Ukuthozama—Uphawu Oludala Uxolo
Hayi indlela ebekunokuba mnandi ngayo emhlabeni ukuba wonk’ umntu ebenokuthozama. Abantu bebengayi kuthanda ukunyanzelisa, amalungu entsapho ebengayi kusoloko exabana, iinkampani bezingayi kuthanda ukukhuphisana kwaye neentlanga bezingayi kulwa. Ngaba ungathanda ukuphila kwindawo enjalo?
ABAKHONZI bokwenyaniso bakaYehova uThixo balungiselela ihlabathi lakhe elitsha alithembisileyo, apho bonke abantu bengayi kugqala ukuthozama njengophawu lokuba buthathaka, kodwa beza kukujonga njengokomelela nophawu oluthandekayo. (2 Petros 3:13) Enyanisweni, kwanangoku bayaluhlakulela uphawu lokuthozama. Ngoba? Isizathu esikhethekileyo sesokuba uYehova ufuna benjenjalo. Umprofeti wakhe uMika wabhala: “Ukuxelele, mntundini wasemhlabeni, okulungileyo. Kwaye yintoni ayibizayo kuwe uYehova ngaphandle kokuqhelisela okusesikweni nokuthanda ububele nokuthozama ekuhambeni noThixo wakho?”—Mika 6:8.
Igama elithi ukuthozama lineentsingiselo eziliqela, ezinjengethi ukungabi nekratshi, okanye impakamo, nokungaqhayisi ngezinto ubani akwaziyo ukuzenza, ngezinto aziphumezileyo nangezinto anazo. Ngokutsho kwenye incwadi, ukuthozama kusenokuthetha “ukuzisikela imida.” Umntu othozamileyo uphila phakathi kwemida yehambo elungileyo. Kwakhona uyazi ukuba oko afanele akwenze nanokukwenza kusikelwe umda. Uyazi ukuba kukho izinto angenalungelo lazo. Ngokuqinisekileyo siye sizive sitsalelekile kubantu abathozamileyo. Umbhali wemihobe oliNgesi uJoseph Addison wabhala: “Ayikho into ethandeka ngaphezu kokuthozama kokwenene.”
Ukuthozama akulotyekelo lwemvelo kubantu abangafezekanga. Simele senze umgudu wokuhlakulela olu phawu. ILizwi likaThixo lisikhuthaza ngokusichazela ngeziganeko eziliqela ezichaza iindidi ngeendidi zokuthozama.
Ookumkani Ababini Abathozamileyo
Omnye wabona bakhonzi bakaYehova abanyanisekileyo yayinguDavide, owathi esengumfana wathanjiswa njengowayeza kuba ngukumkani wakwaSirayeli kwixesha elizayo. Emva koko, uKumkani uSawule owayelawula wafaka uDavide engxakini ngokuzama ukumbulala nangokumnyanzela ukuba aphile njengembacu.—1 Samuweli 16:1, 11-13; 19:9, 10; 26:2, 3.
Kwanaphantsi kwezo meko, uDavide wayeqonda ukuba oko wayenokukwenza ukuze akhusele ubomi bakhe kwakusikelwe umda. Ngeny’ imini xa wayesentlango, uDavide akazange avume ukunika uAbhishayi imvume yokwenzakalisa uKumkani uSawule owayelele, esithi: “Makube lee, kum, ngokwembono kaYehova, ukolula isandla sam nxamnye nothanjisiweyo kaYehova!” (1 Samuweli 26:8-11) UDavide wayesazi ukuba kwakungeyombopheleleko yakhe ukususa uSawule kwisikhundla sokuba ngukumkani. Ngaloo ndlela uDavide wabonisa ukuthozama ngesi sihlandlo ngokuzigcina ephakathi kwemida efanelekileyo yokuziphatha. Ngokufanayo, abakhonzi bakaThixo bale mihla bayazi ukuba “ngokwembono kaYehova,” kukho izinto abangenako ukuzenza, kwanokuba ubomi bomntu busengozini.—IZenzo 15:28, 29; 21:25.
