali abasishiyela lona. Singase silwe ngisho nakanzima ukuze sinqobe izimfanelo zobuntu ezingafiseleki esiye sazizuza ngefa.

Ngenxa yalesizathu, emhlabeni wonke kunabathile abayihlola kabusha inkolo abayishiyelwa okhokho babo. Esikhundleni sokubheka lokhu njengokulahlwa kwesiko lomkhaya okumelwe laziswe ngokungenakungatshazwa, isifiso sabo esingokomoya siye sabashukumisela ukuba bafune okuthile okungcono. Lokhu kwakunjalo ngoHiroko, obaba wakhe wayengumpristi ongumBuddha eThempelini laseMyokyo, eJapane.

UHiroko uyachaza: “Lapho ngiseyingane, phakathi nobusuku obubanda kakhulu basebusika, ngangivamise ukuhamba ngokuzidonsa ngehla ngenyuka emigwaqweni embozwe yiqhwa yedolobha lakithi ngiphethe isiketekete. Ubaba wayeye ahambe phambili, eshaya isigubhu futhi ecula amaculo obuBuddha. Kusukela ngisemncane, imikhuba yokuzila nesimo senkonzo yobuBuddha kwakuyingxenye yokuphila kwami.”

Nakuba kunjalo, uHiroko wayengajabuli ngenkolo yakhe ayeyizuze njengefa. “Angizange ngithole ngisho neyodwa impendulo eyanelisayo emibuzweni eminingi enganginayo. Ukushintshwa kwangemva kokufa kwamagama abafileyo, amatshe ezikhumbuzo amathuna ayephathwa njengezidalwa eziphilayo ngokushesha ngemva kokuba eculelwe amaculo obuBuddha, imithi engamaphepha amahle okwakuthiwa ivikela ikholwa ngomlingo, kanye neminye imikhosi eminingi yasethempelini yayingidida ngempela.

“Ngatshelwa ukuthi singabehlelo lenkolo lobuBuddha elikhanyiselwe kakhulu kunawo wonke. Kodwa, yonke imibuzo yami yayisalokhu ingaphenduliwe. Ngangikholelwa ukuthi kumelwe kube khona okuthile, endaweni ethile. Ithemba laliwukuyihlola ngokukhululeka inkolo eyayinganginikeza zonke izimpendulo.” UHiroko wazulazula esuka kwenye inkolo yasempumalanga eya kwenye ngaphandle kokuthola ukwaneliseka. Ekugcineni, ngosizo loFakazi BakaJehova, wafunda eBhayibhelini ngoNkulunkulu umninimandla onke, Lowo owadala izulu nomhlaba, futhi wathola nezimpendulo emibuzweni yakhe yasebuntwaneni.

Endabeni yakhe, amazwi omprofethi uJeremiya agcwaliseka ngokoqobo: “Niyakungifuna, ningifumane, lapho ningifunisisa ngenhliziyo yenu yonke. Ngiyakufunyanwa yinina, usho uJehova.”—Jeremiya 29:13, 14.

UHiroko waba nomuzwa wokuthi kwakubalulekile ukuba azikhethele ngokwakhe, ngisho nakuba kwakuhlukile kokwabazali bakhe. Uyachaza: “Ngigcwele injabulo ngenxa yokuthola ukukhanyiselwa, futhi manje angisenayo imibuzo ebeleselayo nezinkathazo ezazingihlupha iminyaka eminingi kangaka.” Kodwa kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyajabula ngenkolo okuyo manje noma cha, kusafanele wenze ukukhetha.

Isizathu Sokuba Kukhethwe

Abaningi bethu, uma besingase sithi ukucabanga ngakho, bebengavuma ukuthi inkolo ingokuthile okubaluleke kakhulu kunokuba uvele uzithole usukuyo. Phela, ngisho nasezindabeni zansuku zonke, sizama ukulawula ukuphila kwethu kakhulu ngangokunokwenzeka. Ubani ofuna ukumane abe yisisulu sezimo ezingezinhle?

