ABANTU ABANENGI BAJAYELE UKUTHI INOTHO YIYO ENGENZA UTHOKOZE FUTHI UPHUMELELE. Lokhu sekwenze ukuthi abantu abanengi basebenze ubusuku lemini ukuze bakhande imali. Kodwa imali kanye lempahla kungenza umuntu athole intokozo engapheliyo yini? Ubufakazi buthini?

Elinye ibhuku elikhuluma ngentokozo lithi nxa umuntu elezinto eziqakathekileyo empilweni kodwa abesezama ukuthola okunengi ngokusebenza nzima akusoze kumenze athokoze. Uhlupho ayisiyomali. Esinye isihloko esaphuma kweyinye imagazini sathi, “Ukuyigijimisa [imali] kwenza umuntu angathokozi.” Amazwi la afanana leseluleko esiseBhayibhilini esesileminyaka engaba ngu-2 000 salotshwa: “Ukuthanda imali kuyimpande yezinhlobo zonke zobubi. Abanye abantu, ngokutshisekela imali, . . . bazibangele izinsizi ezinengi.” (1 KuThimothi 6:9, 10) Izinsizi lezo zigoqelani?

UKUKHATHAZEKA LOKUNGABUQUTHI UBUTHONGO NGENXA YOKUTHI INOTHO KUMELE IVIKELWE. “Bumnandi ubuthongo besisebenzi, loba sisidla okuncane loba okunengi, kodwa isinothi asilali ngenxa yenotho yaso.”​—UmTshumayeli 5:12.

UKUDANA NXA UNGASAYITHOLANGA INTOKOZO OBUYIKHANGELELE. Okunye okubangela ukudana lokhu yikuthi imali kayisuthwa. “Lowo othanda imali akaneliswa yiloba yimalini; lowo othanda inotho akasuthiswa yilokho akuzuzayo.” (UmTshumayeli 5:10) Kanti njalo ukugijimisa inotho kungenza umuntu atshiye ukwenza izinto eziqakathekileyo ezingenza athokoze ezifanana lokuba lesikhathi lemuli labangane kumbe ukwenza izinto eziphathelane lokukhonza uNkulunkulu.

UKUHLULUKELWA LOKUZONDA NXA IMALI KUMBE EZOMNOTHO ZISIWA. “Ungazihlukuluzi uzigugise ngomsebenzi uzama inotho; hlakanipha wazi ukuzikhuza. Ungayibona manje inotho, masinyane isinyamalele, ngoba ngempela izamila impiko iphaphele emkhathini njengengqungqulu.”​—IZaga 23:4, 5.

UKUSUTHISEKA. “Akulalutho esalulethayo emhlabeni, njalo akulalutho esingasuka lalo kuwo. Kodwa uma silokudla lezigqoko kumele sisuthiseke ngalokho.” (1 KuThimothi 6:7, 8) Abantu abasuthisekayo abajayelanga ukukhonona kumbe ukusola futhi lokhu kwenza ukuthi bangabi lomhawu. Abakhathazeki kakhulu ngoba abazihluphi ngokudinga izinto abakwaziyo ukuthi abalamali yokuzithenga.

UKUPHA. ‘Ukupha kubusisekile ukwedlula ukwamukela.’ (ImiSebenzi 20:35) Abantu abaphanayo bayathokoza ngoba benza abanye bathokoze, lanxa besipha ngesikhathi esincane abalaso langamandla abo. Bathola okunengi okungeke kuthengwe ngemali okugoqela uthando, inhlonipho kanye labangane beqiniso abaphanayo.​—ULukha 6:38.

UKUQAKATHEKISA ABANTU KULENOTHO. “Kungcono ukutsheba ngemibhida lapho okulothando khona, kulokudla inyama enonileyo okugcwele khona inzondo.” (IZaga 15:17) Sifundani evesini le? Ukuba lobudlelwano obuhle labanye kungcono kakhulu kulokuba lenotho. Kanti njalo nxa sifuna ukuthokoza kuqakathekile ukuthi sibe lothando njengoba kuzachasiswa esihlokweni esiphambili.

Owesifazana okuthiwa nguSabina oseSouth America wafunda ukuthi kuqakathekile ukusebenzisa lokho iBhayibhili elikutshoyo. Ngemva kokubalekelwa ngumkakhe, uSabina wathwala nzima ukuthi azinakekele yena futhi anakekele lamadodakazi akhe amabili. Wayesebenza imisebenzi emibili njalo evuka ngo-4 ekuseni. Lanxa wayethwele nzima uSabina wabona kungcono ukuthi afunde iBhayibhili. Kwaphetha ngani?

Lanxa engazange athole imali enengi, indlela ayesebona ngayo impilo yantshintsha. Ngokwesibonelo wathola intokozo ngenxa yokuthi wayeseqakathekisa ukukhonza uNkulunkulu. (ULukha 11:28) Wathola abangane beqiniso ebandleni futhi wathola intokozo ngokutshela abanye lokho ayekufundile.

IBhayibhili lithi: “Ukuhlakanipha kuyaziveza ukuqonda kwakho ngezenzo zakho.” (UMathewu 11:19) Ngakho siyabe sitshengisa ukuthi sihlakaniphile nxa sisuthiseka, sisipha njalo siqakathekisa abantu kulenotho.