EMNYAKENI ogadungileko kuneenkulungwana zabanakwethu abakhethwa bona babeziinceku ezikhonzako namkha abadala emabandleni. Nange ungomunye wabakhethiwekwabo asingabazi ukuthi uwuthokozela khulu umsebenzi ophathiswe wona lo.

Iye khona kuyazwisiseka ukuthi kubayini umsebenzi lo uthusa ngasikhathi. UJason umdala osesemutjha, uthi: “Kwangithusa khulu ngesikhathi ngitjelwa bona ngizokuba mdala, ngangithuswa kukuthi kunomsebenzi omnengi okufuze wenziwe.” UMosi noJoromiya bazizwa bangakufanelekeli ukwenza imisebenzi uJehova abaphathisa yona. (Eks. 4:10; Jor. 1:6) Kungenzeka nawe uzizwa njalo, alo yini engakusiza ulwisane nalokho begodu uthuthuke? Akhesidembe ngokuphila kwakaThimothi, sibone ukuthi yini esingayifunda.—IzE. 16:1-3.

Kungenzeka ukuthi uThimothi bekasemnyakeni yama-20 ngesikhathi uPowula azakukhamba naye ekuvakatjheleni amabandla. Njengombana bekasesemutjha nje, kungezeka bekangazithembi ukuthi angakghona ukuwenza umsebenzi omutjha anikelwe wona lo. (1 Thim. 4:11, 12; 2 Thim. 1:1, 2, 7) Kodwana kwathi ngemva kweminyaka elitjhumi, uPowula watjela ibandla leFilipi, wathi: “Nginethemba lokobana nangabe kuyintando yeKosi uJesu, nginithumele uThimothi msinyana . . . Ngombana anginaye omunye onomkhumbulo ofana newakhe.”—Flp. 2:19, 20.

Yini eyasiza uThimothi waba mdala ophumelelako? Zizinto nanzi ezisithandathu esizokucoca ngazo.

1. Bekabathanda abantu. UPowula watjela ibandla leFilipi, wathi: ‘[UThimothi] uzonitlhogomela kwamambala kilokho okunitshwenyako.’ (Flp. 2:20) Kuyatjho ukuthi uThimothi bekabathanda tle abantu. Kungebangelo asebenza budisi kangaka, alwela ukuthi abanakwabo bahlale batjhidelene noZimu. Begodu bekangakatalelwa bona enze lokho.

Yeke nawe ungafani nabatjhayeli beembhesi abanganandaba nabantu. Kwabo kufika esitopeni ngesikhathi esibekiweko, ukuthi abantu bayakhwela namkha njani abayingeni leyo. UWilliam sekaneminyaka engaphezu kwema-20 angumdala, nakeluleka umdala osanda ukubekwa, uthi: “Thanda abanakwenu nabodadwenu. Ungaqali imisebenzi oyenzeko yehlangano kwaphela, kodwana ziphe isikhathi sabo ubatlhogomele.”

2. Ukutjhumayela bekuqakatheke ukudlula nanyana yini kuye. UThimothi bekahlukile, kungebangelo uPowula athi: “Boke abanye bazifunela kwabo kwaphela, abanandaba nokufunwa nguJesu Krestu.” (Flp. 2:21) UPowula nakatlola incwadi le bekaseRoma. Watjheja ukuthi abanakwethu nabodadwethu bebaphasi phezulu ngezinto zabo, kungebangelo abatlolela. Kuhlekuhle bebangakakukhuthaleli ukutjhumayela. Kodwana uThimothi bekangasinjalo. Kazi bekuthi nakuvela amathuba wokutjhumayela, alingise u-Isaya, athi: “Mina ngikhona, thuma mina.”—Isa. 6:8.

Alo, yini engakusiza ube nesikhathi sokutjhumayela nesokwenza izinto zakho? Into yokuthoma okufuze uyenze, kukwazi ukuthi ngiziphi izinto eziqakathekileko. UPowula wathi: “Niqiniseke ngezinto eziqakatheke khulu.” (Flp. 1:10) Izinto eziqakathekileko kuZimu, akube ngeziqakathekileko nakuwe.  Kwesibili okufuze ukwenze, kulisa izinto ezikudlela isikhathi begodu zikutjhiye udiniwe. UPowula wathi kuThimothi: “Balekela iimfiso zobutjha, kodwana lwela ukulunga, ukukholwa, ithando, ukuthula.”—2 Thim. 2:22.

