1-3. (a) Yini leyenta Joshuwa abe sibonelo lesihle semuntfu lowenta sincumo lesikahle ekuphileni? (b) Yini lokufanele siyikhumbule nakudzingeka sente tincumo?

LIGAMA lelitsi ‘khetsa’ linemandla kakhulu. Umuntfu lonenkhululeko yekutikhetsela uyaticondzisa ngekutsi atikhetsele tindlela latatisebentisa ekuphileni kwakhe. Ase sifanekise: Ase ucabange ngendvodza lehamba endleleni, njengobe ihamba ikhandza kutsi lendlela lehamba ngayo yehlukana ekhatsi. Itawukhetsa kuhamba ngayiphi indlela? Nangabe lendvodza yati kutsi ilibangise endzaweni letsite, kuletindlela kunaleyo letawusheshe iyifikise lapho iya khona kantsi lena lenye ingase itsatse sikhatsi lesidze.

² LiBhayibheli linetibonelo letinyenti tebantfu lababa sesimeni lesifananako. Nasi sibonelo: Khayini kwadzingeka akhetse kutsi utawuvumela kutfukutsela kumlawule yini nobe yena akulawule. (Gen. 4:6, 7) NaJoshuwa kwadzingeka akhetse emkhatsini wekukhonta Nkulunkulu weliciniso nobe bonkulunkulu bemanga. (Josh. 24:15) Umgomo waJoshuwa bewukuhlala asondzele kuJehova; ngako wakhetsa indlela leyamcondzisa kulomgomo wakhe. Khayini bekete umgomo lonjalo, futsi wakhetsa indlela leyamkhweshisa kuJehova.

³ Ngaletinye tikhatsi, natsi kungase kudzingeke kutsi sente tincumo letibalulekile kute sihlale endleleni lefanele. Nangabe loko kwenteka kuwe, cabanga lapho uya khona nobe ngemgomo wakho—kudvumisa Jehova ngako konkhe lokwentako futsi ubalekele kwenta nobe yini lengakukhweshisa kuye. (Fundza Hebheru 3:12.) Kulesihloko nakulesi lesilandzelako, sitawuhlola tintfo letisikhombisa ekuphileni lokungakafaneli sitivumele tisikhweshise kuJehova.

4. Yini leyenta kubaluleke kuba nemsebenti wekutiphilisa?

⁴ EmaKhristu kufanele atinakekele aphindze anakekele nemindeni yawo. LiBhayibheli litsi nangabe umuntfu  angafuni kunakekela umndeni wakhe, mubi kakhulu kunemuntfu longakholwa. (2 Thes. 3:10; 1 Thim. 5:8) Kuyacaca-ke kutsi umsebenti wekutiphilisa uyincenye yekuphila lebalulekile, kodvwa nawungakanaki umsebenti nemigomo yakho kungakukhweshisa kuJehova. Kungenteka njani loko?

5. Ngukuphi lokufanele ucabangisise ngako ngembikwekutsi wemukele umsebenti lotsite?

⁵ Ase sitsi ufuna umsebenti. Nangabe uhlala eveni lokumatima kutfola umsebenti kulo, ungase ulingeke kutsi utsatse nome ngumuphi umsebenti lowutfolako. Kutsiwani-ke nangabe lomsebenti unetintfo letiphikisana netimiso teliBhayibheli? Utawenta njani nangabe ungakuvumeli kutsi wente imisebenti yebuKhristu nobe ube nesikhatsi nemndeni wakho? Kufanele yini uwemukele lomsebenti ngobe ucabanga kutsi kuncono kuba nalowo msebenti lonetinkinga kunekutsi ungasebenti? Khumbula kutsi kukhetsa indlela lengakalungi kungakukhweshisa kuJehova. (Heb. 2:1) Nangabe ufuna umsebenti nobe uhlolisisa umsebenti lonawo nyalo, ungatenta njani tincumo letihlakaniphile?

6, 7. (a) Ngumiphi imigomo umuntfu langaba nayo ngemsebenti wekutiphilisa? (b) Ngumuphi umgomo longakusondzeta kuJehova, futsi kungenteka njani loko?

⁶ Njengobe kuvetiwe ekucaleni, cabangisisa ngalapho uya khona. Ungase utibute: ‘Yini lomsebenti lotangentela yona?’ Nangabe utsatsa umsebenti njengendlela yekutiphilisa—yekutinakekela wena nemndeni wakho emsebentini waJehova—Jehova utayibusisa imetamo yakho. (Mat. 6:33) Jehova akadideki nawulahlekelwa ngumsebenti nobe uba netinkinga tetemnotfo. (Isa. 59:1) ‘Uyakwati kubakhulula ekulingweni labo labesaba Yena.’—2 Phet. 2:9.

