Bazali—Fundisani Abantwabenu Kusukela Besesezinsane
IBHAYIBHILI lithi: “Amadodana ayilifa elivela kuJehova, abantwana bangumvuzo ovela kuye.” (Hubo. 127:3) Yikho akumangalisi nxa abazali abangamaKhristu bethokoza kakhulu nxa besamukela umntwana ozelweyo.
Lanxa ukuzalwa komntwana kuthokozisa, kulomlandu omkhulu. Umntwana kumele adle ukudla okwakha umzimba zikhathi zonke ukuze akhule abe ngumuntu omdala olempilo ende. Ukuze umntwana abambelele ekukhonzeni kweqiniso, kumele ondliwe ngezinto eziphathelane lokukhonza njalo abe lesiqondiso sabazali abazama ngamandla ukugcizelela kuye izimiso zikaNkulunkulu. (Zaga. 1:8) Kumele liqale nini ukubafundisa njalo lokho kugoqelani?
ABAZALI BAYAKUDINGA UKWELULEKWA
Akucabange ngesibonelo sikaManowa owosendo lwakoDani owayephila edolobheni laseZora ko-Israyeli wasendulo. Ingilosi kaJehova yatshela umkaManowa owayeyinyumba ukuthi wayezakuba lomntwana ongumfana. (Abahlu. 13:2, 3) UManowa owayethembekile kanye lomkakhe bathokoza kakhulu ngesithembiso lesi. Kodwa kulokunye okwakubakhathaza kakhulu. Yikho uManowa wakhuleka esithi: “Awu Nkosi, ngiyakucela, umuntu kaNkulunkulu omthumileyo kabuye futhi azesifundisa ukuthi umfana ozazalwa wondliwa njani.” (Abahlu. 13:8) UManowa lomkakhe babekhathazeke ngokuthi bazalondla njani usane lwabo. Indodana yabo, uSamsoni bayifundisa sibili imithetho kaNkulunkulu njalo akuthandabuzwa ukuthi imizamo yabo yaphumelela. IBhayibhili lithi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ‘umoya kaJehova waqala ukuqubuka phakathi kwakhe [uSamsoni].’ Ngenxa yalokhu, uSamsoni esengumahluli ko-Israyeli wenza imisebenzi yamandla eminengi.—Abahlu. 13:25; 14:5, 6; 15:14, 15.
Kumele liqalise nini ukufundisa umntwana? “Kusukela ebuntwaneni” uThimothi wafundiswa “imibhalo engcwele” ngunina uYunisi kanye logogo wakhe uLoyisi. (2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15) Yikho-ke, uThimothi waqalisa ukufundiswa iMibhalo eseselusane.
Kuyikuhlakanipha ukuthi abazali abangamaKhristu bathandaze becela ukuqondiswa njalo bahlele kuseselesikhathi ukuze baqalise ukufundisa umntanabo “kusukela ebuntwaneni.” IZaga 21:5 zithi: “Amalungiselelo abakhutheleyo anika umvuzo.” Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi abazali balungiselela ngokugcweleyo nxa umntanabo esezazalwa. Bangabhala lezinto zomntwana eziyabe zifunakala. Kanti njalo kuqakathekile ukuthi bahlele lezinto eziphathelane lokukhonza abazazenza laye. Kumele babe leqiniso lokuthi baqala ukufundisa umntwana esanda kuzalwa nje.
Ibhuku elikhuluma ngokukhuliswa kwabantwana elithi Early Childhood Counts—A Programming Guide on Early Childhood Care for Development lithi: “Izinyanga zakuqala, umntwana esanda kuzalwa nje ziqakathekile ekukhuleni kwengqondo yakhe. Ngesikhathi lesi, imithambo eminengi yengqondo eyiyo enza enelise ukufunda izinto yengezelelwa okuphindwe ka-20. Ngakho-ke kuyikuhlakanipha ukuthi abazali basebenzise isikhathi lesi esifitshane lapho umntanabo ayabe ekhula engqondweni ukuthi bagcizelele imicabango lezimiso eziphathelane lokukhonza engqondweni yakhe.
Ekhuluma ngomntanakhe omncane oyinkazana, omunye umama oliphayona lesikhathi sonke uthi: “Ngangihamba laye ekutshumayeleni kusukela elenyanga eyodwa kuphela.” Lanxa wayengakuzwisisi ukuthi kuyini okwenzakalayo, ngibona angani ukuhamba laye emncane kwamnceda kakhulu. Eseleminyaka emibili, wayengesabi ukunika abantu esasihlangana labo ekutshumayeleni amaphetshana.”
