Ngaba uyiqaphele into yokuba iinkonzo ezininzi zizimisele ukwenza imali kunokunceda abantu bakwazi ukunqula uThixo? Zixelela abantu ngezinto abazithengisayo baze abantu bazithenge kubo. Iinkokheli zazo ezininzi zibhatalwa imali eninzi ibe ziphila ubomi bezityebi. Khawujonge le mizekelo imbalwa ilandelayo:

•   Olunye uphando lubonise ukuba omnye uBhishophu wamaKatolika kwiminyaka eyi-13 edluleyo uye wasebenzisa imali yecawa kwinqwelo-moya yakhe kayi-150 waza wabhatala nemoto ekuthiwa yilimozini kayi-200. Uye wasebenzisa nemali engaphezu kweedola eziyi-4 miliyoni elungisa indlu yecawa ahlala kuyo.

•   Omnye umshumayeli kwilizwe laseAfrika usoloko eqhuba iinkonzo zonqulo eziba nabantu abaninzi. Icawa yakhe enkulu ithengisa izinto ezininzi ezifana neoil eyenza imimangaliso, amalaphu nezikipha ezinobuso bakhe. Nangona abantu abaninzi abaya apho bengenamali, yena unemali eninzi kakhulu.

•   Iintaba ezimbini kwezine ezingcwele zamaBhuda kuye kwathiwa ziinkampani ezaziwayo eChina. Enye itempile eyaziwayo ekuthiwa yiShaolin nayo yaziwa kakhulu ngokuthengisa izinto, ibe umntu ophethe apho ubizwa njengemonki yezoshishino.

•   Ngokutsho kwenye ingxelo, amashishini aseMerika aqesha abantu ukuze bafundise abasebenzi babo ngonqulo.

 Uziva njani ngeecawa ezishishinayo? Ngaba wakha wazibuza ukuba uThixo ucinga ntoni ngabantu abenza imali ngeenkonzo?

 UThixo akakufuni ukudityaniswa kweenkonzo kunye nezoshishino. IBhayibhile ifundisa ukuba kumaxesha angaphambili, uThixo wayengavuyiswa ngababingeleli ababesithi bamela yena kodwa babe ‘befundisa ngexabiso.’ (Mika 3:11) UThixo wazigweba izenzo zokubawa ezabangela indawo yakhe yonqulo yaba ‘yindawo yootsotsi.’—Yeremiya 7:11.

 UYesu wayichaza indlela uThixo abacaphukela ngayo abo basebenzisa unqulo ukuze bafumane imali. Ngexesha lakhe, iinkokheli zonqulo zazifumana imali ngokuvumela abantu ukuba bathengise kwitempile yaseYerusalem. Zazixhaphaza abantu abanyanisekileyo ababezokukhonza. UYesu wabagxotha abo babethengisa eTempileni, wathi: “Sanukwenza indlu kaTata indawo yokuthengisa!”—Yohane 2:14-16.

 UYesu wabonisa indlela uThixo acinga ngayo ngendlela awayesenza ngayo kumsebenzi wakhe wokushumayela. (Yohane 8:28, 29) Zange ababhatalise abantu xa ebafundisa ngoThixo. Naxa wayesenza imimangaliso, esondla abalambileyo, ephilisa abagulayo, evusa nabafileyo, zange afune mali. UYesu zange asebenzise umsebenzi wakhe wokushumayela ukuze abe sisityebi—wayengenayo nendlu le.—Luka 9:58.

 UYesu waxelela abalandeli bakhe ukuba bangafuni mali xa beshumayela naxa benceda abantu. Wathi: “Sanukabhatalisa, kuba nani anibhatalanga.” (Mateyu 10:8) Abalandeli bakhe, abaziwa ngokuba ngamaKristu baye bathobela imiyalelo kaYesu. Jonga le mizekelo:

•   Umpostile uPetros, owayehamba noYesu xa wayeshumayela, wadibana nendoda enguSimon. Le ndoda yayifuna igunya lokuphatha ibe yafuna ukumnika imali. UPetros zange avume ukuthatha loo mali kuSimon, wamlungisa wathi: “Kwanga isilivere yakho ingatshabalala kunye nawe, ngenxa yokuba ucinga ukuba ungathenga isipho sikaThixo sasimahla ngemali.”—IZenzo 8:18-20.

•   Umpostile uPawulos wayengumveleli ohambahambayo. Nangona wasebenza nzima iminyaka emininzi emabandleni, zange azame ukuzenzela imali ngomsebenzi wakhe. Yena namanye amaKristu awayesebenza nawo zange babe ‘ngabathengisi belizwi likaThixo njengabanye abantu.’ (2 Korinte 2:17) Ngokwahlukileyo, uPawulos wathi: “Sasebenza nzima sibulaleka ubusuku nemini. Le nto sayenza ukuze singabi ngumthwalo kuye nabani na kuni xa sinishumayeza iindaba ezilungileyo zikaThixo.”—1 Tesalonika 2:9.

 Kodwa ke, amaKristu okuqala kwakufuneka abe nemali ukuze akwazi ukwenza umsebenzi wokushumayela nokunceda abantu. Babengababhatalisi abantu xa babebanceda ukuze bakwazi ukukhonza uThixo. Abantu babezikhethela ukupha xa befuna, besebenzisa le migaqo:

•   2 Korinte 8:12: “Kaloku ukuba umntu uyafuna ukunikela, umnikelo wakhe wamkelekile kuThixo. UThixo akalindelanga ukuba umntu anikele ngento angenayo, ufuna anikele ngaloo nto anayo.”

   Le nto ithetha ukuba: Isizathu sokunikela sibaluleke ngaphezu komnikelo umntu awenzayo.

•   2 Korinte 9:7: “Umntu ngamnye makanikele ngaloo nto agqibe ngayo entliziyweni yakhe, anganikeli enesikrokro okanye kuba enyanzelwa, kuba uThixo uthanda umntu opha evuya.”

   Le nto ithetha ukuba: UThixo akafuni nabani na ukuba azive enyanzelekile ukuba aphe. Uyavuya xa umntu esipha ngokuzithandela.

 IBhayibhile ikuchaza ngokucacileyo ukuba uThixo akazamkeli zonke iintlobo zonqulo. (Mateyu 7:21-23) Kwisiprofeto sayo, iBhayibhile ifanisa unqulo lobuxoki nehenyukazi kuba lisebenza noorhulumente ukwenza imali nokuxhaphaza abantu bazo zonke iintlanga. (ISityhilelo 17:1-3; 18:3) Esi siprofeto siphinda sibonise ukuba uThixo uza kulugweba ngokukhawuleza unqulo lobuxoki.—ISityhilelo 17:15-17; 18:7.

 Okwangoku, uThixo akafuni unqulo lobuxoki lwenze abantu bangamkhonzi. (Mateyu 24:11, 12) Ucenga abantu abanyanisekileyo ukuba bamkhonze ngendlela ayifunayo baze bashiye unqulo lobuxoki.—2 Korinte 6:16, 17.