Ngubani Na Oya Kusahlula Eluthandweni LukaThixo?
“Thina ke, sinalo uthando, kuba wasithanda kuqala.”—1 YOHANE 4:19.
1, 2. (a) Kutheni kubalulekile kuthi ukwazi ukuba siyathandwa? (b) Luthando lukabani esilufuna ngokwenene?
KUBALULEKE kangakanani kuwe ukwazi ukuba uyathandwa? Ukususela ebusaneni de babe badala, abantu bayaphumelela xa bethandwa. Ngaba ukhe ulubone usana olukwiingalo zikanina zothando? Ngokufuthi, kungakhathaliseki ukuba kwenzeka ntoni kuloo ndawo lukuyo olo sana, xa lukhangele amehlo kanina anoncumo, luyakhululeka, luzive luseluxolweni kwezo ngalo zikanina oluthandayo. Okanye ngaba uyakhumbula ukuba wawunjani ngaloo minyaka yokufikisa ebuntwini obukhulu, eyayisiba nzima ngamaxesha athile? (1 Tesalonika 2:7) Maxa wambi, kusenokwenzeka ukuba wawungazi ukuba ufuna ntoni okanye ungayiqondi nendlela ovakalelwa ngayo, ukanti hayi indlela ekwakubaluleke ngayo ukwazi ukuba uyihlo nonyoko bayakuthanda! Ngaba kwakungeloncedo ukwazi ukuba wawunokubabuza nangayiphi na ingxaki okanye umbuzo? Eneneni, ngalo lonke ixesha lokudla kwethu ubomi, enye yezona zinto sizifuna ngokwenene, kukuthandwa. Uthando olunjalo luyasiqinisekisa ukuba singabantu abaxabisekileyo.
2 Uthando lwenyameko lwabazali bakabani ngokuqinisekileyo lunegalelo ekukhuleni kwakhe kakuhle nasekuzinzeni kwakhe. Ukanti, ukuba nentembelo yokuba uBawo wethu osemazulwini, uYehova, uyasithanda kubaluleke kakhulu kwimpilo-ntle yethu yokomoya nengokweemvakalelo. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba abanye abantu abafunda eli phephancwadi abazange banyanyekelwe ngokwenene ngabazali babo. Ukuba kwakunjalo nakuwe, ungadimazeki. Kwanokuba akuzange ulufumane uthando lwabazali okanye abazange bakuthande ngokwaneleyo, uthando lukaThixo olunyanisekileyo luyasivala eso sikhewu.
3. UYehova uye wabaqinisekisa njani abantu bakhe ngendlela abathanda ngayo?
3 Ngomprofeti wakhe uIsaya, uYehova wabonisa ukuba umama “angalulibala” usana lwakhe, kodwa yena akayi kubalibala abantu bakhe. (Isaya 49:15) Ngokufanayo, uDavide enentembelo wathi: “Nokuba ubawo noma bangandishiya, ke yena uYehova uya kundithabatha.” (INdumiso 27:10) Esinjani sona isiqinisekiso! Enoba zinjani na iimeko zakho, ukuba uye wazahlulela kuYehova uThixo, ufanele uhlale ukhumbula ukuba uthando lwakhe ngawe lungaphezulu lee kunothando lwakhe nawuphi na omnye umntu!
Hlala Eluthandweni LukaThixo
4. AmaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala aqinisekiswa njani ngothando lukaThixo?
4 Waqala nini ukuva ngothando lukaYehova? Mhlawumbi, amava akho aphantse afane nalawo amaKristu enkulungwane yokuqala. Isahluko 5 sencwadi kaPawulos eya kwabaseRoma siyichaza kakuhle indlela aboni ababekade bahlukaniswe noThixo, abaqhelana ngayo nothando lukaYehova. Kwindinyana 5, siyafunda: “Uthando lukaThixo luye lwathululelwa ezintliziyweni zethu ngomoya oyingcwele, esawunikwayo.” Kwindinyana 8, uPawulos wongezelela ngokuthi: “UThixo ubonakalisa uthando lwakhe kuthi ngokuthi, ngoxa sasisengaboni, uKristu asifele.”