Unyana kaKumkani uDavide uSolomon naye wabonakalisa ukuthozama xa wayengumfana, nangona wathozama ngendlela eyahluke nje kancinane. Xa uSolomon wabekwa etroneni, waziva engafaneleki ukuba athwale imbopheleleko enzima yokuba ngukumkani. Wathandaza: “Yehova Thixo wam, wena ngokwakho umkhonzi wakho umenze ukumkani esikhundleni sikaDavide ubawo, yaye mna ndiyinkwenkwana. Andikwazi ukuphuma nokungena.” Kucacile ukuba uSolomon wayesazi ukuba akanabuchule yaye akanamava. Ngoko wathozama, akaba nekratshi okanye impakamo. USolomon wacela ingqiqo kuYehova, ibe wayinikwa.—1 Kumkani 3:4-12.
UMesiya Nomtyenenezi Wendlela Yakhe
Kwiminyaka engaphezu kwe-1 000 emva komhla kaSolomon, uYohane uMbhaptizi wayesenza umsebenzi wokuhlahl’ indlela kaMesiya. Njengomtyenenezi wendlela yaLowo Uthanjisiweyo, uYohane wayezalisekisa isiprofeto seBhayibhile. Ngewayeqhayisile ngelungelo awayenalo. UYohane ngewayezame ukuzizukisa kuba wayesisalamane segazi sikaMesiya. Kodwa uYohane waxelela abanye ukuba yena wayengafanelekeli nkqu nokukhulula umtya wembadada kaYesu. Yaye xa uYesu weza kubhaptizwa kuMlambo iYordan, uYohane wathi: “Indim nje ekufuneka ebhaptizwe nguwe, kutheni na usiza kum?” Oku kubonisa ukuba uYohane wayengengomntu uqhayisayo. Wayethozamile.—Mateyu 3:14; Malaki 4:5, 6; Luka 1:13-17; Yohane 1:26, 27.
Emva kokubhaptizwa kukaYesu, waqalisa ubulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo, eshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo. Nangona uYesu wayengumntu ofezekileyo, wathi: “Andinakwenza nanye into ngokwam . . . Ndifuna, kungekhona ukuthanda kwam, kodwa ukuthanda kwalowo undithumileyo.” Ngaphezu koko, uYesu akazange afune ukuzukiswa ngabantu, kodwa walunikela kuYehova uzuko ngayo yonke into awayeyenza. (Yohane 5:30, 41-44) Okunjani kona ukuthozama!
Ngoko ke, kucacile ukuba abakhonzi abanyanisekileyo bakaYehova—abanjengoDavide, uSolomon, uYohane uMbhaptizi, kwanomntu ofezekileyo uYesu Kristu—babonakalisa ukuthozama. Abazange baqhayise, babengenampakamo, okanye ikratshi, kwaye bazigcina bephakathi kwemida efanelekileyo. Imizekelo yabo isisizathu esaneleyo sokuba abakhonzi bakaYehova bale mihla bahlakulele yaye babonakalise ukuthozama. Kodwa ke, kusekho nezinye izizathu zokwenjenjalo.
Kweli xesha siphila kulo elilelona lizaliswe zizaqunge kwimbali yoluntu, ukuthozama luphawu oluxabiseke gqitha kumaKristu. Kwenza ubani abe seluxolweni noYehova uThixo, nabanye abantu kwakunye nesiqu sakhe.
Ukuba Seluxolweni NoYehova UThixo
Ekuphela kwendlela yokuba seluxolweni noYehova kukuzigcina siphakathi kwemida asibekele yona yonqulo lokwenyaniso. Abazali bethu bokuqala, uAdam noEva, bayitsiba imida eyabekwa nguThixo, kwaye baba ngabantu bokuqala ababa ngamaxhoba okungathozami. Baphulukana nokuma okuhle ababenako noYehova, balahlekelwa likhaya labo, ikamva labo nabubomi babo. (Genesis 3:1-5, 16-19) Onjani ukuba buhlungu umphumo abajamelana nawo!
