‘Ingabe Kufanele Ngibhapathizwe?’
KUZO zonke izinqumo okumelwe sizenze ekuphileni, mhlawumbe asikho nesisodwa esibaluleke kunalesi: ‘Ingabe kufanele ngibhapathizwe?’ Kungani leso sibaluleke kangaka? Ngoba isinqumo sethu ngokuqondene nalombuzo asithinti ngokuqondile inkambo yethu yokuphila yamanje kuphela kodwa sithinta nenhlala-kahle yethu yaphakade.
Ingabe ubhekene nalesinqumo? Mhlawumbe usunesikhathi esithile ufunda iBhayibheli noFakazi BakaJehova. Noma abazali bakho kungenzeka bebelokhu bekufundisa imiBhalo kusukela ebuntwaneni. Manje usufinyelele iqophelo lapho kumelwe unqume ukuthi yini okufanele uyenze. Ukuze ukwazi ukwenza isinqumo esiqondile, kuyodingeka uqonde okuhilelekile ekubhapathizweni nokuthi ubani okufanele abhapathizwe.
Okuhilelekile Ekubhapathizweni
Cishe njengomshado, ubhapathizo luwumkhosi owenza ubuhlobo bube obufungelwe. Endabeni yomshado, indoda nowesifazane abahilelekile basuke sebenabo kakade ubuhlobo obuseduze. Umkhosi womshado umane nje ukuveza obala lokho okuye kwavunyelwana ngakho ngasese, okungukuthi, laba ababili manje bangenela isibopho somshado esingokoqobo. Futhi uvula amalungelo ajatshulelwa umbhangqwana futhi uletha imithwalo yemfanelo okumelwe uphile ngokuvumelana nayo ekuphileni kwabo bendawonye.
Lesimo siyefana nokubhapathizwa. Njengoba sitadisha iBhayibheli, sifunda ngezinto zothando uJehova asenzele zona. Akagcinanga ngokusinika ukuphila kwethu nakho konke esikudingayo ukuze sikusekele kodwa wasinikeza neNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuze ivulele isintu esinesono indlela yokuba sibe nobuhlobo naYe futhi sizuze ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi. Lapho sicabanga ngakho konke lokhu, ingabe asishukunyiselwa ukuba senze okuthile?
Yini esingayenza? INdodana kaNkulunkulu, uJesu Kristu, iyasitshela: “Uma umuntu ethanda ukuza emva kwami, makazidele, athabathe [isigxobo sakhe sokuhlushwa, NW] angilandele.” (Mathewu 16:24) Yebo, singaba abafundi bakaJesu Kristu, silandela isibonelo sakhe ekukhonzeni izithakazelo zikaYise, uJehova. Nokho, ukwenza kanjalo kudinga ukuba ‘sizidele,’ okusho ukuthi, sizinqumele ngokuzithandela ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu ize kuqala kuneyethu; lokhu kuhilela ukunikela, noma ukunikezela, ukuphila kwethu ekwenzeni intando yakhe. Ukuze senze saziwe lesinqumo sokuzithandela nesangasese, kuba nomkhosi wasobala. Ubhapathizo lwamanzi luyilowomkhosi wokukubonisa obala ukuzinikezela kwethu kuNkulunkulu.
Ubani Okufanele Abhapathizwe?
UJesu Kristu wayala abalandeli bakhe ukuba ‘bahambe benze izizwe zonke abafundi, bababhapathize egameni likaYise neleNdodana nelikamoya ongcwele, babafundise ukugcina konke ayebayalé ngakho.’ (Mathewu 28:19, 20) Ngokusobala, kudingeka isilinganiso esithile sokuvuthwa engqondweni nasenhliziyweni kulabo abazobhapathizwa. Ngesifundo sabo somuntu siqu seZwi likaNkulunkulu, baye baqaphela isidingo ‘sokuphenduka, nokuguquka’ enkambweni yabo yangaphambili yokuphila. (IzEnzo 3:19) Khona-ke, baye babona isidingo sokuba benze umsebenzi wokushumayela ivangeli owenziwa uJesu Kristu, babe abafundi bakhe. Konke lokhu kuye kwenzeka ngaphambi kwesinyathelo sokubhapathizwa.
Ingabe usufinyelele kuleliqophelo entuthukweni yakho engokomoya? Ingabe uyafisa ukukhonza uNkulunkulu? Uma kunjalo, cabangela ngomthandazo ukulandisa kweBhayibheli ngomthenwa waseTopiya, njengoba kulotshwe encwadini yezEnzo isahluko 8. Lapho lendoda isichazelwe ngeziprofetho eziphathelene noJesu uMesiya, yazihlolisisa engqondweni nasenhliziyweni yayisibuza: “Kwalani ukuba ngibhapathizwe na?” Ngokusobala kwakungekho okwakuyivimbela; ngakho yabhapathizwa.—IzEnzo 8:26-38.
