Ukufunda Imfihlo Yokwaneliseka
Encwadini ekhuthazayo ayibhalela amaKristu aseFilipi, umphostoli uPawulu wathi: “Ngiye ngafunda ukwaneliseka kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ngikuziphi izimo. . . . Kuzo zonke izinto nakuzo zonke izimo ngiye ngayifunda imfihlo yakho kokubili ukuthi kunjani ukusutha nokuthi kunjani ukulamba, kokubili ukuba nensada nokuswela.”—Filipi 4:11, 12.
Yayiyini imfihlo kaPawulu yokwaneliseka? Uma sicabangela izindleko zokuphila eziphakeme nokuntengantenga kwezomnotho kwesikhathi sethu, kungawasiza ngempela amaKristu eqiniso ukufunda indlela yokwaneliseka ukuze ahlale egxile ekukhonzeni kwawo uNkulunkulu.
NGAPHAMBIDLANA encwadini yakhe, uPawulu walandisa ngomsebenzi wakhe ophumelelayo ayewenza. Wathi: “Uma noma imuphi omunye umuntu ecabanga ukuthi unesizathu sokuthembela enyameni, mina nginaso nakakhulu: ngasokwa ngosuku lwesishiyagalombili, ngiphuma emndenini wakwa-Israyeli, ngingowesizwe sakwaBhenjamini, umHebheru ozalwa ngamaHebheru; ngokuqondene nomthetho, ngingumFarisi; ngokuqondene nentshiseko, ngashushisa ibandla; ngokuqondene nokulunga okuza ngomthetho, ngingongasoleki.” (Filipi 3:4-6) Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba ayengumJuda oshisekayo, uPawulu wayethunywe abapristi abakhulu eJerusalema futhi babemsekela. Konke lokhu kwakungamenza athole amandla nodumo—kwezombusazwe, kwezenkolo futhi ngokungangabazeki nakwezezimali—esimisweni samaJuda.—IzEnzo 26:10, 12.
Nokho, izinto zashintsha kakhulu lapho uPawulu eba isikhonzi esingumKristu esishisekayo. Ngenxa yezindaba ezinhle, wawuyeka ngokuzithandela umsebenzi wakhe omuhle nakho konke okwakubhekwa njengokubalulekile. (Filipi 3:7, 8) Wayesezoziphilisa kanjani manje? Ingabe wayezothola iholo ngokuba isikhonzi? Wayezozinakekela kanjani izidingo zakhe siqu?
UPawulu wayengaholi ngokwenza inkonzo yakhe. Ukuze angabi umthwalo kulabo ayebakhonza, wasebenza no-Akhwila noPrisila ekwakheni amatende lapho eseKorinte, futhi wenza nezinye izinto ukuze aziphilise. (IzEnzo 18:1-3; 1 Thesalonika 2:9; 2 Thesalonika 3:8-10) Kathathu uPawulu wathatha uhambo njengesithunywa sevangeli waya ezindaweni ezikude, waya nasemabandleni ayedinga ukuvakashelwa. Njengoba ayesebenzisa sonke isikhathi sakhe ekukhonzeni uNkulunkulu, zincane izinto ezibonakalayo ayenazo. Ngokuvamile ngabazalwane ababenakekela izidingo zakhe. Nokho, ngenxa yezimo ezinzima, ngesinye isikhathi wayeswela. (2 Korinte 11:27; Filipi 4:15-18) Noma kunjalo, uPawulu akazange akhononde ngokuphila kwakhe, futhi akazange afise izinto zabanye. Wazikhandla ngokuzithandela nangenjabulo ukuze asize amanye amaKristu. Eqinisweni, nguPawulu owacaphuna amazwi aziwayo kaJesu athi: “Kukhona injabulo eyengeziwe ekupheni kunasekwamukeleni.” Yeka isibonelo esihle kithi sonke!—IzEnzo 20:33-35.
