Konke Kunesikhathi Sakho

IBhayibheli lithi: “Kukhona isikhathi esimisiwe sayo yonke into, yebo isikhathi sazo zonke izindaba phansi kwamazulu.” Umlobi walawo mazwi, inkosi yasendulo ehlakaniphile uSolomoni, waqhubeka wathi kukhona isikhathi sokuzalwa nesikhathi sokufa, isikhathi sokwakha nesikhathi sokubhidliza, isikhathi sokuthanda nesikhathi zokuzonda. Ekugcineni, wathi: “Umenzi wento uthola nzuzoni kulokho akusebenza kanzima?”—UmShumayeli 3:1-9.

LAPHO befunda lawo mazwi, abathile baphetha ngokuthi iBhayibheli liyakufundisa ngempela ukuthi kunesikhathi esinqunyiwe sazo zonke izinto; okusho ukuthi, bacabanga ukuthi iBhayibheli lisekela inkolelo yokudalelwa. Ingabe kunjalo ngempela? Ingabe iBhayibheli liyawusekela umbono wokuthi yonke into ekuphileni ilawulwa ukudalelwa? Njengoba “yonke imiBhalo iphefumulelwe uNkulunkulu,” esikufunda engxenyeni ethile yeBhayibheli kufanele kuvumelane nalokho esikuthola kwezinye izingxenye zalo. Ngakho-ke, ake sibone ukuthi lilonke iZwi likaNkulunkulu iBhayibheli, lithini ngale ndaba.—2 Thimothewu 3:16.

Isikhathi Nesenzakalo Esingalindelekile

KumShumayeli, uSolomoni waqhubeka wabhala: “Ngabuya futhi, ngabona phansi kwelanga ukuthi ukuphumelela umncintiswano akuyi ngabanejubane, noma impi ngabanamandla, noma ukudla ngabahlakaniphileyo, noma ingcebo, ngabaqondayo, ngisho nalabo abanolwazi abawutholi umusa.” Ngani? Wachaza: “Ngoba isikhathi nesenzakalo esingalindelekile sibehlela bonke.”—UmShumayeli 9:11.

Kunokuthi yonke into ephilayo inqunywa ukudalelwa, uSolomoni wayebonisa ukuthi abantu abanakuwubikezela ngokunembile umphumela wanoma yini abayenzayo “ngoba isikhathi nesenzakalo esingalindelekile sibehlela bonke.” Ngokuvamile, kwenzeka okuthile kumuntu ngenxa nje yokuthi usendaweni efanele ngesikhathi esifanele, noma singase sithi, endaweni engafanele ngesikhathi esingafanele.

Ngokwesibonelo, cabangela inkulumo ethi: “Ukuphumelela umncintiswano akuyi ngabanejubane.” Mhlawumbe uzokhumbula noma wake wezwa ngomncintiswano wabesifazane odumile kodwa owaba indida wama-Olympics ango-1984 wamamitha angu-3 000 owawuseLos Angeles, eCalifornia, e-U.S.A. Abasubathi ababili, omunye owayemelele iBrithani omunye emelele i-United States, bobabili babefisa ukuthola umklomelo wendondo yegolide. Kodwa, phakathi nomncintiswano, bashayisana. Oyedwa wawa waphuma emncintiswaneni; omunye wadumala kakhulu kangangokuba waphuma unombolo 7 ekupheleni komncintiswano.

Ingabe kwadalwa ukuthi izinto zizokwenzeka kanjalo? Abanye bathi kunjalo. Kodwa kuyacaca ukuthi bashayisana, ingozi eyayingalindelwe muntu—okwabangela ukuba bobabili bahluleke. Ingabe kwakudaliwe ukuthi bayoshayisana? Nalapha futhi, abanye bangase basho kanjalo. Kodwa, abasakazi bathi le ngozi yadalwa ukuncintisana okwakukukhulu phakathi kwalaba bagijimi abanamandla, ngamunye wabo ezama ukuhamba phambili. Njengoba iBhayibheli lisho, “isikhathi nesenzakalo esingalindelekile sibehlela bonke.” Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uzilungiselele kangakanani, kuhlale kunezinto ezingalindelekile ezingaba nomthelela emphumeleni wokwenzayo, futhi akuhlobene ngalutho nokudalelwa.

Lisho ukuthini-ke iBhayibheli uma lithi: “Kukhona isikhathi esimisiwe sayo yonke into”? Ingabe kukhona esingakwenza okungathonya umphumela wokuphila kwethu—isiphetho sethu?

Konke Kunesikhathi Sakho Esifanele

Njengoba ayengakhulumi ngokudalelwa kwanoma ubani noma ngomphumela wokuphila kwakhe, umlobi weBhayibheli ophefumulelwe wayekhuluma ngenjongo kaNkulunkulu nokuthi iyosithinta kanjani isintu. Sikwazi kanjani lokho? Empeleni, yilokho umongo ositshela khona. Ngemva kokukhuluma ngezinto eziningi ezibonakala “zinesikhathi esimisiwe,” uSolomoni wabhala: “Ngiwubonile umsebenzi uNkulunkulu awuniké amadodana abantu ukuba abe matasa kuwo. Wenzé konke kwaba kuhle ngesikhathi sako.”—UmShumayeli 3:10, 11.