5. Yintoni eyakuncedayo ukuze uqonde ubunzulu bothando lukaThixo?
5 Ngendlela efanayo, xa waxelelwa ngenyaniso eseLizwini likaThixo waza waqalisa ukuba nokholo, umoya oyingcwele kaYehova waqalisa ukusebenza entliziyweni yakho. Ngale ndlela waqalisa ukuqonda ukubaluleka koko kwenziwa nguYehova xa wathumela uNyana wakhe amthandayo ukuba akufele. Ngaloo ndlela, uYehova wakunceda waqonda indlela aluthanda ngayo uluntu. Xa waphawula oko, nangona wazalwa ungumoni owahlukanisiweyo naye, uYehova wavula indlela yokuba abantu bavakaliswe bengamalungisa benethemba lobomi obungenasiphelo, ngaba intliziyo yakho ayizange ichukumiseke? Akuzange uzive umthanda uYehova?—Roma 5:10.
6. Kutheni maxa wambi sisenokuziva sikude noYehova?
6 Emva kokuba utsalwe luthando lukaYihlo osemazulwini waza wenza uhlengahlengiso ebomini bakho ukuze wamkeleke kuye, wazahlulela kuThixo. Ngoku unandipha uxolo noThixo. Ukanti, ngaba maxa wambi uye uzive ukude noYehova? Loo nto inokwenzeka kuye nabani na kuthi. Kodwa hlala ukhumbula ukuba uThixo akaguquguquki. Uthando lwakhe aluguquguquki yaye luhlala lukho njengelanga, elingayekiyo ukuthumela imitha yalo efudumeleyo nekhanyisayo emhlabeni. (Malaki 3:6; Yakobi 1:17) Kwelinye icala, thina sinokuguquka—nokuba lixeshana nje elincinane. Njengoko umhlaba ujikeleza, isiqingatha sesi sijikelezi-langa sigutyungelwa bubumnyama. Ngokufanayo, ukuba siyaphambuka kuThixo, enoba kungomlinganiselo omncinane, ulwalamano lwethu kunye naye lunokuphola. Sinokwenza ntoni ukuze silungise loo meko?
7. Ukuzihlolisisa kunokusinceda njani ukuba sihlale eluthandweni lukaThixo?
7 Ukuba siziva sahluliwe ngandlel’ ithile eluthandweni lukaThixo, sifanele sizibuze: ‘Ngaba uthando lukaThixo ndiye ndalugqala njengento engenamsebenzi? Ngaba ngokuthe ngcembe ndiye ndaphambuka kuThixo ophilayo nonothando, ndibonisa ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo ukuba ukholo lwam lubuthathaka? Ngaba ingqondo yam ndiyimilisele “kwizinto zenyama,” kunokuba ndiyimilisele “kwizinto zomoya”?’ (Roma 8:5-8; Hebhere 3:12) Ukuba siye sazahlukanisa noYehova, sinokuthabatha amanyathelo ukuze sikulungise oko, size siphinde sibe nolwalamano olusenyongweni kunye naye. UYakobi uyasibongoza esithi: “Sondelani kuThixo, naye uya kusondela kuni.” (Yakobi 4:8) Nikela ingqalelo kumazwi kaYude athi: “Zintanda, ngokuzakha kolwenu ukholo olulolona lungcwele, nokuthandaza ninomoya oyingcwele, zigcineni kuthando lukaThixo.”—Yude 20, 21.