Okushiwo Ukwaneliseka
Isici esiyinhloko esasenza uPawulu ajabule sasiwumuzwa wakhe wokwaneliseka. Nokho, kusho ukuthini ukwaneliseka? Kalula nje, kusho ukungafuni okungaphezu kwezinto eziyisisekelo. Ngokuphathelene nalokhu, uPawulu watshela uThimothewu, ayehamba naye enkonzweni, wathi: “Empeleni, kuyindlela yokuthola inzuzo enkulu, lokhu kuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu kanye nokwaneliswa. Ngoba asilethanga lutho ezweni, futhi asinakuhamba nalutho. Ngakho, uma sinokudla nokokwembatha, siyokwaneliswa yilezi zinto.”—1 Thimothewu 6:6-8.
Phawula ukuthi uPawulu wahlobanisa ukwaneliseka nokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu. Wayeqaphela ukuthi injabulo yangempela ivela ekuzinikeleni kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu, okungukuthi ivela ekwenzeni ukukhonza kwethu uNkulunkulu kuze kuqala, hhayi ezintweni ezibonakalayo noma engcebweni. ‘Ukudla nokokwembatha’ kwakumane kuyizinto ezazimsiza ukuba akwazi ukuqhubeka ephishekela ukuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu. Ngakho kuPawulu imfihlo yokwaneliseka yayingukuthembela kuJehova, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi izimo zinjani.
Abantu abaningi namuhla bakhathazeke kakhulu futhi abajabule ngoba abayazi le mfihlo noma bayishaya indiva. Kunokuba bahlakulele ukwaneliseka, bakhetha ukuthembela emalini nakulokho abangakuthenga ngayo. Ezokukhangisa nezokusakaza zenza abantu bacabange ukuthi ngeke bajabule ngaphandle kokuba babe nezinto zakamuva nezibizayo—futhi babe nazo manje. Ngenxa yalokho, abaningi babanjwa ugibe lokuphishekela imali nezinto ezibonakalayo. Esikhundleni sokuthola injabulo nokwaneliseka, “bawela esilingweni nasogibeni nasezifisweni eziningi ezingenangqondo nezilimazayo, eziphonsa abantu ekubhujisweni nasencithakalweni.”—1 Thimothewu 6:9, 10.
Baye Bayifunda Le Mfihlo
Kulesi sikhathi sethu, kungenzeka ngempela yini ukuba umuntu aphile ngokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu futhi angafuni okungaphezu kwalokho akudingayo nokho athole injabulo nokwaneliseka? Yebo, kungenzeka. Eqinisweni, abantu abayizigidi namuhla benza lokho kanye. Baye bafunda imfihlo yokwaneliswa yilokho abanakho. BangoFakazi BakaJehova, abaye bazinikezela kuNkulunkulu, futhi abenza intando yakhe befundisa abantu injongo yakhe kuyo yonke indawo.
Ngokwesibonelo, cabanga ngalabo abaye bakhetha ngokuzithandela ukuba baqeqeshwe bese bethunyelwa emazweni abangawazi njengezithunywa zevangeli ukuze bashumayele izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. (Mathewu 24:14) Ngokuvamile, izimo zokuphila emazweni abathunyelwa kuwo azithuthukile njengezasemazweni akubo abazijwayele. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho izithunywa zevangeli zifika kwelinye izwe lase-Asia ekuqaleni kuka-1947, imiphumela yempi yayisabonakala, futhi yayimbalwa imizi eyayikhanyisa ngogesi. Emazweni amaningi, izithunywa zevangeli zazithola ukuthi izingubo zokugqoka zaziwashwa ngayinye epulangweni lokuwasha noma emadwaleni emfuleni esikhundleni somshini wokuwasha kagesi. Kodwa zazizele ukuzofundisa abantu iqiniso leBhayibheli, ngakho zazivumelanisa nezimo zendawo zaba matasa enkonzweni.
