Ukusalutha Ifulegi, Ukuvota, Kanye loMsebenzi Womphakathi

Ukusalutha Ifulegi. OFakazi bakaJehova bakholwa ukuthi ukuhlonipha ifulegi kumbe ukuyisalutha, okwandise ukuhambisana lengoma yesizwe, ngumkhuba wokukhonza onika insindiso, hatshi kuNkulunkulu, kodwa eLizweni kumbe kubakhokheli balo. (U-Isaya 43:11; 1 KwabaseKhorinte 10:14; 1 UJohane 5:21) Omunye umkhokheli owayenjalo kwakuyiNkosi uNebhukhadinezari waseBhabhiloni yasendulo. Ukuze enze abantu babone ubukhosi bakhe kanye lokutshisekela kwakhe ukukhonza, umbusi lo wamisa isithombe njalo wathi bonke abantu ababuswa nguye basiguqele ngesikhathi kukhala umculo, onjengowengoma yesizwe. Kodwa amaHebheru amathathu​—uShadreki, uMeshaki kanye lo-Abhediniko​—bala ukuguqela isithombe leso, lanxa babezajeziswa ngokufa.​—UDanyeli, isahluko 3.

Ngesikhathi sethu, UCarlton Hayes owezembali wabhala wathi, “uphawu lwesizwe olukhulu lukholo njalo into ekhonzwayo yifulegi. Amadoda akhipha izingowane nxa ifulegi idlula; izimbongi zibhala izinkondlo zokudumisa ifulegi njalo abantwana bahlabela izingoma zokudumisa ifulegi.” Waphinda wathi ubuzwe, “bulamalanga awo angcwele” afanana lo-July 4 e-United States, futhi “amaqhawe ahlonitshwa njengabangcwele (saints)” lezindawo eziqakathekiswayo zibonwa “njengethempeli.” Emkhosini kazulu eBrazil, umphathi webutho wavuma wathi: “Ifulegi iyahlonitshwa futhi iyakhonzwa . . . njengoba nje iLizwe likhonzwa.” Ibhuku okuthiwa yi-The Encyclopedia Americana yathi, kuliqiniso ukuthi “ifulegi ingcwele njengesiphambano.”

I-Encyclopedia eke yaqanjwa ithinte ukuthi izingoma zezizwe “zitshengisa imizwa yokuzinikela njalo izikhathi ezinengi zigoqela isicelo esisamthandazo sokuthi abantu kumbe ababusi baqondiswe loba bavikelwe nguNkulunkulu.” Akusikho ukuthi izinceku zikaJehova zicabanga ukuthi zingcono nxa zibona imikhosi yokuzinikela egoqela ukusalutha ifulegi kanye lezingoma zeLizwe njengokwenkolo. Lapho likhuluma ngokwala kwabantwana baboFakazi bakaJehova ukusalutha ifulegi kumbe ukwenza isifungo sokuzinikela okwenziwa ezikolo zase-U.S.A., ibhuku okuthiwa yi-The American Character lathi: “Ezindabeni ezitshiyeneyo ebezikade zilethwa emthethwandaba, uMthethwandaba Omkhulu utshengise ukuthi imikhuba leyo eyenziwa nsukuzonke ngeyenkolo.”

Abantu bakaJehova bahlonipha amalungelo abanye okuthi benzenjalo lanxa bona bengahlanganyeli emikhosini abayibona njengengahambisani lemibhalo. Bayawahlonipha amafulegi esizwe njengafanekisela okuthile njalo bayabahlonipha ababusi ababekwe esikhundleni ‘njengababusayo’ bekhonza ‘njengezinceku zikaNkulunkulu.’ (KwabaseRoma 13:1-4) Ngakho-ke, oFakazi bakaJehova balalela isikhuthazo sokuthi bakhuleke ngokuphathelane ‘lamakhosi labo bonke abaphethe amandla.’ Kodwa inhloso yethu kumele kube ngeyokuthi “sihlale ngokuthula empilweni enhle kukho konke ukumesaba uNkulunkulu lobungcwele.”​—1 KuThimothi 2:2.