⁷ Kutsiwani-ke nangabe umgomo wakho ukuba nemcebo? Mhlawumbe ungaphumelela kuloko. Kodvwa ngisho nobe kunjalo, khumbula kutsi ‘kuphumelela’ kungaba nemiphumela longeke ukhone kuyetfwala. (Fundza 1 Thimothi 6:9, 10.) Kunaka kakhulu umcebo nemigomo yakho, kungakukhweshisa kuJehova.

8, 9. Yini batali lokufanele bacabangisise ngayo ngemsebenti wabo wekutiphilisa? Chaza.

⁸ Nangabe ungumtali, cabanga ngekutsi sibonelo sakho sibatsintsa njani bantfwana bakho. Yini labayibona ibaluleke kakhulu kuwe—ngumsebenti wakho nobe buhlobo bakho naJehova? Nangabe babona kutsi tintfo letita kucala kuwe kufuna kwatiwa bantfu, kuhlonishwa ngesizatfu setintfo lonato nekuba nemcebo, bangase basilingise yini lesibonelo sakho lesiyingoti? Bangase bangakuhloniphi yini njengemtali wabo? Lomunye umKhristu losemusha utsi: “Nangikhumbula kahle, babe wami abematasatasa kakhulu ngemsebenti wakhe. Ekucaleni, bekubonakala shengatsi usebenta matima ngobe afuna umndeni wakitsi ube nalokuncono kakhulu. Abengafuni seswele lutfo. Kodvwa eminyakeni lembalwa leyendlulile, kukhona lokwashintja. Wagcine sekasebenta njalo futsi asitsengela tintfo letidulile lesingatidzingi. Ngaleso sizatfu, bantfu besebati kutsi umndeni wakitsi unemali lenyenti kunekutsi basati ngekutsi singumndeni lokhutsata bantfu kutsi babe nebuhlobo lobuhle naNkulunkulu. Kuloko babe langinika kona, ngingakhetsa kungisekela kwakhe kutsi ngibe nebuhlobo lobuhle naNkulunkulu hhayi imali langinika yona.”

⁹ Batali, ningatikhweshisi kuJehova ngekutsi ninake kakhulu imisebenti yenu. Ngesibonelo senu, khombisani bantfwana benu kutsi niyakholelwa kutsi umcebo loncono kakhulu lesingaba nawo kuba nebuhlobo lobuhle naNkulunkulu, hhayi tintfo lesinato.—Mat. 5:3.

10. Yini umuntfu losemusha langacabanga ngayo nakafuna kutibekela umgomo lotsite?

¹⁰ Nangabe usemusha futsi ufuna kutibekela umgomo lotsite, ungayikhetsa njani indlela lefanele? Njengobe sesicoce ngako loku, kudzingeka wati kutsi uyaphi.  Kuceceshwa kanye nemsebenti lofuna kuwutsatsa kungakuvumela yini kutsi ufune uMbuso kucala nobe kutakukhweshisa kuJehova? (2 Thim. 4:10) Umgomo wakho kufuna kulingisa labo injabulo yabo lelawulwa kuba nemali lenyenti ebhange yini? Nobe utawukhetsa kuciniseka njengaDavide, lowabhala watsi: “Bengingumntfwana, manje sengimdzala, angizange sengimbone lolungile alahliwe, ngisho nebantfwabakhe abahambi bacela kudla.” (Hla. 37:25) Khumbula kutsi lenye indlela ingakukhweshisa kuJehova, kantsi lenye ingakuholela ekuphileni lokuncono kakhulu. (Fundza Taga 10:22; Malakhi 3:10.) Nguyiphi indlela wena lotayikhetsa? *

11. LiBhayibheli litsini ngekutijabulisa, kodvwa yini lokufanele siyikhumbule?

¹¹ LiBhayibheli alisho kutsi kubi kutijabulisa nobe litsi kutijabulisa kudlala ngesikhatsi. Pawula wabhalela Thimothi watsi: “Kwetayeta umtimba ngekwelula imisipha kunenzuzo kwesikhashana nje.” (1 Thim. 4:8) LiBhayibheli lize litsi ‘kunesikhatsi sekuhleka’ ‘nesikhatsi sekugidza,’ futsi lisikhutsata kutsi sibe nesikhatsi lesenele sekuphumula. (Shu. 3:4; 4:6) Nobe kunjalo, nawungakanaki, kutijabulisa kungakukhweshisa kuJehova. Njani? Ingoti lenkhulu iseticini letimbili—luhlobo lwekutijabulisa lolukhetsako kanye nesikhatsi losicitsa kuko.

