Ukuzithoba—Imvunulo Enhle Yabancane Nabadala

UKUZITHOBA kuyimfanelo ehamba phambili. Ingenza umuntu onayo athandeke. Futhi ubani ongakwazisi ukuthandwa abanye? Khona-ke, ngesizathu esihle kungathiwa ukuzithoba kuyimvunulo enhle yabancane nabadala.

Nokho, kubonakala sengathi intsha ngokukhethekile inenkinga ekubeni nokulinganisela okufanele maqondana nokuzithoba. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, kunalabo bentsha ababonakala bethobeke kakhulu. Bayesaba ukwamukela umthwalo wemfanelo, beqaphela ngokudabukisayo ulwazi lwabo olulinganiselwe nokuntula okuhlangenwe nakho. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, intsha eningi izethemba ngokweqile, ngokusobala ayikuqapheli ukushiyeka kwayo ngenxa yokuntula okuhlangenwe nakho. IBhayibheli linikeza izibonelo zazo zombili lezinhlobo zabantu abasha.

Izibonelo Ezihlukene

Ukuthi ukuntula ukuzithoba kungaba nemiphumela ebuhlungu kwaboniswa endabeni yendodana yeNkosi uSolomoni uRehobowamu. Wayesemncane impela lapho elandela uyise esihlalweni sobukhosi sezizwe eziyi-12 zombuso wakwaIsrayeli. Lapho abantu becela uRehobowamu ukuba anciphise imithwalo yabo, iyiphi inkambo ayithatha? Nakuba abeluleki abadala bamnxusa ukuba abonise isihe, wasenqaba iseluleko sabo esihlakaniphile. Esikhundleni salokho, uRehobowamu wamukela iseluleko sezinsizwa, ezameluleka ukuba aphathe abantu ngonya. Ngakho wabatshela: “Ubaba walenza ijoka lenu lasinda, mina ngiyakwenezela ejokeni lenu; ubaba wanishaya ngeziswebhu, mina ngiyakunishaya ngawofezela.” Ukuba uRehobowamu wayeyinsizwa ethobile, wayeyolalela abeluleki abadala futhi anciphise imithwalo yabantu. Ngokwehluleka ukwenza kanjalo, walahlekelwa izizwe eziyi-10 kweziyi-12.—1 AmaKhosi 12:3-24.

Owayehluke kakhulu kuRehobowamu kwakunguElihu. Wababekela isibonelo esihle bonke abasha namuhla, ngokungabi othule ngokweqile futhi angabi iqhalaqhala. Nakuba uElihu ayenazo zonke izimpendulo, njengoba ezinsukwini eziningi wayelalele ngesineke uJobe nabazenzisi ababezishaya abaduduzi bakhe. UElihu wakhuluma kuphela lapho ‘amazwi kaJobe esephelile,’ ngokuzithoba okufanelekile. Wathi: “Mina ngisemusha ngeminyaka, nina nibadala; ngalokho nganginamahloni ngesaba ukunitshela umqondo wami.”—Jobe 31:40; 32:4-7.

Yeka ukuthi amazwi kaElihu aphumelela futhi aba nesisindo kanjani ngenxa yokuthi walinda kwaze kwaba ilapho lawomadoda amadala esekhulumile! UElihu ngokusobala wayenekhambi enkingeni, kulapho wona ayesekwenze kwacaca ukuthi ayengakuqondi okwakuhilelekile. Yini eyayihilelekile? Impikiswano yelungelo lobukhosi bukaJehova uNkulunkulu nokuthi uyoba nabo yini abantu emhlabeni abayobonakala bethembekile kuYe naphezu kwanoma yini eyobakhathaza.—Jobe 1:7–2:10.

Cabanga futhi ngoJeremiya. Lapho uJehova uNkulunkulu emthuma njengomprofethi, wazilandulela ngenxa yobuncane bakhe. Nokho, uNkulunkulu waphendula: “Ungasho ukuthi ungumntwana, ngokuba uyakuya kubo bonke engikuthuma kubo, nakho konke engikuyala ngakho uyakukukhuluma. Ungabesabi, ngokuba nginawe ukuba ngikophule.” (Jeremiya 1:7, 8) Ngosizo lomoya kaNkulunkulu, uJeremiya wawanqoba amahloni akhe futhi wakhuluma isigijimi sikaNkulunkulu ngokungesabi. Nokho, umprofethi akazange eqise abe oqhoshayo. Lapho ephambi kwamakhosi nezinye izikhulu, ngaso sonke isikhathi wakhuluma ngenhlonipho ejulile efanele umuntu othobekile.