3. Wazikhandla emsebenzini ocwengileko. UPowula wakhumbuza beFilipi malungana noThimothi, wathi: “Niyabazi ubufakazi abunikelako ngaye, ukuthi njengomntwana osebenza noyise, wasebenza budisi nami ukurhatjha iindaba ezimnandi.” (Flp. 2:22) UThimothi bekangasilivila. Yena noPowula bebasebenza budisi begodu lokho ngikho okwaqinisa ubuhlobo babo bobabili.

Akukho ukuthi umsebenzi mncani ehlanganweni kaJehova namhlanjesi. Kunomsebenzi owanelisako osenza sitjhidelane khudlwana nabanakwethu nabodadwethu. Yeke kwenze umgomwakho ‘ukuhlala unokunengi kokukwenza emsebenzini weKosi.’—1 Kor. 15:58.

4. Wakusebenzisa akufundako. UPowula watlolela uThimothi wathi: “Wena wayilandela ngokuseduze ifundiswami, ikambo yokuphila kwami, umnqophwami, ukukholwa kwami, ukubekezela kwami, ithando lami, ukukghodlhelela kwami.” (2 Thim. 3:10) Wanikelwa imisebenzi eminengi ngombana bekakwenza ebekakufunda.—1 Kor. 4:17.

Inga-kghani usesenabo abantu oqalelela kibo njengeembonelo ezihle? Nange unganabo kubayini ungabafuni? Omunye umdala ibizo lakhe linguTom nakasitjela ngendaba le uthi: “Kunomdala obekangumakadabona, owazitjhideza kimi wangibandula. Qobe bengihlala ngifuna ukuzwa umbonwakhe begodu ngazilalela iinluleko zakhe. Lokho kwangeza ngazithemba.”

5. Wahlala azibandula. UPowula wayelelisa uThimothi bona ‘azibandule ngomnqopho wokuzinikela kuZimu.’ (1 Thim. 4:7) Nanyana umgijimi anombanduli kodwana kusafuze naye azibandule. UPowula wakhuthaza uThimothi wathi: “Ragela phambili nokuzinikela ekufundeni tjhatjhalazi, ekukhuthazeni nekufundiseni. . . . Cabangisisa ngezintwezi; udzimelele kizo, ukuze ituthukwakho ibe sebaleni kiwo woke umuntu.”—1 Thim. 4:13-15.

Nawe kufuze uthuthukise amakghonwakho. Ungavumeli ubuhlobo bakho noZimu buphele, kunalokho yiba mfundi okhutheleko weBhayibheli, lokho kuzokusiza uhlale ukhambisana nehlangano. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ungazithembi khulu. Kungenzeka njani lokho? Mhlamunye ungazitjela ukuthi ungaqalana nananyana ngibuphi ubujamo ngaphandle kokwenza irhubhululo eencwadini zehlangano. Lingisa uThimothi ‘ngokuhlala uzitjheja wena nokufundisa kwakho.’—1 Thim. 4:16.

6. Wathembela emmoyeni ocwengileko kaJehova. UPowula wakhumbuza uThimothi ngomsebenzakhe wokutjhumayela, wathi: “Vikela igugweli oliphathiswe ngommoya ocwengileko, onzinze kithi.” (2 Thim. 1:14) Bona avikele umsebenzi anikelwe wona wokutjhumayela, bekuqakathekile bona athembele emmoyeni ocwengileko kaZimu.

UDonald osele aqede amatjhumi weminyaka amdala webandla, uthi: “Amadoda akhethiweko kufuze abuhloniphe ubuhlobo bawo noZimu. Nawenza njalo ‘azokuragela phambili ngamandla.’ Nawathandazela ummoya kaZimu ocwengileko bewalwele nokuthi abe nobuntu obulethwa mmoya lo, azokwenza ibandla libusiseke khulu.”—Rhu. 84:8; 1 Pit. 4:11.

Kuyakhuthaza ukubona abanakwethu khulukhulu abakhethiweko njengawe nje bathuthuka bebasetjenziswa nguJehova. UJason ekhesakhuluma ngaye, uthi: “Esikhathini engibe ngaso mdala webandla, ngifunde izinto ezinengi begodu nokuzithemba kwami kwakhula. Nje ngisithabela khulu isabelo samesi begodu kulilungelo ukusenza!”

Inga-kghani uzokuragela phambili uthuthukisa ubuhlobo bakho noZimu? Kwenze umgomwakho ukufunda kuThimothi. Ngalokho nawe uzokuba sibusiso ebantwini bakaZimu.