Namuhla abaningi babuza umbuzo ofanayo: “Kwalani ukuba ngibhapathizwe na?” Ngenxa yalokho, abangu-300 945 abasanda kuzinikezela babhapathizwa ngo-1991. Lokhu kwabalethela injabulo enkulu bonke abantu bakaJehova, futhi abadala emabandleni bayakujabulela ukusiza abanye abantu abathambekele ekulungeni ukuba bathuthuke futhi bahlangabezane nezimfuneko zokubhapathizwa.
Nokho, kungenzeka abadala ebandleni okulo basikisele ukuba ulinde. Noma, uma usemusha, abazali bakho bangase bakutshele ukuthi ulinde. Kumelwe wenzeni-ke? Ungadumali. Khumbula ukuthi ukuba nobuhlobo bomuntu siqu noPhezukonke kuyindaba engathi sína ngempela. Kumelwe kuhlangatshezwane nezindinganiso eziphakeme futhi zilondolozwe. Ngakho lalela ukusikisela okunikeziwe futhi ukusebenzise ngokusuka enhliziyweni. Uma ungaziqondi ngokugcwele izizathu ezinikezwayo, ungabi namahloni, kodwa buza imibuzo kuze kube yilapho ukuqonda ngempela ukuthi yikuphi ukuzilungiselela okudingeka ukwenze.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, abanye abantu bangase banqikaze ukuthatha isinyathelo esibalulekile, njengoba bekubiza kanjalo. Ingabe ungomunye wabo? Yiqiniso, zingase zibe khona izizathu ezicacile zokuthi kungani kumelwe uhlehlise ukuzinikezela nokubhapathizwa. Kodwa uma ufaneleka kodwa usazindela, kuhle ukuba uzibuze: “Kwalani ukuba ngibhapathizwe na?” Sihlaziye ngomthandazo isimo sakho futhi ubone ukuthi sikhona ngempela yini isizathu esizwakalayo sokuba uzindele ekusabeleni esimemweni sikaJehova sokuba nobuhlobo bomuntu siqu naye.
‘Ngisemncane’
Uma ungumuntu osemusha, kungenzeka uyacabanga, ‘ngisemncane.’ Yiqiniso ukuthi uma nje abantu abasha bebalalela futhi bebezwa abazali babo abangamaKristu futhi benza konke abangakwenza ukuze basebenzise imiBhalo, bangaqiniseka ngokuthi uJehova ubabheka ‘njengabangcwele.’ Eqinisweni, iBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi ukuvunyelwa ngokwaphezulu kwabazali abalungile kudlulela nakubantwana abangaphansi kwabo. (1 Korinte 7:14) Nokho, asikho isilinganiso seminyaka esinikeziwe sokuthi iphela nini lenkathi yokuba ngaphansi kwabazali. Ngakho-ke, kubalulekile ngentsha engamaKristu ukuba iwucabangele ngokungathi sína lombuzo: ‘Ingabe kufanele ngibhapathizwe?’
IBhayibheli likhuthaza intsha ukuba ‘ikhumbule uMdali wayo emihleni yobusha bayo.’ (UmShumayeli 12:1) Ngokuqondene nalokhu, sinesibonelo sikaSamuweli osemusha, ‘owakhonza phambi kukaJehova esengumntwana.’ Futhi kunesibonelo sikaThimothewu, okwathi kusukela ebuntwaneni walithatha ngokungathi sína iqiniso unina kanye nogogo wakhe ababemfundisa lona.—1 Samuweli 2:18; 2 Thimothewu 1:5; 3:14, 15.
Ngokufanayo namuhla, abasha abaningi baye banikezela ukuphila kwabo ukuze bakhonze uJehova. UAkifusa, oneminyaka engu-15 ubudala, wathi ingxenye ethile eMhlanganweni Wenkonzo yamsiza ukuba enze isinqumo sokubhapathizwa. UAyumi wabhapathizwa lapho eneminyaka eyishumi ubudala. Wayefuna ukukhonza uJehova ngoba wafinyelela ekumthandeni ngempela. Manje useneminyaka engu-13 ubudala futhi usanda kuba nokuhlangenwe nakho kokubona ayefunda naye iBhayibheli, naye futhi oye wafinyelela ekumthandeni uJehova, ebhapathizwa eneminyaka engu-12 ubudala. Umfowabo ka-Ayumi omncane uHikaru naye wabhapathizwa eneminyaka eyishumi ubudala. “Abanye babethi ngisemncane kakhulu,” uyakhumbula, “kodwa uJehova wayeyazi indlela engangizizwa ngayo. Ngangizimisele ukuba ngibhapathizwe lapho nje senginqume ukunikezela ukuphila kwami ukuze ngimkhonze ngakho konke enginakho.”