NgokomBhalo ophefumlelwe singabona ukuthi uThimothewu wayengomunye omusha owayethobekile owayenamahloni kancane noma owayeyisithuli. Nakuba iBhayibheli lingakusho lokhu ngokuqondile, singasifinyelela isiphetho esinjalo ngokwalokho elikushoyo. Siza uphawule ukuthi uThimothewu watshelwa umngane wakhe omdala umphostoli uPawulu: “Makungabikho-muntu odelela ubusha bakho.” Ukuba uThimothewu wayenokuzethemba okukhulu ngokungangabazeki kwakungeke kudingeke ukuba uPawulu amtshele lokho. Cishe kwakungenxa yokuthobeka kukaThimothewu nokuba isithuli okwenza uPawulu aluleke ibandla laseKorinte: “Kepha nxa kufika uThimothewu, anobheka ukuba ahlale kini engenalo uvalo, ngokuba usebenza umsebenzi weNkosi njengami; ngakho makungabikho omdelelayo.”—1 Thimothewu 4:12; 1 Korinte 16:10, 11.

Ngokusobala, amaKristu amancane namadala ayoyigwema inkambo engahlakaniphile neyokuqhosha kaRehobowamu. Kodwa ngokuhlakanipha ayolingisa indlela kaElihu yokuhlonipha nokuthobeka. Futhi kuJeremiya noThimothewu kungenzeka amaKristu asemasha afunde ukuthi kumelwe ngokuzithoba kodwa ngesibindi aqhubeke enkonzweni kaJehova, ngisho nakuba engase abe namahloni kancane noma abe izithuli. Uma ebekezela, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ayozuza okuthile okuyoyikhulisa kakhulu inkonzo yawo kuJehova.

Ukubaluleka Kokuhlangenwe Nakho

Abasha banokuningi okumelwe bakubonge. Maqondana namalungelo abo, iNkosi ehlakaniphile uSolomoni yathi: “Thokoza, nsizwa, ebusheni bakho, inhliziyo yakho ikuphe ukwenama emihleni yobunsizwa bakho, uhambe ngezindlela zenhliziyo yakho njengokubona kwamehlo akho.”—UmShumayeli 11:9.

Nokho, ngenxa yempilo enhle namandla angokomzimba, futhi ngokuvamile nekhanda eligcwele ulwazi lwezincwadi, abasha ngokuvamile bathambekele ekwethembeni ngokweqile amakhono abo. Kanjalo bangase bakholwe ukuthi bangazixazulula izinkinga eziye zakhathaza abantu abadala ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane. Kodwa naphezu kwalo lonke ulwazi lwabo, isifiso namandla omzimba, iqiniso lilokhu limile lokuthi intsha intula okuhlangenwe nakho. Cishe, kungakho uPlautus umqambi wemidlalo ongumRoma aphawula ukuthi “ukuthobeka kuyayifanela insizwa.” Okuhlangenwe nakho ngokuvamile kuqinisa intshiseko yomuntu, isifiso nokuzethemba. Kungakho kuye kwathiwa udokotela osemusha uma eqala welapha isifo ngasinye ngemithi eyikhulu, kodwa ngokuhamba kweminyaka yokuhlangenwe nakho uthola ukuthi kunezifo eziyikhulu ezingelashwa ngomuthi owodwa!

Yebo, okuhlangenwe nakho—yikhona okwenza umehluko! IBhayibheli lisho nokuthi uJesu Kristu wapheleliselwa isikhundla sakhe njengeNkosi nomPristi Omkhulu ngokuhlangenwe nakho, ngenxa yezinto azibekezelela. (Heberu 4:15; 5:8, 9) Kuye kwathiwa okuhlangenwe nakho uthisha odulayo, kodwa iziwula azifundi ndawo. Yebo, izwe ligcwele abantu abantula ukuzithoba okudingekayo ukuze bafunde ngisho nakokuhlangenwe nakho. Kodwa ngempela okuhlangenwe nakho kungasiza ekwenzeni umuntu othobekile ahlakaniphe.