Masifunde ke koku kusilela kuka-Adam noEva, kuba unqulo lokwenyaniso lusibekela imida yendlela esimele senze ngayo. Ngokomzekelo, iBhayibhile ithi “abahenyuzi, nabanquli-zithixo, nabakrexezi, namadoda agcinelwe iinjongo ezingezozamvelo, namadoda alala namadoda, namasela, nabantu ababawayo, namanxila, nabatshabhisi, nabaphangi abayi kubudla ilifa ubukumkani bukaThixo.” (1 Korinte 6:9, 10) Ngobulumko uYehova ubeka le mida ukuze kulungelwe kwathina, kwaye senza ngobulumko xa singayitsibi loo mida. (Isaya 48:17, 18) IMizekeliso 11:2 isixelela ukuba: “Bunabathozamileyo ubulumko.”
Kuthekani ukuba inkonzo ethile isixelela ukuba sinako ukuyitsiba loo mida size sekunjalo sibe seluxolweni noThixo? Loo nkonzo izama ukusilahlekisa. Kwelinye icala, ukuthozama kuyasinceda sihlakulele ulwalamano olusondeleyo noYehova uThixo.
Ukuba Seluxolweni Nabanye Abantu
Ukuthozama kukwakhuthaza ulwalamano loxolo nabanye abantu. Ngokomzekelo, xa abazali bemisela umzekelo ngokwaneliseka zizinto eziyimfuneko nangokubeka izinto zokomoya kwindawo yokuqala, abantwana badla ngokutyekela ekulandeleni isimo sengqondo esifanayo. Baya kwandula ke abaselula baneliseke lula, kwanokuba abasoloko bekufumana oko bakufunayo. Oko kuya kubanceda baphile ngokuthozama, kwaye intsapho iya kuphila eluxolweni.
Abo bangabaveleli kufuneka bakuphaphele ngokukhethekileyo ukuthozama yaye bangalisebenzisi kakubi igunya labo. Ngokomzekelo, amaKristu ayalelwa oku: “Ningegqithi kwizinto ezibhaliweyo.” (1 Korinte 4:6) Abadala bebandla bayaqonda ukuba abamele banyanzelise ukhetho lwabo kwabanye. Kunoko, basebenzisa iLizwi likaThixo njengesiseko sekhondo elilungileyo kwimibandela yehambo, isinxibo, ukuzilungisa nokuzihlaziya. (2 Timoti 3:14-17) Xa amalungu ebandla ebona ukuba abadala bazigcina bephakathi kwemida abayisikelwe ziZibhalo, oko kuyawakhuthaza ukuba awahlonele loo madoda yaye kufak’ isandla kumoya ofudumeleyo, wothando nowoxolo ebandleni.
Ukuba Seluxolweni Nesiqu Sakho
Abo bathozamileyo bavuzwa ngokuba noxolo lwangaphakathi. Umntu othozamileyo akabi namabhongo. Asithi akanalo usukelo azibekela lona. Ngokomzekelo, usenokunqwenela amalungelo awongezelelekileyo enkonzo, kodwa alindele kuThixo, yaye uzukisa uYehova ngawo nawaphi na amalungelo amaKristu awafumanayo. Akagqalwa njengento ephunyezwa ngumntu ngokwakhe. Oko kwenza loo mntu uthozamileyo asondele ngakumbi kuYehova, “uThixo woxolo.”—Filipi 4:9.
Masithi ke maxa wambi siziva singahoywa ngabanye abantu. Ngaba bekungayi kuba bhetele ukungahoywa ngenxa yokuthozama kunokuba sitsalele ingqalelo kwiziqu zethu ngokungathozami? Abantu abathozamileyo ababi namabhongo agqithisileyo. Ngenxa yoko, baba seluxolweni neziqu zabo, nto leyo eyingenelo kwimpilo-ntle kabani engokweemvakalelo neyasemzimbeni.