Uma ubuphethwe kakhulu yikhanda, ingabe ngokushesha ubungagwinya amaphilisi ambalwa owathole enqwabeni yemithi enhlobonhlobo ngaphandle kokuba uqale ufunde ngokucophelela okubhaliwe?

Uma ubukhetha impahla entsha, ingabe ubungathatha isudi kuqala oyibamba ngezandla zakho esitolo, ngokunganaki uthathe ngokuthi ngokungangabazeki iyokulingana kahle?

Uma ubuthenga imoto esike yasetshenziswa, ingabe ubungayishayela uhambe ngayo ngaphandle kokuhlola ngisho nenjini?

Ungase ucabange, ‘umuntu onganaki kuphela ongenza lokho.’ Izinto ezinjalo akumelwe zithathwe kalula. Kodwa, ngabaningi bethu esinye sezinqumo ezibaluleke kakhulu ekuphileni esithi—iyiphi inkolo okumelwe siyilandele—siye sanqunywa ngaphandle kokuhlolisisa, ngezenzakalo ezingokomlando osekukudala zakhohlakala, nangendawo yokuzalwa.

Akunakuba ukuhlakanipha yini ukuzibuza: ‘Kungani ngiyingxenye yenkolo yami? Ingabe yamane yadluliselwa kimi ngaphandle kokuba ngiyihlolisise? Noma ingabe ngenza ukukhetha okuhleliwe, okunengqondo?’ Ukubuza imibuzo enjalo kuyiyona kanye into iBhayibheli elisikhuthaza ukuba siyenze. Umphostoli uPawulu wayala abaseKorinte ukuba ‘bazihlole bona, babone ukuthi basesekukholweni yini, bazivivinye bona.’—2 Korinte 13:5.

IBhayibheli likhuluma ngensizwa okuthiwa uThimothewu eyakhuliswa umama wayo nogogo ngokuvumelana nemiBhalo. Kodwa, ngokusobala, akazange amukele inkolo yabo ngokuphamazela. Iminyaka kamuva uPawulu wamkhumbuza ukuthi wayeye ‘wafunda futhi okwesibili waqiniseka kukho.’ (2 Thimothewu 3:14) UThimothewu waqiniseka ukuba ahlale enkolweni ayeyamukele—kodwa kuphela lapho esezihlolele yona ngokuphelele.

Ngakolunye uhlangothi, abanye bashukunyiselwa ukuba bacabangele kabusha ukukhuliswa kwabo okungokwenkolo. USergiyu Pawulu wayengumbusi wesifunda saseRoma eKhupro ngokungangabazeki owayekhulekela abanye bonkulunkulu bamaRoma. Nokho, ngemva kokulalela intshumayelo kaPawulu, “wakholwa, ethonywe ngokujulile yilokho akufunda ngeNkosi.”—IzEnzo 13:12, NE.

Kuzo zombili izimo ukukhetha okuhleliwe kwenziwa ngemva kokuhlolisisa okuphelele okusekelwe eZwini likaNkulunkulu. Kungani ungalingisi inkambo kaSergiyu Pawulu noThimothewu? Omunye washintsha inkolo yakhe, omunye akazange; kodwa bobabili bavuzwa ngokuzitholela iqiniso ngokwabo. Nokho, ngenxa yesiko, ukwesaba, noma ubandlululo, abanye bangazizwa benamahloni ngokuthatha isinyathelo esinjalo.