Abanye baye bangenela inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele noma bathuthela ezindaweni okungakashunyayelwa kuzo izindaba ezinhle. U-Adulfo usekhonze isikhathi esigcwele iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-50 ezingxenyeni ezihlukahlukene zeMexico. Uthi: “Njengomphostoli uPawulu, mina nomkami siye safunda ukuzivumelanisa nezimo. Ngokwesibonelo, elinye lamabandla esawavakashela laliqhele kakhulu kungekho dolobha namakethe eduze nalo. Isikhathi ngasinye lapho sidla, abazalwane babeneliswa i-tortilla eyodwa nje kuphela nesinqumela esincane nosawoti kanye nenkomishi yekhofi. Kwakuyikona kudla kwabo lokho—ama-tortilla amathathu ngosuku. Ngakho safunda ukuphila njengabo. Ziningi izinto ezinjengalezi ezenzeka kimi kule minyaka engu-54 ngikhonza uJehova isikhathi esigcwele.”
UFlorentino ukhumbula indlela yena nomkhaya wakubo okwadingeka bazivumelanise ngayo nezimo ezinzima. Ekhumbula ngesikhathi esemncane, uthi: “Ubaba wayengusomabhizinisi onothile. Wayenezindawo eziningi. Ngisalikhumbula ikhabethe esasithengisela kulo esitolo sokudla sasekhaya. Lalineshalofu elingaba amasentimitha angu-50 ububanzi namasentimitha angu-20 ukujula, linezingxenye ezine. Sasifaka kulo imali esasiyithola ngosuku. Njalo ekupheleni kosuku, lalisuke lichichima imali ewuhlweza nengamaphepha.
“Kungazelelwe, ibhizinisi lawa futhi sasuka ekubeni nenala saba mpofu. Salahlekelwa yikho konke ngaphandle kwendlu. Ngaphezu kwalokhu, omunye umfowethu wahileleka engozini futhi wagcina eseyisishosha. Konke kwase kushintshile. Ngadayisa izithelo nenyama isikhathi esithile. Ngangivuna nokotini, amagilebhisi ne-alfalfa, nginisela namasimu. Abanye abantu babengibiza ngokuthi ngingumenzi wayo yonke imisebenzi. Umama wayevame ukusiduduza ngokuba athi thina sineqiniso, ingcebo engokomoya okungabambalwa kuphela abanayo. Ngakho ngafunda ukuba nensada nokuba nokuncane noma ukungabi nalutho. Manje njengoba sengiye ngakhonza uJehova ngokugcwele isikhathi esingaba iminyaka engu-25, ngingasho ngithi usuku nosuku ngiye ngajabulela ukwazi ukuthi ngiye ngakhetha indlela yokuphila engcono kakhulu—ukukhonza uJehova isikhathi esigcwele.”
IBhayibheli lisitshela ligcizelele ukuthi “isimo saleli zwe siyashintsha.” Ngenxa yalokho, lisiyala lithi: “Abajabulayo [mababe] njengalabo abangajabuli, nalabo abathengayo babe njengalabo abangenakho, nalabo abasebenzisa izwe babe njengalabo abangalisebenzisi ngokugcwele.”—1 Korinte 7:29-31.
Ngakho manje yisikhathi sokuba uhlolisise ukuphila kwakho. Uma ungamile kahle ngokwezimali, qaphela ukuba ungathukutheli, uze ugcwale ngisho nenzondo nomhawu. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, noma iziphi izinto ezibonakalayo okungenzeka ukuthi unazo, kuyoba ukuhlakanipha ukuzibeka endaweni efanele ekuphileni ukuze zingakubusi. Njengoba umphostoli uPawulu eluleka, “[ungalibeki ithemba lakho] engcebweni engaqinisekile, kodwa kuNkulunkulu, osinika zonke izinto ngokucebile ukuze sizijabulele.” Uma wenza kanjalo, nawe futhi ungasho uthi uye wayifunda imfihlo yokwaneliseka.—1 Thimothewu 6:17-19.
[Isithombe ekhasini 9]
UPawulu wasebenza ngezandla zakhe ukuze angabi umthwalo kwabanye
[Izithombe ekhasini 10]
Izigidi zithola injabulo ngokuphila ‘ngokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu kanye nokwaneliswa’