Intsha Iyabuza . . .

Ubani Okufanele Abe Isibonelo Engisilingisayo?

“Ikhono lakhe njengomdlali we-basketball lalimangalisa. Bonke abangane bami babemthanda. Wayeyisibonelo sami, futhi ngangifuna ukufana naye ngibe nalokho ayenakho.” —UPing, osemusha wase-Asia.

NGOKUVAMILE abantu abaziswayo futhi balingiswe babizwa ngokuthi izibonelo. Umlobi uLinda Nielsen waphawula: “Intsha ilingisa abantu engazihlanganisa nabo abathola ukunakwa nezinzuzo ezifunayo.” Ngakho-ke, intsha ithambekele ekwaziseni ontanga abadumile noma abakhangayo. Kodwa intsha eningi ithanda kakhulu ukwenza abayizilomo zamabhayisikobho, abaculi, abagijimi babe izibonelo zayo.

Yiqiniso, ukuduma emphakathini kosaziwayo abaningi ngokuvamile kumane nje kunjengezindaba eziqanjiwe ezihlelwe kahle, isu elihlelwe ngokucophelela lokufihla amaphutha, likhuthaze ukuncoma ngokwedlulele futhi, ngaphezu kwakho konke, ngenjongo yokuthengisa! UPing ocashunwe ekuqaleni uyavuma: “Ngathenga wonke amakhasethi e-video eqhawe le-basketball engangilazisa ngagqoka izimpahla nezicathulo ezibizwa ngegama lalo.” Enye intsha igqoka njengezintandokazi zayo ze-TV noma zemidlalo, ilungise izinwele njengazo, ize ihambe futhi ikhulume njengazo.

Izibonelo—Ezinhle Nezimbi

Uyabuza, ‘Kodwa kubi ngani ukwazisa othile?’ Lokho kuxhomeke ekutheni ubani omncomayo. IBhayibheli lithi: “Ohamba nabahlakaniphileyo uyakuhlakanipha, kepha umngane weziwula uyakushoshozelwa yizo.” (IzAga 13:20) IBhayibheli alisikhuthazi ukuba sibe abalandeli babantu. (Mathewu 23:10) Kodwa liyasitshela ukuthi sibe “abalingisi balabo okuthi ngokholo nangokubekezela bazuze izithembiso njengefa.” (Heberu 6:12) Umlobi walawo mazwi, umphostoli uPawulu, wawabekela isibonelo esihle amaKristu okuqala. Ngakho-ke wayengathi: “Yibani ngabalingisi bami, njengoba nje nami ngingumlingisi kaKristu.”—1 Korinte 11:1.

Insizwa okuthiwa uThimothewu yenza lokho kanye. Yaba nobungane obuseduze noPawulu ngesikhathi bendawonye ohambweni lobuthunywa bevangeli. (IzEnzo 16:1-4) UPawulu wathatha uThimothewu ‘njengomntanakhe othandekayo nokholekileyo eNkosini.’ (1 Korinte 4:17) Ngosizo lukaPawulu, uThimothewu waba indoda engumKristu evelele.—Filipi 2:19-23.

Khona-ke, kungenzekani uma ukhetha isibonelo esibi? Insizwa okuthiwa uRichard iyalandisa: “Lapho ngineminyaka engu-15 ubudala, saba ngamathe nolimi nengangifunda naye esikoleni okwakuthiwa uMario. Abazali bami babengamaKristu, futhi bazama ukungisiza ngokomoya. Kodwa uMario wayenazo zonke izinto zokuzijabulisa—eya ema-disco, emaphathini, enezithuthuthu nezinto ezinjalo. Wayenza noma yini ayithandayo ngesikhathi asithandayo. Kodwa mina cha. Ngakho lapho ngineminyaka engu-16 ubudala, ngatshela abazali bami ukuthi ngifuna ukuyeka ukuba umKristu, nangempela ngayeka.”