Inselele Yokukhetha

Amasiko enkolo awapheli kalula, futhi abaningi bathola induduzo emikhubeni nasezimfundisweni zakudala. Abanye bangase bathi: “Uma uke waba umKatolika, uhlala ungumKatolika.” Mhlawumbe uzizwa ngendlela efanayo ngenkolo yakho, ukhetha into engokwesiko kunento ongayazi. Ngokuqinisekile, bekungeke kube ukuhlakanipha ukulahla noma yiliphi isiko ngokuphelele ngaphandle kokuhlaziya ukubaluleka kwalo. UPawulu watshela amaKristu aseThesalonika ukuba ‘abambelele emasikweni ayewafundile.’ (2 Thesalonika 2:15, NE) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uJesu waxwayisa ngokuthi amasiko enkolo angasehlukanisa noNkulunkulu, enze iZwi lakhe, iBhayibheli libe yize. (Mathewu 15:6) Isiko alinakwethenjwa njalo.

Njengoba ulwazi lwanda, izindlela ezingokwesiko ngokuvamile ziyathuthukiswa noma kusetshenziswe ezinye emikhakheni enjengeyezemithi, ezesayensi, nezobuchwepheshe. Kulezindawo abantu abaningi banomqondo ovulekile, osiza ekuletheni ubungcono. Ngisho nakuba singacabanga ukuthi isiko lenkolo yethu lingelaphezulu, iBhayibheli lisixwayisa ukuba ‘singakholwa yibo bonke omoya’ kodwa, kunalokho, ‘sihlole omoya ukuthi bangabakaNkulunkulu yini.’ (1 Johane 4:1) Litusa ukuba ‘sivivinye konke, sibambisise okuhle.’ (1 Thesalonika 5:21) Amasiko abalulekile ayolokhu emile ngaphansi kokuhlolisiswa okunjalo.

Esinye isithiyo ekwenzeni ukukhetha endabeni yenkolo siwukwesaba. Ukuphawula okuvamile kuwukuthi: “Angilokothi ngixoxe ngenkolo noma ezombangazwe!” Ukwesaba ukuthola ukuthi besilokhu sikhohliswa noma ukwesaba lokho abanye abangase bakucabange kuyizaba ezinamandla zokungenzi lutho. Osukwini lukaJesu kwakunabaningi abaqaphela ukubaluleka kwemfundiso yakhe kodwa abangazange bamamukele njengoMesiya “ngoba babesaba ukuxoshwa esinagogeni. Ngoba babazisa idumela labo kubantu kunodumo oluvela kuNkulunkulu.”—Johane 12:42, 43, NE.

Labobantu osukwini lukaJesu balahla ithuba eliyingqayizivele lokuba abafundi bakaKristu ngenxa yokuthi bavumela ukucindezela kwalowomphakathi owawunomqondo omfushane. Yiqiniso, kudinga isibindi ukuphikisana neningi. Ukwehluka akulula neze. Kodwa uma ungasheshi ukwenza ukukhetha, ngokuqinisekile abanye bayokukhethela.

Ubandlululo kunoma yini “engaziwa” lungase futhi luvimbele labo abafisa ukwenza ukuhlola kokungakhethi. Osukwini lukaJesu uMesiya wayebhekelwa phansi ngenxa yokuba umNazaretha futhi eklolodelwa ngenxa yokuba owaseGalile. Ubandlululo lwekhulu lamashumi amabili leminyaka lungolufanayo.—Johane 1:46; 7:52.

“Leyo kumane kungenye yalezozinkolo ezintsha zaseMelika!” Lokhu kwakuwukusabela kokuqala kukaRicardo lapho emenywa omunye woFakazi BakaJehova ukuba ahlole izinkolelo zakhe. Isizinda sakhe saseLatin America samenza waxwaya noma yini eyayibonakala ivela eUnited States. Nokho, ubandlululo lwakhe lwaqedwa ngobufakazi abunikezwa. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, waqinisekiswa ukubonakaliswa okungokoqobo kobuKristu akubona phakathi koFakazi. Uthando lwabo lwangempela nokholo kwamkhanga.—Bheka ibhokisi ekhasini 10.