12. Ngutiphi tintfo lokufanele ucabange ngato nawukhetsa tekutijabulisa?

¹² Kwekucala, kufanele sicabangisise ngeluhlobo lwekutijabulisa lesilukhetsako. Ciniseka ngekutsi ungatitfola tindlela tekutijabulisa letikahle. Kuliciniso kutsi tindlela tekutijabulisa letikhona lamuhla tikhutsata tintfo Nkulunkulu langatitsandzi, letifaka ekhatsi budlova, kusebentisa imimoya nekutiphatsa kabi ngekwemacasi. Ngako-ke, kudzingeka siluhlolisise luhlobo lwekutijabulisa lesilukhetsako. Loko kukutsintsa njani wena? Kukukhutsata kutsi ube silwi, utigcabhe ngaloko lonako nobe ube nelubandlululo ngebantfu bakulamanye emave? (Taga 3:31) Kukucedzela imali yini? Kungabakhuba yini labanye bantfu? (Rom. 14:21) Kutijabulisa lokukhetsako kukwenta utihlanganise nebantfu labanjani? (Taga 13:20) Kukukhutsata  kutsi wente tintfo letimbi yini?—Jak. 1:14, 15.

13, 14. Yini lokudzingeka ucabange ngayo mayelana nesikhatsi losicitsa utijabulisa?

¹³ Cabanga nangesikhatsi losicitsa utijabulisa. Tibute: ‘Ngicitsa sikhatsi lesinyenti yini ngitijabulisa ngize ngingabi naso nesikhatsi sekwenta imisebenti yaNkulunkulu?’ Nangabe ukhetsa kucitsa sikhatsi lesinyenti utijabulisa, utawutfola kutsi awujabuli ngendlela lobowungatsandza kujabula ngayo. Liciniso likutsi labo labangacitsi sikhatsi lesinyenti batijabulisa, bajabula kakhulu. Yini lebangela loko? Kungobe bayati kutsi bacale benta “lokuncono” kakhulu, ngako bete umuva wekutisola nasebatijabulisa.—Fundza Filiphi 1:10, 11.

¹⁴ Nanobe kucitsa sikhatsi lesinyenti sitijabulisa kungabonakala kukuhle, kodvwa kutsatsa leyo ndlela kungase kusikhweshise kuJehova. Kim, dzadze loneminyaka lengu-20 budzala wahlangabetana nesimo lesinjalo. Utsi: “Bengiba khona kuyo yonkhe imicimbi. Njalo ngetimphelasontfo—ngaLesihlanu, uMgcibelo nangeliSontfo, bekuba nemicimbi lemikhulu. Kodvwa nyalo ngiyabona kutsi kunetintfo letinyenti letibalulekile lokufanele ngitente. Sibonelo saloku kutsi njengobe ngilihlahlandlela, ngivuka ekuseni ngensimbi yesitfupha kute ngiye ensimini, ngako angeke ngikhone kuba semicimbini kute kushaye insimbi yesibili ekuseni. Ngiyati kutsi akusiyo yonkhe imicimbi lemibi, kodvwa ingakuphatamisa kakhulu. Kufanele ibekwe endzaweni yayo, njengobe kunjalo ngaletinye tintfo.”

15. Batali bangabasita njani bantfwana babo kutsi babe netikhatsi letimnandzi tekutijabulisa?

¹⁵ Batali banemtfwalo wekutinakekela kanye newekunakekela tidzingo tebantfwana babo, kutifundzisa bona kanye nebantfwana babo ngaNkulunkulu nekunaka imivelo yabo. Loko kufaka ekhatsi nekutijabulisa. Nangabe ungumtali, ungatsatsi tonkhe tindlela tekutijabulisa njengaletimbi. Kodvwa-ke, kufanele uticaphele tindlela tekutijabulisa letimbi. (1 Khor. 5:6) Nawenta imetamo yekukhetsa kahle tekutijabulisa, ungatitfola tindlela letitawusebenta emndenini wenu. * Ngaleyo ndlela, wena nebantfwana bakho nitawukhetsa indlela letawunisondzeta kuJehova.

16, 17. Ngusiphi simo lesibuhlungu lesehlele batali labanyenti, futsi sati njani kutsi Jehova uyabucondza lobo buhlungu?

¹⁶ Kusondzelana lokusemkhatsini wemtali nemntfwana, kunemandla kakhulu futsi naJehova usebentisa lobo buhlobo kute afananise lutsandvo lanalo ngebantfu bakhe. (Isa. 49:15) Ngako-ke, kuyintfo levamile kudzabuka lapho lilunga lemndeni lesilitsandzako lishiya Jehova. Naku lokwashiwo ngulomunye dzadze, indvodzakati yakhe leyayekeliswa kuba nguFakazi: “Ngaba lusizi kakhulu, futsi ngatibuta nekutsi, ‘Yini lemente washiya Jehova?’ Ngaba nemuva welicala futsi bengitisola mine.”

