Imizekelo Emihle—Ngaba Uyangenelwa Kuyo?

“NABA ngumzekelo kuwo onke amakholwa eMakedoni naseAkhaya.” Umpostile uPawulos wabhalela amaKristu athembekileyo awayehlala eTesalonika la mazwi. Umzekelo awawumisela amanye amakholwa uyancomeka ngokwenene. Sekunjalo, abaseTesalonika babelandela umzekelo kaPawulos namaqabane akhe. UPawulos wathi: “Iindaba ezilungileyo esizishumayelayo azibangakho kuni ngantetho yodwa kodwa kwanangamandla nomoya oyingcwele nolweyiseko olunamandla, kanye njengoko nisazi ukuba sasiluhlobo olunjani na lwabantu phakathi kwenu ngenxa yenu; yaye nani naxelisa thina.”—1 Tesalonika 1:5-7.

Ewe, uPawulos akazange aphelele nje ekushumayeleni. Ubomi bakhe babuyintshumayelo—umzekelo wokholo, unyamezelo nokuzincama. Ngenxa yoku, uPawulos namaqabane akhe baba nempembelelo enamandla kubomi babantu baseTesalonika, bebashukumisela ukuba bamkele inyaniso “phantsi kwembandezelo enkulu.” Noko ke, uPawulos nabo wayesebenza nabo babengekuphela kwemizekelo emihle kuloo makholwa. Umzekelo wabanye abanyamezela imbandezelo nawo wawulukhuthazo. UPawulos wabhalela abaseTesalonika esithi: “Nina, bazalwana, niye naxelisa amabandla kaThixo akwelakwaYuda amanyene noKristu uYesu, kuba nani nabandezeleka ezandleni zabantu belizwe lenu kanye ngendlela awabandezeleka ngayo nawo ezandleni zamaYuda.”—1 Tesalonika 2:14.

UKristu UYesu—Owona Mzekelo Ubalaseleyo

Nangona uPawulos wamisela umzekelo ofanele uxeliswe, akazange asilele ukwalatha kuYesu Kristu njengomzekelo oyintloko amaKristu afanele awulandele. (1 Tesalonika 1:6) UKristu wayengowona Mzekelo wethu ubalaseleyo kwaye usenguwo. Umpostile uPetros wabhala: “Enyanisweni, nabizelwa kulo eli khondo, kuba noKristu wabandezeleka ngenxa yenu, enishiya nomzekelo, ukuze nilandele emanyathelweni akhe ngokusondeleyo.”—1 Petros 2:21.

Noko ke, ubomi bukaYesu njengomntu baphela malunga neminyaka engama-2 000 eyadlulayo. Ngoku ‘uhlala ekukhanyeni okungenakufikeleleka’ njengesidalwa somoya esingenakufa. Ngoko, ‘akukho namnye umntu ombonileyo okanye onako ukumbona.’ (1 Timoti 6:16) Ngoko, sinokumxelisa njani? Enye indlela kukufundisisa iingxelo ezine zeBhayibhile ezithetha ngobomi bukaYesu. Iincwadi zeVangeli zisinika ukuqonda ngobuntu bakhe, ikhondo lakhe lobomi ‘nesimo sakhe sengqondo.’ (Filipi 2:5-8) Ukuqonda okungakumbi sinokukufumana ngokufundisisa ngenyameko incwadi ethi Oyena Mntu Ubalaseleyo Wakha Waphila, exubusha ngeziganeko zobomi bukaYesu ngokweenkcukacha ezingakumbi nangokulandelelana kwazo.a

Umzekelo kaYesu wokuzincama waba nempembelelo enamandla kumpostile uPawulos. Waxelela amaKristu aseKorinte oku: “Mna ke ndiya kuchulumanca kakhulu ukuba ndinokudleka ndize ndisetyenziswe ngokupheleleyo ngenxa yemiphefumlo yenu.” (2 Korinte 12:15) Hayi indlela esi simo sengqondo esifana ngayo nesikaKristu! Njengoko sicamngca ngomzekelo kaKristu ogqibeleleyo, nathi sifanele sishukunyiselwe ukumxelisa kubomi bethu.