Ngemva kokubekela eceleni ubandlululo lwakhe lwakuqala, uRicardo wavumelana nenye ingqapheli, eyabhala ukuthi oFakazi BakaJehova “ekuhlelekeni kwabo nasemsebenzini wokufakaza . . . basondele eduze kunanoma iliphi iqembu ekulingiseni umphakathi wamaKristu akuqala.” Manje unomuzwa wokuthi umqondo ovulekile ubalulekile ekwenzeni ukukhetha okungcono kakhulu.

Yini Ozoyikhetha?

UPedro, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni kwalesihloko, wanqoba isiko, ukwesaba, nobandlululo ukuze azitadishele imiBhalo ngokwakhe. Ekuqaleni wayenokungabaza ngenxa yokubona kwakhe amaphutha enkolweni iyonke. Uyachaza: “Akukho phakathi kokukholelwa kwami kuMaleiwa nokukholelwa kwami kunkulunkulu wamaKatolika, ogama lakhe engangingalazi nokulazi, okwangilethela injabulo enkulu.” Kodwa ekugcineni wakhetha ukuba ngomunye woFakazi BakaJehova futhi wabhapathizwa eneminyaka engama-36 ubudala. Wathi: “Uthando nokubekezela kwalabo abangisiza nezimpendulo ezanelisayo engazithola eBhayibhelini kwakuyizici zokunquma.”

Ingabe uyoba nesibindi sokulingisa isibonelo sikaPedro? Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iyiphi inkolo yakho, ungazitholi nje usukuyo. Zihlolele ngokwakho, usebenzisa iZwi likaNkulunkulu, ukuthi liyini iqiniso, iqiniso eliyingqayizivele neliyigugu, uJesu afundisa ngalo. OFakazi BakaJehova bayokujabulela ukunikeza usizo lwabo. Bakumema ngobuqotho ukuba ulalele amazwi kaJoshuwa: ‘Zikhethele ukuthi ubani oyakumkhonza.’—Joshuwa 24:15.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 10]

OFakazi BakaJehova “Inkolo YaseMelika”?

ABANTU abaningi abanobuzwe banokusola noma ukwesaba noma yini ecatshangelwa njengeyakwelinye izwe. Lokhu kuze ngisho kuchaphazele indlela ababheka ngayo ezinye izinkolo.

OFakazi BakaJehova ngokuvamile bayizisulu zalomcabango, besolwa ngokuba inkolo yaseMelika, “Eyenziwe eU.S.A,” futhi ngaleyondlela bafanelwe ukwenqatshwa ngokwalesosisekelo. Ingabe lokho kuyisinyathelo esinengqondo?

Ayini Amaqiniso?

1. Uma kulinganiswa kunoFakazi abaningi eCanada, eCosta Rica, eFinland, eJamaica, ePuerto Rico, naseZambia, nakwamanye amazwe, kunaseUnited States.

2. OFakazi BakaJehova akukhona nje ukuthi basemhlabeni wonke, beqa imingcele, okungukuthi, beqa imingcele ewumngcingo yobuzwe noma izithakazelo zobuhlanga. Okuphawulekayo impumelelo enkulu oFakazi BakaJehova abaye baba nayo ekunqobeni ukubandlululana kwezinhlanga nezizwe. Kunjalo eNingizimu Afrika, kwaIsrayeli, eLebanon, eNyakatho Ireland, nakwamanye amazwe ahlushwa izixakaxaka ezingokwenkolo. Abansundu nabamhlophe, amaJuda nama-Arabu, ababengamaKatolika namaProthestani, bonke manje asebengoFakazi BakaJehova, basebenza futhi bakhulekele ndawonye emihlanganweni yabo emikhulu nasemaHholo oMbuso.

3. Banyathelisa izincwadi zabo zeBhayibheli ngezilimi ezingama-200. Ngokwesibonelo, “INqabayokulinda” isakazwa ngezilimi eziyi-103 ne“Phaphama!” ngezilimi ezingama-54, nengqikithi ehlangene yezinyatheliswa nyanga zonke yezingaphezu kwezigidi ezingama-48.