¹⁷ Jehova uyabucondza buhlungu lobuvako. Naye “watisola” ngesikhatsi lilunga lemndeni wakhe wasemhlabeni lihlubuka, nalapho bantfu labebaphila ngembikwaZamcolo nabo bahlubuka. (Gen. 6:5, 6) Kungase kube matima kulabo labangakase balahlekelwe ngalendlela kubona kutsi kubuhlungu kangakanani kuba kuleso simo. Nobe kunjalo, angeke kube kuhlakanipha kuvumela kuyekeliswa kwelilunga lemndeni kuba nguFakazi kutsi kusikhweshise kuJehova. Ngako-ke, singabubeketelela njani buhlungu lobubangelwa kutsi lilunga lemndeni lishiye Jehova?

18. Yini lokufanele yente batali bangatisoli bona nangabe umntfwana ashiya Jehova?

¹⁸ Ungatisoli ngaloko lokwentekile. Jehova unike bantfu inkhululeko yekutikhetsela,  futsi lilunga ngalinye lemndeni lelitinikele laphindze labhajatiswa, kufanele ‘litetfwalele umtfwalo walo.’ (Gal. 6:5) Jehova ubuka lesoni—hhayi wena—njengaleso lesiyolandzisa ngaloko lesikwentile. (Hez. 18:20) Ngako-ke, ungasoli labanye bantfu. Tihloniphe tindlela taJehova tekuniketa siyalo. Melana naDeveli, hhayi nebelusi labavikele libandla.—1 Phet. 5:8, 9.

19, 20. (a) Yini lengentiwa batali bebantfwana labayekelisiwe kuba boFakazi kute babeketelele buhlungu lababuvako? (b) Nguliphi litsemba batali labanjalo labanalo?

¹⁹ Ngakulokunye, nangabe ukhetsa kulahla Jehova, usuke utikhweshisa kuye. Ecinisweni, kuto tonkhe tintfo lelilunga lemndeni wakho lelifuna kukubona utenta, kuba sedvute naJehova—lokufaka ekhatsi kuba nebuhlobo lobuhle nemndeni wakho. Ngako-ke, kute ubeketelele lesimo, bani nebuhlobo lobuhle naNkulunkulu. Ungatehlukanisi nebazalwane kanye nabodzadze labangemaKhristu letsembekile. (Taga 18:1) Thantaza kuJehova umtjele ngendlela lotiva ngayo. (Hla. 62:7, 8) Ungenti taba kute utihlanganise nelilunga lemndeni leliyekelisiwe kuba nguFakazi, mhlawumbe ulitfumelele imilayeto. (1 Khor. 5:11) Bani matasatasa ngemisebenti yaNkulunkulu. (1 Khor. 15:58) Lodzadze lesikhulume ngaye ngenhla, utsi: “Ngiyati kutsi kufanele ngibe matasatasa emsebentini waJehova futsi ngigcine buhlobo bami naye bucinile kute ngikhone kusita indvodzakati yami nayibuya kuJehova.”

²⁰ LiBhayibheli litsi lutsandvo “lwetsemba tintfo tonkhe.” (1 Khor. 13:4, 7) Akusikubi kuba nelitsemba lekutsi umuntfu lomtsandzako utawubuya akhonte Nkulunkulu. Njalo ngemnyaka, bantfu labanyenti labebayekelisiwe kuba boFakazi bayaphendvuka babuye enhlanganweni yaJehova. Jehova akabatfukutseleli ngekuphendvuka kwabo. Ngalokwehlukile kuloko, ‘ukulungele kutsetselela.’—Hla. 86:5.

21, 22. Yini lotimisele kuyenta ngenkhululeko yakho yekutikhetsela?

²¹ Jehova unike bantfu bakhe inkhululeko yekutikhetsela. (Fundza Dutheronomi 30:19, 20.) Kodvwa njengobe banalenkhululeko, banemitfwalo yekwenta tincumo. UmKhristu ngamunye kufanele atibute: ‘Mine ngikuyiphi indlela? Ngiwuvumele yini umsebenti, kutijabulisa nobe buhlobo bami nemndeni wami kutsi kungikhweshise kuJehova?’

²² Lutsandvo Jehova lanalo ngebantfu bakhe alupheli. Singatikhweshisa kuJehova nangabe sikhetsa kulandzela indlela lengakalungi. (Rom. 8:38, 39) Ngako-ke, akukafaneli loko kwenteke! Kwente umgomo wakho kutsi ungavumeli nobe yini ikukhweshise kuJehova. Sihloko lesilandzelako sitawucoca ngetindlela letine lesingakukhombisa ngato loko.