Ukufundisa umntwana eseselusane kuletha izithelo ezinhle. Lanxa kunjalo, abazali bathola ukuthi ukufundisa abantwababo izinto eziphathelane lokukhonza kulobunzima obuthile.
‘LIWASEBENZISE NGOKUPHELELEYO AMATHUBA WONKE’
Ukungahlaliseki komntwana kumbe ukungenelisi kwakhe ukulalela okwesikhathi eside kungaba nzima kakhulu ebazalini. Ngesikhatshana nje, ingqondo yomntwana ingazulazula, isiyale lale. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi bafuna ukwazi izinto ezinengi njalo bazama ukuhlola zonke izinto abazibonayo. Abazali bangenzani ukuze basize umntanabo alalelisise lokho abazama ukumfundisa khona?
Khangela ukuthi uMosi wathini. UDutheronomi 6:6, 7 uthi: “Imilayo le engikupha yona lamuhla kumele ibe sezinhliziyweni zenu. Igcizeleleni kubantwabenu. Khulumani ngayo nxa lihlezi emakhaya enu lanxa lihamba ezindleleni, nxa lilele phansi loba nxa livuka.” Ibala elithi “igcizeleleni” litshengisa ukuthi umuntu uyabe efundisa ephindaphinda kanengi. Umntwana omncane unjengexhakela elifuna ukuthelelwa zikhathi zonke. Njengoba ukuphindaphinda kunceda abantu abadala ukuthi bakhumbule izinto eziqakathekileyo, akuthandabuzwa ukuthi kuzabanceda abantwana abancane.
Abazali kumele bathathe isikhathi eside belabantwababo ukuze babafundise iqiniso ngoNkulunkulu. Lamuhla kuba nzima sibili ukuthola lesosikhathi emhlabeni lo ophithizelayo. Kodwa umphostoli uPhawuli wakhuthaza ukuthi ‘siwasebenzise ngokupheleleyo amathuba wonke’ ekwenzeni imisebenzi yobuKhristu eqakathekileyo. (Efe. 5:15, 16) Lokhu kungenziwa njani? Ukuba lesikhathi sokufundisa umntwana, ukwenza imisebenzi yobuKhristu kanye lomsebenzi wokuziphilisa kwakunzima kakhulu komunye umbonisi ongumKhristu olomkakhe oliphayona lesikhathi sonke ohlala ephathekile. Babengasithola njani isikhathi sokufundisa umntanabo oyinkazana. UYise uthi: “Nsuku zonke ekuseni ngingakahambi emsebenzini, mina lomkami siyambalela ibhuku elithi My Book of Bible Stories kumbe ibhukwana elithi Examining the Scriptures Daily. Ntambama, siba leqiniso lokuthi siyambalela engakalali, njalo nxa sisiya ekutshumayeleni sihamba laye. Asifuni kuyidlalisa iminyaka le yokuqala empilweni yakhe.”
‘AMADODANA ANJENGEMITSHOKO’
Akula muntu ongafuniyo ukuthi umntanakhe akhule abe ngumuntu olengqondo. Kodwa isizatho esiyisiqokoqela sokubafundisa yikwenza ukuthi bathande uNkulunkulu ngenhliziyo yabo yonke.—Makho 12:28-30.
IHubo 127:4 lithi: “Njengemitshoko esandleni sebutho anjalo amadodana azelwe ngumuntu esesemutsha.” Yikho-ke abantwana bafaniswa lemitshoko okumele itshokwe kuhle iqonde lapho okumele ihlabe khona. Umzingeli ngeke awuphendukise umtshoko nxa esewutshokile. Abazali ‘balemitshoko,’ okutsho abantwababo abalabo okwesikhathi esikhanya sisifitshane nje. Isikhathi leso kumele basisebenzise ukugcizelela izimiso zikaNkulunkulu ezingqondweni lasezinhliziyweni zabantwababo.
Ekhuluma ngabantwabakhe ababeyizikhonzi umphostoli uJohane wathi: “Angilakuthokoza okukhulu okudlula ukuzwa ukuthi abantwabami baphila ngokweqiniso.” (3 Joha. 4) Abazali abangamaKhristu labo bangathokoza nxa bebona abantwababo ‘bephila ngokweqiniso.’