Esinye isici siyisibonelo sabazali, njengoba kungabonakala kokuhlangenwe nakho kukadade othile osemusha. Uyise wayemnqabela unina ukuba afunde iBhayibheli naye kanye nomfowabo nomunye udadewabo. Wayebashaya futhi ashise izincwadi zabo. Kodwa ngenxa yokukhuthazela kanye nokholo lukanina, abantwana bakubona ukubaluleka kokukhonza uJehova uNkulunkulu. Lentombazanyana yabhapathizwa ineminyaka engu-13 ubudala, futhi umfowabo omncane kanye nodadewabo balandela isibonelo sayo.
‘Sengimdala Kakhulu’
Umhubi wathi: ‘Nani maxhegu nabafana, dumisani igama likaJehova.’ (IHubo 148:12, 13) Yebo, nasebebadala kumelwe baqaphele isidingo sokuthatha ukuma kwabo ngasohlangothini lukaJehova. Nokho, abanye abantu asebebadala, bathambekele ekukugwemeni ukwenza izinguquko. Banomuzwa wokuthi “umuthi ugotshwa usemanzi.” Nokho, khumbula ukuthi uAbrahama wayeneminyaka engu-75 ubudala lapho uJehova ethi kuye: “Phuma ezweni lakini nasezihlotsheni zakho, uye ezweni engizakukukhombisa lona.” (IzEnzo 7:3; Genesise 12:1, 4) UMose wayeneminyaka engu-80 ubudala lapho uJehova emthuma: ‘Khipha eGibithe abantu bami.’ (Eksodusi 3:10) Lamadoda kanye nabanye bonke babezinzile endleleni yabo yokuphila lapho uJehova ebacela ukuba babonise uthando lwabo kanye nokuzinikela kwabo kuye. Abazange banqikaze ukusabela obizweni lukaJehova.
Kuthiwani-ke ngosuku lwanamuhla? UShizumu wayesebe ngumBuddah iminyaka engu-78 lapho eqala ukufunda iBhayibheli. Umkhaya wakhe wamphikisa, ungamvumeli ngisho nokuba afunde ekhaya lakhe siqu. Ngemva konyaka owodwa kuphela, wasibona isidingo sokuba azinikezele kuJehova, futhi wabhapathizwa. Kungani enza lolushintsho? Wathi: “Ngiye ngakhohliswa inkolo yamanga iminyaka eminingi, futhi ngangifuna ukuqhubeka ngithola iqiniso elivela kuJehova kuze kube phakade.”
“Enisindiswa Ngawo Manje”
Isikhathi siyaphela. Ukuphila, kuhlanganise nokwakho, kusengozini. Kuyaphuthuma ukuba uyicabangele ngokungathi sína indaba yokuzinikezela kuJehova futhi ukubonakalise ngobhapathizo lwamanzi. Umphostoli uPetru wagcizelela lokhu ngokuthi: “Enisindiswa ngawo manje nani . . . okungukuthi ngombhapathizo.” Wabuye wachaza ukuthi ukubhapathizwa ‘akusikho ukususa insila yenyama’ (umuntu uyobe esekwenzile kakade lokho ngaphambi kokuba afanelekele ukubhapathizwa) “kepha ukucela kuNkulunkulu unembeza omuhle.”—1 Petru 3:21.
Njengoba eye wahlangabezana nezimfuneko zikaJehova, umfundi obhapathiziwe uba nonembeza omuhle. Ngokuqhubeka enza konke okusemandleni akhe ekukhonzeni uJehova, ujabulela ukuthula kwengqondo kanye nokwaneliseka. (Jakobe 1:25) Ngaphezu kwakho konke, angabheka phambili ngokuqiniseka ezibusisweni ezingapheli ezivela kuJehova esimisweni esisha esizayo. Kwangathi ungahlanganyela kulokho njengoba usabela ngokuqondile kulombuzo: ‘Ingabe kufanele ngibhapathizwe?’
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Esengumntwana, uSamuweli wakhonza phambi kukaJehova
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UMose wayeneminyaka engu-80 ubudala lapho ethunywa nguJehova
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Namuhla abantu abasha nabadala ababhapa-thizwayo bangabheka phambili ezibusisweni ezingapheli esimisweni esisha sikaNkulunkulu