Ukuguquka Kweemeko Akuluchaphazeli Uthando LukaThixo
8. Ziziphi izinto ezinokuguquka ngequbuliso ebomini bethu?
8 Kule nkqubo yezinto, ubomi bethu bunokuguquka kaninzi. UKumkani uSolomon wathi ‘sonke sehlelwa lixesha nasisihlo esingenakubonwa kwangaphambili.’ (INtshumayeli 9:11) Ubomi bethu busenokuguquka ngokupheleleyo, ngephanyazo nje. Namhlanje sisenokuba sempilweni, kuse ngomso silele ngandletyana nye. Namhlanje umsebenzi wethu wempangelo ubonakala uzinzile, kuse ngomso siphelelwe ngumsebenzi. Umntu esimthandayo usenokufa ngequbuliso. Kwilizwe elithile, amaKristu asenokuba seluxolweni okwexeshana, kuze ngequbuliso kuvele intshutshiso ekrakra. Mhlawumbi sisenokutyholwa, size ngenxa yoku, siphathwe ngendlela engekho sikweni. Ewe, ubomi abuzinzanga yaye asinakuqiniseka ngabo ngokupheleleyo.—Yakobi 4:13-15.
9. Kutheni kufanelekile ukuqwalasela inxalenye ethile kwabaseRoma isahluko 8?
9 Xa sisehlelwa zizinto ezibuhlungu, sisenokuqalisa ukuziva silahliwe, side sicinge nokuba uThixo akasasithandi ngendlela awayesithanda ngayo. Ekubeni sonke sisenokwehlelwa zizinto ezinjalo, kufanelekile ukuba siwaqwalasele kakuhle amazwi athuthuzelayo kampostile uPawulos abhalwe kwabaseRoma isahluko 8. Loo mazwi ayebhekiswa kumaKristu athanjiswe ngomoya. Ukanti, abhekisela nakwabo bezinye izimvu, abaye bavakaliswa bengamalungisa njengabahlobo bakaThixo, njengoko kwakunjalo ngoAbraham kumaxesha angaphambi kobuKristu.—Roma 4:20-22; Yakobi 2:21-23.
10, 11. (a) Ziziphi izityholo abatyholwa ngazo maxa wambi abantu bakaThixo ziintshaba? (b) Kutheni ezo zityholo zingawakhathazi kangako nje amaKristu?
10 Funda abaseRoma 8:31-34. UPawulos uyabuza: “Ukuba uThixo ungakuthi, ngubani na oya kuba nxamnye nathi?” Liyinyaniso elokuba, uSathana nehlabathi lakhe elingendawo banxamnye nathi. Iintshaba zethu zisenokusityhola ngobuxoki, kwanakwiinkundla zehlabathi. Abanye abazali abangamaKristu baye batyholwa kusithiwa babathiyile abantwana babo ngenxa yokungavumi ukuba bamkele iindlela zonyango ezingqubanayo nomthetho kaThixo okanye ngenxa yokungabavumeli ukuba babe nenxaxheba kwimibhiyozo yobuhedeni. (IZenzo 15:28, 29; 2 Korinte 6:14-16) Amanye amaKristu athembekileyo aye atyholwa ngelithi avukela urhulumente ngenxa yokuba engavumi ukubulala abanye abantu emfazweni okanye ngenxa yokungavumi ukubandakanyeka kwezobupolitika. (Yohane 17:16) Abanye abachasi baye basasaza ubuxoki kumaziko eendaba, bade batyhola amaNgqina kaYehova ngokuba lihlelo eliyingozi.
11 Kodwa mus’ ukulibala ukuba ngemihla yabapostile, kwathiwa: “Siyazi ukuba eli hlelo lichasiwe kuyo yonk’ indawo.” (IZenzo 28:22) Zinamsebenzi ngantoni izityholo zobuxoki? NguThixo ovakalisa amaKristu okwenyaniso engamalungisa, ngokusekelwe kukholo lwawo kwidini likaKristu. Yintoni ebinokwenza uYehova ayeke ukuthanda abanquli bakhe emva kokuba ebanike esona sipho sixabisekileyo—uNyana wakhe amthandayo? (1 Yohane 4:10) Ekubeni uKristu evusiwe kwabafileyo waza wabekwa ngakwisandla sokunene sikaThixo, ubongozela amaKristu. Ngubani onokukucel’ umngeni ukuthethelela kukaKristu abalandeli bakhe okanye ngubani onokuphumelela ukucel’ umngeni uThixo xa ebonakalisa uxabiso ngabantu bakhe abathembekileyo? Akukho namnye!—Isaya 50:8, 9; Hebhere 4:15, 16.