Ingabe zikhona izingozi ezifana nalezi ekubhekeni osaziwayo namaqhawe ezemidlalo njengezibonelo? Yebo, zikhona. Kodwa-ke, akukubi ukuncoma ikhono lomgijimi, umdlali waseshashalazini noma umculi. Kodwa zibuze, ‘Indlela laba bantu abaphila ngayo ibeka siphi isibonelo?’ Ingabe amaqhawe ezemidlalo, abaculi nabanye osaziwayo abaningi, abadumile ngokuzitika ngokuziphatha okubi, izidakamizwa notshwala? Akulona yini iqiniso ukuthi abaningi baphila ukuphila kokunganeliseki nokungajabulisi, naphezu kokuba benemali futhi bedumile? Uma ubheka izinto ngalo mbono, ungazuzani ngokulingisa abantu abanjalo?

Yiqiniso, ukulungisa izinwele njengosaziwayo, ukugqoka noma ukukhuluma njengaye kungase kubonakale kuyinto encane. Kodwa kungaba isinyathelo sokuqala sokuvumela ukuba izwe “likulolonge ufane nalo.” (Roma 12:2, Phillips) Lokho kulolongwa kungase kuqale kubonakale kujabulisa. Kodwa uma ukuvumela ngokugcwele ukunqontshwa ithonya lako, lingakulolonga ngezindlela nakanjani eziyoqeda ubuhlobo bakho noNkulunkulu. “Ubungane nezwe buwubutha noNkulunkulu,” kusho iBhayibheli kuJakobe 4:4.

Indlela Isibonelo Esihle Esingakusiza Ngayo

Nokho, ukulingisa othile obeka isibonelo esihle, kungaba nethonya elihle ekuphileni kwakho! KumaKristu okanye nawo, ungathola abaningi ‘abayisibonelo . . . ekukhulumeni, ekuziphatheni, othandweni, okholweni nasebumsulweni.’ (1 Thimothewu 4:12) Yiqiniso, kudingeka uqaphe lapho ukhetha abangane, ngisho nasebandleni lobuKristu. (2 Thimothewu 2:20, 21) Kodwa ngokuvamile akunzima ukuthola ukuthi obani ngempela ebandleni ‘abahamba eqinisweni.’ (2 Johane 4) Isimiso esikumaHeberu 13:7 sithi: “Njengoba nicabangisisa ngomphumela wokuziphatha kwabo nilingise ukholo lwabo.” Iningi lontanga yakho, akukaziwa ukuthi ukuziphatha kwalo kuzoba namiphi imiphumela. Kodwa kunabathile abadala ebandleni abaye bazibonakalisa bekholekile, futhi kuwukuhlakanipha ukujwayelana nabo.

Ungase ubuze, ‘Ngijwayelane nabantu abadala?’ Kuyavunywa, lokhu kungase kungazwakali kukhanga ekuqaleni. Kodwa khumbula ubuhlobo uThimothewu ayenabo nomngane wakhe omdala umphostoli uPawulu. UPawulu wabona ikhono likaThimothewu futhi wamkhuthaza ukuba ‘asivuthele njengomlilo isipho sikaNkulunkulu’ esikuye. (2 Thimothewu 1:6) Bekungeke yini kukuzuzise ukuba nothile ongakusiza futhi akukhuthaze, othile ongakunxusa ukuba uthuthukise izipho zakho oziphiwe uNkulunkulu?

Osemusha othile okuthiwa uBryan wakuthola kunjalo lokhu. Wayelwisana nemizwa yokuzeya lapho ejwayelana nothile osekhulile, owayeyinceku ekhonzayo engashadile ebandleni. UBryan uthi: “Ngiyalwazisa uthando lwakhe ngabanye, kuhlanganise nami; intshiseko yakhe enkonzweni; nezinkulumo zakhe ezinhle.” UBryan useyazuza kakade ngokunakwa ngokukhethekile yilo mKristu osekhulile. Uvuma ngobuqotho: “Kuye kwangisiza ukuba ngishintshe kulokho engangiyikho ngaphambili—amahloni nokungabi nantshiseko.”

Abazali Njengezibonelo

Incwadi ethi Adolescence—Generation Under Pressure ithi abazali “ukuphela kwethonya elizungeze intsha elibaluleke kakhulu ekuyisizeni noma ekuyivimbeleni ukuba ifinyelele ubuntu obanelisayo.” Le ncwadi iyanezela, ngaphandle kwalowo muzwa osobala wokuqondiswa nokuboniswa, intsha “iyoba njengomkhumbi ongenasiqondiso, ojikiswa igagasi ngalinye elidlulayo.”