Ukuhlakulela Nokulondoloza Ukuthozama
UAdam noEva boyiswa likratshi—utyekelo abaye baludlulisela kwinzala yabo. Yintoni enokusinceda siphephe impazamo eyenziwa ngabazali bethu bokuqala? Sinokuluhlakulela njani uphawu oluhle lokuthozama?
Into yokuqala eya kusinceda kukusiqonda ngokuchanileyo isikhundla esikuso xa sithelekiswa noYehova, uMdali wendalo iphela. Ziziphi izinto esiziphumezileyo esinokuze sithi ziyalingana nezo ziphunyezwe nguThixo? UYehova wabuza umkhonzi wakhe othembekileyo uYobhi esithi: “Wawuphi na ekusekeni kwam umhlaba? Ndixelele, ukuba uyakwazi ukuqonda.” (Yobhi 38:4) UYobhi akazange akwazi ukuphendula. Ngaba nathi asinalwazi, ubuchule kunye namava alinganiselwe ngokufanayo? Ngaba akuyongenelo ukuba siyamkele into yokuba sinamandla alinganiselweyo?
Ngaphezu koko, iBhayibhile iyasixelela: “NgokaYehova umhlaba noko kuwuzalisileyo, umhlaba onemveliso nabo bahlala kuwo.” Oko kuquka “zonke izilwanyana zasendle ezisehlathini, amarhamncwa asezintabeni eziliwaka.” UYehova unako ukuthi: “Yeyam isilivere, negolide yeyam.” (INdumiso 24:1; 50:10; Hagayi 2:8) Ziziphi izinto esinazo esinokuzithelekisa nezikaYehova? Ewe, kwanoyena mntu usisityebi akanasizathu sakuqhayisa ngoko anako! Ngoko ke, kububulumko ukulandela isiluleko esiphefumlelweyo sikampostile uPawulos awasidlulisela kumaKristu aseRoma esithi: “Ngobubele obungasifanelanga endabunikwayo ndixelela wonk’ ubani apho phakathi kwenu ukuba angazicingeli ngaphezu koko amelwe kukuzicingela ngako.”—Roma 12:3.
Njengabakhonzi bakaThixo abanqwenela ukuhlakulela ukuthozama, sifanele sithandazele iziqhamo zomoya—uthando, uvuyo, uxolo, ukuzeka kade umsindo, ububele, ukulunga, ukholo, ubulali nokuzeyisa. (Luka 11:13; Galati 5:22, 23) Ngoba? Kaloku uphawu ngalunye kwezi luya kwenza kube lula ukuba sithozame. Ngokomzekelo, ukuthanda abanye abantu kuya kusinceda ukuba silwe notyekelo lokuqhayisa okanye lokuba nekratshi. Kwaye ukuzeyisa kuya kusenza sikhe sithi xhaa size sicinge ngaphambi kokuba senze into ebonakalisa ikratshi.
Masilumke! Kufuneka sihlale sibeke iliso kwimigibe yekratshi. Ookumkani ababini abakhankanywe ngaphambilana babengasoloko bethozamile. UKumkani uDavide akazange asiphulaphule isilumkiso waza waqhubeka ebala abantu bakwaSirayeli, nto leyo eyayinxamnye nokuthanda kukaYehova. UKumkani uSolomon waba nekratshi kangangokuba wabandakanyeka kunqulo lobuxoki.—2 Samuweli 24:1-10; 1 Kumkani 11:1-13.
Logama le nkqubo ingahloneli Thixo isekho, kufuneka sihlale siphaphile ukuze sithozame. Noko ke, oko kuwufanele umgudu. Kwihlabathi elitsha likaThixo, ibutho labantu liya kuyilwa kuphela ngabantu abathozamileyo. Baya kugqala ukuthozama njengophawu lokomelela, kungekhona olobuthathaka. Hayi indlela ekuya kuba mnandi ngayo xa abantu ngabanye kunye neentsapho zisikelelwa ngoxolo olubangelwa kukuthozama!
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]
Ngokuthozama uYesu walunika uYehova uzuko ngento yonke awayeyenza