4. Nakuba oFakazi BakaJehova benendlunkulu yabo yomhlaba eNew York, amaphesenti angama-23 kuphela enani labo aseUnited States.

5. Njengoba nje iJerusalema laliwumsuka ofanelekayo wobuKristu bokuqala, ngakho kulesikhathi sezimpi zezwe nezingxabano, iUnited States iye yaba wumsuka omuhle kakhulu wokushumayela izindaba ezinhle emhlabeni wonke. Okuhlangenwe nakho kuye kwabonisa ukuthi noma kuphi umsebenzi ubuvinjelwa ubandlululo, ukuvinjelwa, noma ukuswelakala kwezinto zokubhala. Kodwa ukuba nendlunkulu yabo eNew York akusho ukuthi oFakazi ‘bayinkolo yaseMelika,’ njengoba nje amaKristu akuqala ayengeyona inkolo yamaJuda, nakuba ayebizwa kanjalo.

Ukushushiswa Okungafanele

Elinye, iqiniso elibonisa ngokusobala ukususa kwabo imingcele liyindlela abaye babizwa ngayo ababusi bezombangazwe abehlukene. Esikhathini esidlule, baye basolwa ngokuba amakhomanisi eUnited States nangokuba abameleli beCIA emazweni obukhomanisi!

Ngokwesibonelo, eminyakeni yawo-1950, esinye isihloko sephephandaba laseU.S. safundeka kanje: “Amakhomanisi asePoland Anikeza Abameleli ‘BakaJehova’ Imali.” Omunye umbiko ovela esiteshini somsakazo saseU.S. wathi: “Uhulumeni waseRashiya [yasePoland] osebenzisa izinto zasemoyeni ukhuthaza futhi usiza oFakazi ngokwezimali.” EIreland, oFakazi babhekana nokuhlanjalazwa izixuku ezinobudlova: “amaKhomanisi!” “Phumani lapha!”

Ngalesosikhathi, oFakazi baxoshwa ngokusemthethweni ePoland nakwamanye amazwe obukhomanisi, futhi abaningi baboshwa ngenxa yezinkolelo zabo. Abanye baze ngisho basolwa ngokuba abeqembu lezimpimpi eziholelwa iCIA. UVladimir Bukovsky owathuthela empumalanga ngo-1976 uchaza isimo sabo eRashiya ngalendlela: “Ngobunye ubusuku eLondon, ngabona uqwembe esakhiweni olwalufundeka kanje: OFAKAZI BAKAJEHOVA. . . . Ngenziwa isilima, kwaze kwaba sephuzwini lokutatazela. Kwakungenzeka kanjani lokho? Ngazibuza. ERashiya, uhlangana noFakazi ngokoqobo kuphela emajele nasezinkanjini. Ingabe ukhona ngempela obengahamba ayophuza nabo itiye? Ukuqhathanisa kwami kungase kungafaneleki, kodwa ake ucabange okwesikhashana ngokuthi uhlangana nesakhiwo esinoqwembe oluthi COSA NOSTRA LTD., MAFIA GENERAL STAFF. ‘OFakazi’ ezweni lethu balandelwa ngonya olufanayo nalolo okulandelwa ngalo iMafia ezweni layo.”

Lezibonelo ezimfushane zibonisa lokho izingqapheli eziningi ezingabandlululi esezikuqaphela kakade—okungukuthi, ukuthi oFakazi BakaJehova bazihlukanisa kunoma ikuphi ukuthambekela okungokobuzwe noma okungokombangazwe. Ukholo lwabo lususa imingcele ngenxa yokuthi bafisa ukulingisa uNkulunkulu wabo ongakhethi.—IzEnzo 10:34.

[Isithombe ekhasini 8]

Ingabe ubungaphuza umuthi ofinyelela kuwo kuqala, ngaphandle kokufunda okubhalwe kuwo?

[Izithombe ekhasini 9]

Ingabe wazalelwa enkolweni yakho, noma ingabe wazikhethela yona?