Ukuvota okhethweni lwezombangazwe. AmaKhristu eqiniso ayawahlonipha amalungelo abanye okuvota. Kawakhankaseli ukuthi kungabi lokhetho, njalo bayabambisana labakhethiweyo ukuthi babe ngabakhokheli. Kodwa kabathathi cele ezindabeni zezombangazwe. (UMathewu 22:21; 1 UPhetro 3:16) Kumele umKhristu enzeni nxa ehlala elizweni lapho okumele wonke umuntu avote kumbe esendaweni elabantu abazonda labo abangayi vota? Ekhumbula ukuthi uShadreki, uMeshaki lo-Abhediniko bahamba baze bayafika egcekeni laseDura, umKhristu osesimweni esifananayo angakhetha ukuhamba endaweni lapho okuvotelwa khona nxa umzwangedwa wakhe umvumela. Loba kunjalo, ubaleqiniso lokuthi kasoze abeleqembu alisekelayo. Kumele acabange ngezimiso lezi eziyisithupha:

1. Abalandeli bakaJesu ‘kabasibo bomhlaba.’​—UJohane 15:19.

2. AmaKhristu amela uKhristu loMbuso wakhe.​—UJohane 18:36; 2 KwabaseKhorinte 5:20.

3. Ibandla lamaKhristu libambene ekukholweni, njalo amalunga alo amanyaniswe luthando olunjengolukaKhristu.​—1 KwabaseKhorinte 1:10; KwabaseKholose 3:14.

4. Labo abavotela umuntu oyisiphathamandla ukuthi abekwe esikhundleni bahlanganyela kulokho akwenzayo.​—Khangela izimiso ezibhalwe ku-1 USamuyeli 8:5, 10-18; lo-1 KuThimothi 5:22.

5. UJehova wabona isifiso sama-Israyeli sokufuna ukubuswa yinkosi engumuntu njengendlela yokutshengisa ukwala ukubuswa nguye.​—1 USamuyeli 8:7.

6. AmaKhristu kumele abe lenkululeko yokukhuluma ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu lapho ekhuluma labasekeli bezombangazwe.​—UMathewu 24:14; 28:19, 20; KumaHebheru 10:35.

Umsebenzi womphakathi. Kwamanye amazwe, uHulumende angathi kumele labo abalayo ukusebenzela ibutho lelizwe banikwe omunye umsebenzi womphakathi. Nxa sekumele sikhethe ngokuphathelane lendaba le, kumele sikhuleke kumbe sixoxe lomunye umKhristu okhulileyo ekukhonzeni ngemva kwalokho senze isinqumo sincediswa ngumzwangedwa ofundiswe kuhle.​—IZaga 2:1-5; KwabaseFiliphi 4:5.

ILizwi likaNkulunkulu liyasitshela ukuthi ‘sizehlisele ngaphansi kwababusi, labaphathi, lokuba silungele ukwenza loba kuyini okuhle, lokuba lokuthula.’ (KuThithusi 3:1, 2) Silalokhu engqondweni, singazibuza imibuzo elandelayo: ‘Ukuvuma ukwenza umsebenzi lowo womphakathi kuzangenza ngicine ngithatha uhlangothi kumbe kuzangenza ngihlanganyele enkolweni yamanga yini?’ (UMikha 4:3, 5; 2 KwabaseKhorinte 6:16, 17) ‘Ukwenza umsebenzi lo kuzakwenza kube nzima yini ukuthi ngenze imisebenzi yami yobuKhristu kumbe kuzakwenza ngingenelisi ukuyenza?’ (UMathewu 28:19, 20; Kwabase-Efesu 6:4; KumaHebheru 10:24, 25) ‘Ukwenza umsebenzi onjalo kuzakwenza ngiqhelise imisebenzi yami engokomoya yini, mhlawumbe kungenze ngithole ithuba lokuba senkonzweni yesikhathi esigcweleyo?’​—KumaHebheru 6:11, 12.

Amanye amaKhristu kumele ahloniphe isinqumo somfowethu nxa kuyikuthi ukhethe ukulandela umzwangedwa wakhe ukuthi enze umsebenzi womphakathi kulokuthi aye ejele. (KwabaseRoma 14:10) Kodwa nxa kuyikuthi ukhetha ukungawenzi umsebenzi lowo, abanye kumele bahloniphe isinqumo sakhe.​—1 KwabaseKhorinte 10:29; 2 KwabaseKhorinte 1:24.