Ingabe Ungumzali Onothando?

INGABE uyabathanda abantwana bakho? Ingabe uyaziqhenya ngabo? Ingabe unomuzwa wokuthi ngamunye ungokuthile okukhethekile, okuyingqayizivele, okungenakuthathelwa indawo? Abazali abaningi banawo lowomuzwa. Kodwa ingabe uyabatshela abantwana bakho ukuthi uzizwa kanjalo? Ingabe ubatusa ngokukhethekile lapho benza kahle entweni ethile? Futhi ingabe uyalubonisa uthando nangezinye izindlela—ngokudlala okunesizotha, ukuthinta okuqinisekisa ukubethemba, ukwanga okunothando?

Abanye bangase baphikise ngokuthi, “kodwa lokho akuwona nje umkhuba wami. Angiyena umuntu onemizwa ekhululeke kangako.” Yiqiniso, akuwona wonke umuntu onemizwa ekhululekile ngokwemvelo. Nokho, ukubonisa uthando kubantwana bakho kungase kube okubaluleke ngaphezu kokuba ubuqaphela.

Muva nje iqembu lososayensi lilandelele ukuhlola okwenziwa ngo-1951 kubantwana basenkulisa abangu-400. Phakathi kwamadoda nabesifazane abangu-94 elakwazi ukubathola, kwatholakala ukufana okuthile okuwubufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda. NgokweNew York Times, labobantwana ababenabazali abafudumele, abanothando, kwakuvamise ukubahambela kahle ekuphileni kwabo lapho sebekhulile. Ngokuyisisekelo babenemishado ephumelelayo, bekhulise abantwana, bejabulele umsebenzi wabo, futhi benobungane obuseduze obuqinile. UDkt. Carol Franz, owayehola kulokhu kuhlola, watshela leliphepha ukuthi “babebonisa impilo enhle engokwengqondo, umoya wenjabulo nokwaneliseka ngabo ngokwabo nangokuphila kwabo.”

Ngokuphambene, uFranz wathola ukuthi “labo abanabazali abangenaluthando, abanokhahlo, babedonsa kanzima kakhulu lapho sebekhulile ngazo zonke izindlela—emsebenzini, ekuzifanelaniseni nomphakathi, nasempilweni engokwengqondo.” Eqinisweni, lokhu kuhlola kwabonisa ukuthi ekugcineni ukuntuleka kothando lobuzali kungase kubantwana kulimaze ngisho nangaphezu kokwehlukanisa kwabazali, ukuluthwa utshwala, noma ubumpofu.

Lokhu akufanele kumangalise kubafundi beBhayibheli abaqotho. Bazi kahle ukuthi uJesu wabaphatha kanjani abantwana. Wabazisa, wabasondeza kuye, futhi wabonisa uthando lwakhe kubo. (Marku 10:13-16; Luka 9:46-48; 18:15-17) Yebo, wayemane elingisa uYise wasezulwini kulokhu—onguYena uYise wezintandane. (IHubo 68:5) UJehova unguMzali ophelele; ngokujabulisayo ngalabo abamthandayo, angafeza noma yini abazali abangabantu abangaphelele abayintulayo.—2 Korinte 6:18.