Ngokomzekelo, uYesu wasifundisa ukuba sifanele sithembele kwidinga likaThixo lokusinyamekela ngezinto eziphathekayo. Kodwa wenza okungakumbi kunoko. Wabonisa ukholo nentembelo enjalo kuYehova yonke imihla. Wathi: “Iimpungutye zinemingxuma neentaka zezulu zineendlwana, kodwa yena uNyana womntu akanayo nendawo le yokufaka intloko.” (Mateyu 6:25; 8:20) Ngaba ukuxhalabela izinto eziphathekayo kulawula ingqondo nezenzo zakho? Okanye ngaba ubomi bakho bunikela ubungqina bokuba ufuna kuqala uBukumkani? Yaye kuthekani ngesimo sakho sengqondo ngokuphathelele inkonzo kaYehova? Ngaba siyafana neso soMzekelo wethu, uYesu? IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba uYesu akazange anele nje kukushumayela ngokuba nenzondelelo kodwa izihlandlo ezininzi wabonisa inzondelelo evuthayo. (Yohane 2:14-17) Ngaphezu koko, onjani ukuba mhle wona umzekelo wothando owamiselwa nguYesu! Kaloku, wancama ubomi bakhe ngenxa yabafundi bakhe! (Yohane 15:13) Ngaba uyamxelisa uYesu ngokubonisa uthando kubazalwana bakho abangamaKristu? Okanye ngaba uvumela ukungafezeki kwabanye ukuba kuthintele uthando lwakho ngabo?

Ngokufuthi, siya kusilela kwimizamo yethu yokulandela umzekelo kaKristu. Kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo uYehova uyakholiswa yimigudu yethu ‘yokwambatha iNkosi uYesu Kristu.’—Roma 13:14.

‘Imizekelo Emhlambini’

Ngaba namhlanje bakho abantu ebandleni abanokuba yimizekelo kuthi? Ngokuqinisekileyo bakho! Abazalwana abamiselwe kwizigxina zembopheleleko ngokukhethekileyo bamele bamisele umzekelo. UPawulos waxelela uTito, owayekhonza amabandla aseKrete nowamisela abaveleli, ukuba umdala ngamnye omiselweyo umele abe ‘yindoda engenakumangaleleka.’ (Tito 1:5, 6) Ngokufanayo umpostile uPetros wabongoza “amadoda amakhulu” ukuba abe “yimizekelo emhlambini.” (1 Petros 5:1-3) Yaye kuthekani ngabo bakhonza njengezicaka zolungiselelo? Nabo ngokufanayo bamele babe ‘ngamadoda alungiselela kakuhle.’—1 Timoti 3:13.

Kakade ke, akukho ngqiqweni ukulindela ukuba umdala ngamnye okanye isicaka solungiselelo ngasinye siya kuba nobuchule obungummangaliso kuzo zonke iinkalo zobulungiseleli bamaKristu. UPawulos waxelela amaKristu aseRoma wathi: “Sineziphiwo ezahlukeneyo ngokobubele obungasifanelanga esabunikwayo.” (Roma 12:6) Abazalwana abahlukahlukeneyo babalasela kwiinkalo ezingafaniyo. Akukho ngqiqweni ukulindela ukuba abadala baya kwenza baze bathethe yonk’ into ngendlela egqibeleleyo. KuYakobi 3:2 iBhayibhile ithi: “Sonke siyakhubeka izihlandlo ezininzi. Ukuba kukho nabani na ongakhubeki zwini, lowo uyindoda egqibeleleyo, ekwaziyo ukuwubamba ngomkhala kwanomzimba wayo uphela.” Noko ke, nangona bengafezekanga abadala, njengoTimoti banokuba ‘yimizekelo yabo bathembekileyo ngokuthetha, ngehambo, ngothando, ngokholo, ngobunyulu.’ (1 Timoti 4:12) Xa abadala besenjenjalo, abo basemhlambini baya kukulungela ukusebenzisa isiluleko esikumaHebhere 13:7 esithi: “Bakhumbuleni abo bakhokelayo phakathi kwenu, . . . njengoko nisondela impumelelo yehambo yabo xelisani ukholo lwabo.”