Usizo Ekuthobekeni

AmaKristu amasha namadala angase aqaphele ukuthi ukuthobeka kuyimvunulo enhle. Kodwa lemfanelo efiselekayo ingathuthukiswa kanjani? Nokho, phakathi kwezinto eziwusizo ekuhlakuleleni ukuthobeka, ukufunda njalo iBhayibheli, iZwi likaNkulunkulu. Lokhu kusinikeza umbono ofanelekile futhi kusisize ukuba singazikhukhumezi. Ukufunda iBhayibheli futhi kusisiza ukuba sibone izinto ngokombono kaNkulunkulu. Ngokwesibonelo, imiBhalo ibonisa ukuthi kuNkulunkulu abantu banjengezintethe futhi nazo zonke izizwe zinjengamathonsi amanzi aconsela ebhakadeni. (Isaya 40:15, 22) IBhayibheli, ngokwenjongo ewusizo, liseluleka ukuba sithobeke uma libuza: “UJehova ufunani kuwe, kungabi-ngukwenza ukulunga kuphela nokuthanda umusa, uhambe noNkulunkulu wakho ngokuthobeka, na?” Futhi lokho okushiwo ukuthobeka umphostoli uPawulu uyakubonisa, ngokuthi: “Ngisho kulowo nalowo phakathi kwenu ukuthi angacabangi athi mkhulu kunalokho afanele ukukucabanga, kodwa acabange kube-ngokuqonda.” Kudingekile ukuzicabangela njengabantu abathile, kodwa umuntu othobekile uyanakekela ukuba angeqisi ekulinganiseni ubukhulu bakhe.—Mika 6:8; Roma 12:3.

Phawula ukuthi iseluleko esisanda kushiwo asiqondisiwe nje kuphela entsheni kodwa kubo bonke, abadala nabancane. Nokho, iBhayibheli libonisa ukuthi ukuthobeka kufanele ikakhulukazi entsheni. Futhi, kusukela esikhathini sikaMose kuze kube sezinsukwini zabaphostoli bakaJesu, imiBhalo ibonisa ukuthi umthwalo wemfanelo webandla ufanele ukuphathwa “amalunga,” abadala. (Eksodusi 3:16; 1 Petru 5:1-3) Futhi, iBhayibheli lithi: “Nina-basha, thobelani amalunga.” Lokhu kusho ukuthi izinsizwa akumelwe ziziqhenye noma ziziphakamise. Kodwa ingabe iseluleko esinjalo sisebenza kuphela ezinsizweni? Cha, ngoba umphostoli uPetru uqhubeka athi: “Kepha nonke yembathani ukuthobeka, nithobelane, ngokuba uNkulunkulu umelana nabazidlayo, kepha abathobekileyo ubapha umusa.” Ukuthobeka nesizotha singathi kuhlobene.—1 Petru 5:5.

Sonke siyosizakala ukuba sithobeke uma sizikhumbuza ukuthi ukwenza ngokuthobeka kuyinkambo yokuhlakanipha yabancane nabadala ngokufanayo. Ukuthobeka kuyosikhipha ekukhathazekeni okukhulu, ngoba kuyosivimbela ekuzicabangeleni kakhulu nasekuthembiseni okungaphezu kwamandla ethu. Kuyosenza sigweme ukuvusa umoya wokuncintisana nabanye, noma ukubanga, futhi kuyosenza sibe ngabantu abathandeka kakhulu. Ukuzithoba futhi kuthuthukisa ukuthula kwengqondo nokwaneliseka, izimfanelo eziyisisekelo enjabulweni. Ngakho, abalulekile amazwi eNkosi ehlakaniphile uSolomoni: “Kepha kwabathobekileyo kukhona ukuhlakanipha.”—IzAga 11:2.

[Isithombe ekhasini 26]

UElihu osemusha ngokuzithoba walindela ukukhuluma iqiniso