12, 13. (a) Ziziphi iimeko ezingenakusahlula eluthandweni lukaThixo? (b) Yintoni injongo kaMtyholi yokubangela ezi meko zinzima? (c) Kutheni amaKristu esoyisa ngokupheleleyo?
12 Funda abaseRoma 8:35-37. Ngaphandle kokuba sizahlule ngokwethu, ngaba ukho nabani na okanye nantoni na enokusahlula eluthandweni lukaYehova noNyana wakhe, uKristu Yesu? USathana unokusebenzisa abameli bakhe ukuba bafake amaKristu engxakini. Kwinkulungwane edluleyo, uninzi lwabazalwana noodade wethu abangamaKristu, kumazwe amaninzi luye lwazizisulu zentshutshiso ekrakra. Kwezinye iindawo namhlanje, mihla le abazalwana bethu bahlangabezana nokudodobala kwezoqoqosho. Abanye bathwaxwa yindlala okanye abanayo impahla eyaneleyo yokunxiba. Yintoni injongo kaMtyholi yokubangela ezi meko zinzima? Enye yeenjongo zakhe kukuphelisa unqulo oluyinyaniso lukaYehova. USathana ufuna sikholelwe ukuba uthando lukaThixo lupholile. Noko ke, ngaba kunjalo?
13 NjengoPawulos, owacaphula INdumiso 44:22, siye salifundisisa iLizwi likaThixo elibhaliweyo. Siyaqonda ukuba, “njengezimvu” zakhe sehlelwa zezi zinto ngenxa yegama likaThixo. Kubandakanyeke ukungcwaliswa kwegama likaThixo nokuthethelelwa kolongamo lwakhe kwindalo iphela. UThixo uvumele izilingo ngenxa yezo mbambano zinkulu, kungekhona ngenxa yokuba engasasithandi. Kungakhathaliseki ukuba sehlelwa ziimeko ezibuhlungu kangakanani, siqinisekiswa ukuba, uthando lukaThixo ngabantu bakhe, kuquka ngamnye wethu aluguqukanga. Enoba kungabonakala ngathi siyoyisakala ngandlel’ ithile, oko kuya kuphumela ekubeni luloyiso ukuba sihlala sigcine ingqibelelo yethu. Siyomelezwa sisiqinisekiso sothando lukaThixo olungagungqiyo.
14. Kwakutheni ukuze uPawulos eyiseke kwelokuba uThixo uyawathanda amaKristu nangona ehlangabezana nobunzima?
14 Funda abaseRoma 8:38, 39. Yintoni eyabangela uPawulos eyiseke kukuba akukho nto enokwahlula amaKristu eluthandweni lukaThixo? Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, amava obuqu kaPawulos ngoxa wayekubulungiseleli alwenza lwaqina ulweyiseko lwakhe lokuba ubunzima abunakuluchaphazela uthando lukaThixo ngathi. (2 Korinte 11:23-27; Filipi 4:13) Kwakhona, uPawulos wayeyazi injongo kanaphakade kaYehova noko wakwenzela abantu Bakhe mandulo. Ngaba ukufa kunokuluphelisa uthando lukaThixo ngabo baye bamkhonza ngokunyaniseka? Nakanye! Abo bantu bathembekileyo bafayo baya kuqhubeka bephila kwinkumbulo kaThixo efezekileyo, yaye uya kubavusa ngexesha elifanelekileyo.—Luka 20:37, 38; 1 Korinte 15:22-26.