Eminye Imizekelo Yanamhlanje

Ebudeni bamashumi ambalwa eminyaka edluleyo, abanye abantu abaninzi kakhulu baye bazibonisa beyimizekelo emihle. Kuthekani ngamawaka abavangeli basemazweni ababonakalisa umoya wokuzincama abaye ‘bashiya izindlu okanye abantakwabo okanye oodade okanye uyise okanye unina okanye abantwana okanye imihlaba’ ukuze bazalisekise uthumo lobuKristu kumazwe asemzini? (Mateyu 19:29) Kwakhona, phawula abaveleli abahambahambayo nabafazi babo, amadoda nabafazi abakhonza njengamatsha-ntliziyo kwiiofisi zeWatch Tower Society, noovulindlela abakhonza emabandleni. Ngaba imizekelo enjalo inokubakhuthaza abanye? Omnye umhambisi wevangeli ongumKristu waseAsia ukhumbula omnye umvangeli wasemazweni owayevela kwiklasi yesibhozo yeSikolo seBhayibhile seWatchtower saseGiliyadi. Wathi lo mzalwana uthembekileyo “wayekulungele ukujamelana nebubu leengcongconi nolophu olunganyamezelekiyo. . . . Ukanti eyona nto yayichukumisa kakhulu bubuchule awayenabo bokunikela isigidimi ngolwimi lwesiTshayina nolwaseMalaysia nangona wayevela eNgilani.” Waba nawuphi umphumo lo mzekelo mhle? Lo mzalwana wathi: “Ukuzola nentembelo awayenayo yandishukumisela ukuba ndifune ukuba ngumvangeli wasemazweni ndakuba mdala.” Akumangalisi ke ngoko ukuba lo mzalwana waba ngumvangeli wasemazweni.

IWatch Tower Publications Index inoludwe lwamabali obomi amaninzi afumaneka kwiphephancwadi IMboniselo noVukani! La mabali asixelela ngabantu abaye bancama imisebenzi nosukelo lwehlabathi, boyisa imiqobo, benza iinguqulelo eziphawulekayo kubuntu babo, babonakalisa isimo sengqondo esingqalileyo xa bejamelene nobunzima, babonakalisa inkuthalo, unyamezelo, ukunyaniseka, ukuthobeka nomoya wokuzincama. Omnye umfundi, ethetha ngezi ngxelo wathi: “Bandenza ndibe ngumKristu othobeke nonombulelo ngakumbi njengoko ndifunda ngezinto abanye abaye batyhubela kuzo, yaye bandincede ukuba ndingazicingeli kakhulu okanye ndingazingci.”

Ukongezelela, musa ukuyilibala imizekelo emihle esebandleni lakho: iintloko-ntsapho ezingasileliyo ukunyamekela iintswelo zeentsapho zazo ngokwenyama nangokomoya; oodade—kuquka oomama abangenamaqabane—abasingatha iingcinezelo zokukhulisa abantwana ngoxa bekhuthele kubulungiseleli; abalupheleyo nabagulayo abaqhubeka bekhuthele nangona besiya besiba buthathaka yaye besiba nempilo enkenenkene. Ngaba imizekelo enjalo ayikuchukumisi?

Kuyavunywa ukuba ihlabathi lizele yimizekelo emibi. (2 Timoti 3:13) Sekunjalo, phawula isibongozo sikaPawulos esiya kumaKristu ahlala kwelakwaYuda. Emva kokubalisa ngehambo engumzekelo yamadoda namabhinqa amaninzi okholo amandulo, umpostile uPawulos wawabongoza esithi: “Ngoko ke, ngenxa yokuba sinelifu elikhulu kangaka lamangqina elisingqongileyo, masithi nathi sibothule bonke ubunzima nesono esisithandela ngokulula, yaye masilubaleke ngonyamezelo ugqatso olubekwe phambi kwethu, njengoko sikhangele ngenyameko kuMmeli Oyintloko noMgqibelelisi wokholo lwethu, uYesu.” (Hebhere 12:1, 2) AmaKristu anamhlanje nawo angqongwe ‘lilifu elikhulu’ lemizekelo emihle—eyamandulo neyanamhlanje. Ngaba ngokwenene uyangenelwa kuyo? Unako ukuba uzimisele ukuba “ngoxelisa, kungekhona okubi, kodwa okulungileyo.”—3 Yohane 11.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 20]

Akukho ngqiqweni ukulindela ukuba umdala ngamnye okanye isicaka solungiselelo ngasinye siya kuba nobuchule obungummangaliso kuzo zonke iinkalo zobulungiseleli bamaKristu

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 21]

Abadala bamele babe “yimizekelo emhlambini”