UNkulunkulu unike isintu imisebenzi eminingi noma izinto eziningi esingazenza—uSolomoni wabala ezimbalwa. UNkulunkulu usinike nenkululeko yokuzikhethela esifuna ukukwenza. Kodwa, noma yini esiyenzayo inesikhathi esifanele sokuyenza, noma esivumayo ukuba yenziwe, kube nomphumela omuhle kakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngamazwi kaSolomoni atholakala kumShumayeli 3:2: “Isikhathi sokutshala nesikhathi sokusiphula okutshaliwe.” Abalimi bayazi ukuthi kunesikhathi esifanele sokutshala isilimo esithile. Kuthiwani uma umlimi engalinaki lelo qiniso abese etshala isilimo ngenkathi okungeyona? Ingabe kufanele asole ukudalelwa uma engasitholi isivuno esihle, ngisho noma esebenze kanzima? Akunjalo neze! Akazange atshale ngesikhathi esifanele. Ubeyokwenza kahle uma elandela indlela yezinto engokwemvelo eyasungulwa uMdali.

Ngakho, uNkulunkulu unqume izimiso ezithile ezilawula ukwenzeka kwezinto ezithinta abantu ngokuvumelana nenjongo yakhe, hhayi ukudalelwa kwabantu noma imiphumela yazo zonke izenzakalo. Ukuze abantu bajabulele imiphumela yezinto abazenzayo, kufanele baqonde futhi basebenze ngokuvumelana nenjongo nesikhathi sikaNkulunkulu. Okunqunywe kusengaphambili futhi okungashintsheki akukhona ukudalelwa kwabantu kodwa kusuke kuyinjongo kaNkulunkulu. Ngomprofethi u-Isaya, uJehova wathi: ‘Izwi lami eliphuma emlonyeni wami ngeke libuyele kimi lingabanga namiphumela, kodwa ngokuqinisekile liyokwenza lokho engikujabulelayo, futhi liyophumelela ngokuqinisekile kulokho engilithumele kona.’—Isaya 55:11.

Liyini-ke “izwi” likaNkulunkulu noma injongo yakhe eyembuliwe, ngokuphathelene nomhlaba nekusasa lesintu ‘eliyophumelela ngokuqinisekile’?

Ukuqonda Isikhathi SikaNkulunkulu

USolomoni wasinika umkhondo. Ngemva kokuthi, “[UNkulunkulu] wenzé konke kwaba kuhle ngesikhathi sako,” wabe esethi, “Ufake ngisho nobuphakade ezinhliziyweni zabo, ukuze abantu bangawutholi nanini umsebenzi uNkulunkulu weqiniso awenzile kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekupheleni.” I-NIV Study Bible ilibeka ngale ndlela leli vesi: “Ufake nobuphakade ezinhliziyweni zabantu; kodwa abakuqondi lokho uNkulunkulu akwenzile kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekugcineni.”—UmShumayeli 3:11.

Kuningi okuye kwabhalwa mayelana naleli vesi. Kodwa iqiniso liwukuthi ekujuleni kwezinhliziyo zethu, sonke ngesikhathi esithile sake sazibuza ngenjongo yokuphila nangesiphetho sethu. Kuwo wonke umlando wesintu, abantu bakuthole kunzima ukwamukela ukuthi ukuphila kufanele kube umshikashika nje kuphela, bese kuqedwa ukufa. Thina bantu siyingqayizivele kuzo zonke izinto eziphilayo ngoba asicabangi nje ngenkathi yamanje kuphela kodwa nangesiphetho sokuphila nangemva kwaso. Siyakulangazelela ngisho nokukulangazelela ukuphila phakade. Kungani? Njengoba umBhalo ubonisa, uNkulunkulu ‘ufake nobuphakade ezinhliziyweni zabantu.’

Ukuze banelise leso sifiso, abantu balokhu bezibuza ngendaba yokuphila ngemva kokufa. Abanye baphetha ngokuthi kunokuthile okusindayo kithi lapho sifa. Abanye bakholelwa ukuthi siyohlale sizalwa kabusha. Kanti abanye bacabanga ukuthi yonke into ekuphileni idalelwe nokuthi ayikho into esingayenza ngakho. Ngokudabukisayo, ayikho kulezi zincazelo eyanelisa ngempela. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi iBhayibheli lithi ngemizamo yabo ‘abantu ngeke bawuthole nanini umsebenzi uNkulunkulu weqiniso awenzile kusukela ekuqaleni kuze kube sekupheleni.’

Le mpikiswano ekhona phakathi kwesifiso sokwazi nokungakwazi ukuthola impendulo ikhathaze izihlakaniphi nezazi zefilosofi kuwo wonke umlando. Kodwa, njengoba uNkulunkulu efake leso sifiso ezinhliziyweni zethu, akuyona yini into enengqondo ukubheka kuye ukuba asinike esikudingayo ukuze sanelise lesi sifiso? Phela, iBhayibheli lithi ngoJehova: “Uvula isandla sakho wanelise isifiso sayo yonke into ephilayo.” (IHubo 145:16) Ngokutadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu iBhayibheli, singathola izincazelo ezanelisayo ngokuphila nokufa nangenjongo kaNkulunkulu yaphakade ngokuphathelene nomhlaba nomkhaya wesintu.—Efesu 3:11.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 5]

“Ukuphumelela umncintiswano akuyi ngabanejubane.”​—UmShumayeli 9:11

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 6]

Uma umlimi engasitshalanga isilimo ngenkathi efanele, ingabe kufanele asole ukudalelwa uma ethola isivuno esingesihle?

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 7]

Sicabanga ngokuphila nangokufa ngenxa yokuthi uNkulunkulu ‘ufake ubuphakade ezinhliziyweni zabantu’