15, 16. Chaza ezinye zezinto ezingenakwenza uThixo ayeke ukubathanda abakhonzi bakhe abathembekileyo.
15 Enoba sinokwehlelwa yintlekele enjani namhlanje—enoba siyimilwelwe ngenxa yengozi, sinesifo esinganyangekiyo, okanye sinengxaki yezoqoqosho—akukho nto enokubangela uThixo ayeke ukubathanda abantu bakhe. Iingelosi ezinamandla, njengengelosi engazange ithobele eyaba nguSathana, azinako ukuphembelela uYehova ukuba ayeke ukubathanda abakhonzi bakhe abazinikeleyo. (Yobhi 2:3) Oorhulumente banokuwuvala umsebenzi wabakhonzi bakaThixo, babavalele entolongweni yaye babaphathe kakubi kwaye basenokubagqala “njengabantu abangamkelekanga ebuthweni.” (1 Korinte 4:13) Intiyo yeentlanga engafanelekanga ngolo hlobo inokubangela abantu ukuba basijikele, kodwa ayimphembeleli uMongami wendalo ukuba asilahle.
16 NjengamaKristu, asimele soyike ukuba, nayiphi na kwizinto uPawulos awazibiza ngokuthi ‘zizinto ezilapha ngoku,’—iziganeko ezenzekayo, iimeko ezikule nkqubo ikhoyo yezinto—okanye ‘izinto ezizayo’, zinokuphazamisa uthando lukaThixo ebantwini bakhe. Nangona iziphatha-mandla zasemhlabeni nezasezulwini zisilwa kunye nathi, uthando lukaThixo olunyanisekileyo luyasomeleza. UPawulos wagxininisa ukuba uthando lukaThixo aluphazanyiswa ‘kukuphakama okanye ubunzulu.’ Ewe, akukho nto inokusidimaza, kungekho nantoni na enokusiphembelela ize ngaloo ndlela isahlukanise nothando lukaThixo; yaye akukho sidalwa sinokuphazamisa ulwalamano oluphakathi koMdali kunye nabakhonzi bakhe abathembekileyo. Uthando lukaThixo aluze lusilele, lungunaphakade.—1 Korinte 13:8.
Buxabise Ngonaphakade Ububele Bothando BukaThixo
17. (a) Kutheni ukufumana uthando lukaThixo ‘kulunge ngakumbi kunobomi’? (b) Sibonakalisa njani ukuba siyabuxabisa ububele bothando bukaThixo?
17 Lubaluleke kangakanani uthando lukaThixo kuwe? Ngaba uvakalelwa njengoDavide, owabhala oku: “Ngenxa yokuba ububele bakho bothando bulunge ngakumbi kunobomi, imilebe yam iya kukuncoma. Ngaloo ndlela ndiya kukubonga ebudeni bexesha lokudla kwam ubomi; igama lakho ndiya kuliphakamisela iintende zam”? (INdumiso 63:3, 4) Eneneni, ngaba kukho nantoni na kweli hlabathi elunge ngakumbi kunokunandipha uthando nobuhlobo obunyanisekileyo bukaThixo? Ngokomzekelo, ngaba ukusukela umsebenzi ongenisa imali eninzi kubhetele kunokuba noxolo lwengqondo nolonwabo olufumaneka ngokuba nolwalamano olusenyongweni noThixo? (Luka 12:15) Amanye amaKristu kuye kwafuneka akhethe phakathi koYehova nokubulawa. Oko kwenzeka kumaNgqina kaYehova amaninzi awayekwiinkampu zoxinaniso zamaNazi ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi II. Ngaphandle kwambalwa kakhulu, abazalwana bethu abangamaKristu bakhetha ukuhlala eluthandweni lukaThixo, bekulungele nokufa xa kuyimfuneko. Abo bahlala eluthandweni lwakhe ngokunyaniseka banokuba nethemba lokufumana ikamva elingunaphakade kuThixo, nto leyo esingenakuyifumana ehlabathini. (Marko 8:34-36) Kodwa kuninzi okubandakanyekileyo kunobomi nje obungunaphakade.