Lesi seluleko sibonisa lokho umfundi uJakobe akubhala eminyakeni engu-1900 edlule, njengoba kulotshwe kuJakobe 1:6: “Makaqhubeke ecela ngokholo, engangabazi nhlobo, ngoba lowo ongabazayo ufana negagasi lolwandle eliqhutshwa umoya lipheshulwa liyiswa ngapha nangapha.” Mhlawumbe ikhona intsha oyaziyo enjalo. Iphilela injabulo yanamuhla, ayicabangi ngekusasa.

Ingabe ubusiswe ngabazali abesaba uNkulunkulu ababeka isibonelo esihle ebandleni? Uma kunjalo, ingabe uyakuvumela ukuthonywa yibo? Noma uhlale umelana nabo? Yiqiniso, abazali bakho abaphelele. Kodwa musa ukuzenza ongaziboni izimfanelo zabo ezinhle—izimfanelo oyobe wenza kahle uma uzilingisa. “Ngiyabazisa kakhulu abazali bami,” kubhala osemusha ongumKristu ogama lakhe linguJarrod. “Intshiseko yabo engapheli enkonzweni, indlela abaye babhekana ngayo nezinkinga ezingokomnotho, nesikhuthazo abaye banginikeza sona sokuhlanganyela enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele, konke lokhu kuye kwaba nethonya elihle kimi. Abazali bami baye bahlala beyisibonelo engisilingisayo.”

Isibonelo Esihle Kunazo Zonke

Lapho inhlangano yokuhlola kaGallup ibuza intsha ethile e-United States ukuthi yayicabanga ukuthi ubani umuntu omkhulu kunabo bonke emlandweni, eningi yakhetha abameleli bezombangazwe baseMelika. Amaphesenti ayisithupha kuphela akhetha uJesu Kristu. Nokho, iBhayibheli lisitshela ukuthi uJesu Kristu wasishiyela ‘isibonelo esiphelele sokuba silandele izinyathelo zakhe eduze.’ (1 Petru 2:21; Heberu 12:3) Ukhuthaza abafundi bakhe ukuba bafunde kuye. (Mathewu 11:28, 29) Kodwa ukwenza kanjani lokho?

Yazi kahle impilo kaJesu. Zama ukufunda ukulandisa kwawo wonke amaVangeli, usebenzisa incwadi ethi Umuntu Omkhulu Kunabo Bonke Owake Waphila.a Phawula indlela uJesu afundisa ngayo, indlela enesihe asebenzelana ngayo nabantu, nesibindi asibonisa lapho engaphansi kokucindezeleka. Uyothola ukuthi uJesu isibonelo esihle kunazo zonke ongase usilandele.

Lapho ujwayelana nesibonelo esiphelele, kulapho kuyoncipha ukudonseleka kontanga abangakhi noma osaziwayo. Uyamkhumbula uPing nokwazisa kwakhe iqhawe lezemidlalo? UPing usawujabulela umdlalo we-basketball ngezikhathi ezithile, kodwa uye waqaphela ukuthi kuwubulima ukulingisa osaziwayo.

Kuthiwani ngoRichard? Izibonelo azikhetha zamholela ekulahleni ukholo lobuKristu. Nokho, uRichard wahlangana nensizwa eyayineminyaka engu-20, egama layo linguSimon, eyayingomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. “USimon wakha ubungane nami,” kusho uRichard, “futhi wangisiza ukuba ngibone ukuthi umuntu angakujabulela ukuphila ngaphandle kokulahla izimiso zeBhayibheli. Ngokushesha ngamhlonipha uSimon, futhi isibonelo sakhe safeza indima ebalulekile ekubuyeleni kwami ebandleni nasekunikezeleni ukuphila kwami kuJehova. Ngiyajabula kakhulu manje futhi ukuphila kwami sekunenjongo yangempela.”

Yebo, kubaluleke ngempela ukuthi obani okhetha ukuba babe izibonelo zakho!

[Imibhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

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