18. Kutheni ubomi obungunaphakade buyinto enqweneleka kangaka?
18 Nangona kungenakwenzeka ukuphila ngonaphakade ngaphandle koYehova, khawuzame ukuba nombono wendlela obebuya kuba yiyo ubomi ngaphandle koMdali. Bebuya kuba lilize, bungabi nanjongo. UYehova unike abantu bakhe umsebenzi owanelisayo kule mihla yokugqibela. Ngoko, sinokuba nentembelo yokuba xa uYehova, Lowo uneeNjongo Ezibalaseleyo, esinika ubomi obungunaphakade, buya kuzaliswa zizinto ezibangel’ umdla neziyingenelo ukuba sizifunde size sizenze. (INtshumayeli 3:11) Kungakhathaliseki ukuba siya kufunda okuninzi kangakanani kwiinkulungwane ezizayo, asisokuze sibuqonde ngokupheleleyo “ubunzulu bobutyebi nobobulumko nobolwazi lukaThixo.”—Roma 11:33.
UBawo Unomsa Ngani
19. Ngawaphi amazwi aqinisekisayo awathethwa nguYesu Kristu kubafundi bakhe xa wayeza kwahlukana nabo?
19 NgoNisan 14, 33 C.E., ngobusuku bokugqibela awayekunye nabapostile bakhe abathembekileyo abali-11, uYesu wathetha izinto ezininzi ukuze abomeleze ngenxa yoko babeza kujamelana nako. Bonke banamathela kuYesu ezimbandezelweni zakhe, yaye babeqinisekile ngothando lwakhe. (Luka 22:28, 30; Yohane 1:16; 13:1) Wandula ke uYesu wabaqinisekisa esithi: “UBawo ngokwakhe unomsa ngani.” (Yohane 16:27) Hayi indlela amele ukuba loo mazwi abanceda ngayo abafundi ukuba baqonde indlela awayebathanda ngayo uYise osezulwini!
20. Yintoni ozimisele ukuyenza, yaye yintoni onokuba nentembelo ngayo?
20 Abaninzi ngoku baye bakhonza uYehova ngokuthembeka kangangamashumi eminyaka. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo, ngaphambi kokuba isiphelo sale nkqubo yezinto ingendawo sifike, siya kuhlangabezana nezilingo ezingakumbi. Ungaze uvumele izilingo okanye iimbandezelo ezinjalo zikwenze uluthandabuze uthando lukaThixo olunyanisekileyo. Kunzima ukukuchaza kakuhle oku: UYehova unomsa ngawe. (Yakobi 5:11) Ngamnye kuthi makaqhubeke esenza indima yakhe, athobele imithetho kaThixo ngokunyaniseka. (Yohane 15:8-10) Ngamana singasebenzisa onke amathuba ukuze sidumise igama lakhe. Sifanele someleze uzimiselo lwethu lokuqhubeka sisondela kuYehova ngomthandazo size sifundisise iLizwi lakhe. Enoba siya kwehlelwa yintoni na ngomso, ukuba senza konke okusemandleni ukuze sikholise uYehova, siya kuhlala siseluxolweni, sinentembelo epheleleyo ngothando lwakhe olungatshitshiyo.—2 Petros 3:14.
Ubuya Kuphendula Uthini?
• Ukuze sihlale silungelelene ngokomoya nangokweemvakalelo, luthando lukabani esilufunayo ngokukhethekileyo?
• Ziziphi izinto ezingenakuze zibangele uYehova ayeke ukubathanda abakhonzi bakhe?
• Kutheni uthando lukaYehova ‘lulunge ngakumbi kunobomi’?
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 13]
Xa sivakalelwa kukuba sahlukanisiwe nothando lukaThixo, sinokusebenzela ekuyilungiseni loo meko
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]
UPawulos wasiqonda isizathu sokuba atshutshiswe