“Sondelani KuThixo”
“Sondelani kuThixo, naye uya kusondela kuni.”—YAKOBI 4:8.
1, 2. (a) Yintoni abanye abantu abadla ngokuyithetha? (b) Sisiphi isibongozo uYakobi awasinikelayo, yaye kutheni sasiyimfuneko?
“UTHIXO unathi.” Loo mazwi aye abhalwa kwizindwe nakwimifuziselo yamazwe nakwiiyunifomi zamajoni. Amazwi athi “Sithembele kuThixo” abhalwe kwiingqekembe ezininzi neemali ezingamaphepha zale mihla. Kuyinto eqhelekileyo ngabantu ukuthi banolwalamano olusondeleyo noThixo. Noko ke, ngaba akuvumi ukuba, eneneni ukuba nolwalamano olunjalo kufuna okungakumbi kunokuthetha nje okanye ukubhala loo mazwi ngenjongo yokubonisa ukuba ukholelwa kuwo?
2 IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba sinokuba nolwalamano noThixo. Noko ke, oku kufuna umgudu. Kwanabathile kumaKristu athanjisiweyo ngenkulungwane yokuqala babefanele bomeleze ulwalamano lwabo noYehova uThixo. Umveleli ongumKristu uYakobi kwafuneka alumkise abanye ngokuphathelele utyekelo lwabo lokwenyama nokungacoceki ngokomoya. Ngoxa wayenikela eso siluleko, wanikela esi sibongozo sinamandla: “Sondelani kuThixo, naye uya kusondela kuni.” (Yakobi 4:1-12) Wayethetha ukuthini uYakobi xa wathi “sondelani”?
3, 4. (a) Abo babefunda incwadi kaYakobi ngenkulungwane yokuqala kumele ukuba bakhumbula ntoni ngebinzana elithi “sondelani kuThixo”? (b) Kutheni sinokuqiniseka ukuba sinako ukusondela kuThixo?
3 UYakobi wasebenzisa ibinzana ekunokwenzeka ukuba laliqhelekile kuninzi lwabo babefunda iincwadi zakhe. UMthetho kaMoses wanikela imiyalelo engqalileyo kubabingeleli ngendlela ‘yokusondela’ kuYehova bemela abantu bakhe. (Eksodus 19:22) Ngaloo ndlela abo babefunda incwadi kaYakobi bakhunjuzwa ukuba abafanele bakuthabathe lula ukusondela kuYehova. UYehova ungoyena ukwisikhundla esiphakamileyo kwindalo iphela.
4 Kwelinye icala, njengoko omnye umphengululi weBhayibhile wabhala, “esi sibongozo [sikuYakobi 4:8] sibonisa intembelo epheleleyo.” UYakobi wayesazi ukuba uYehova wayesoloko ebamema ngothando abantu abangafezekanga ukuba basondele Kuye. (2 Kronike 15:2) Idini likaYesu liye lavula indlela yokusondela kuYehova ngokupheleleyo. (Efese 3:11, 12) Namhlanje, izigidi zabantu zivulelwe indlela yokusondela kuThixo! Noko ke, sinokulisebenzisa njani eli lungelo lizukileyo? Ngokufutshane siza kuqwalasela iindlela ezintathu esinokusondela ngazo kuYehova uThixo.
Hlala “Ungenisa Ulwazi” NgoThixo
5, 6. Umzekelo kaSamuweli oselula ubonisa njani ukuba yintoni ebandakanyekileyo ‘ekungeniseni ulwazi’ ngoThixo?
5 Ngokutsho kukaYohane 17:3, uYesu wathi: “Oku kuthetha ubomi obungunaphakade, ukungenisa kwabo ulwazi ngawe, wena ukuphela koThixo oyinyaniso, nangalowo umthumileyo, uYesu Kristu.” Iinguqulelo ezininzi zale ndinyana ziyohluka kancinane kwiNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha. Kunokuba zithi “ukungenisa ulwazi” ngoThixo, zisebenzisa isenzi esithi “ukwazi” uThixo. Noko ke, uninzi lwabaphengululi bathi umongo wegama elisetyenziswe kwisiGrike santlandlolo uquka okungakumbi—imeko eqhubekayo, leyo enokude ikhokelele kulwalamano olusondeleyo nabanye.
6 Ukwazi uThixo ngokusondeleyo kwakungeyonto intsha ngexesha likaYesu. Ngokomzekelo, kwiZibhalo zesiHebhere sifunda ukuba xa uSamuweli wayeseyinkwenkwana, “wayengekafikeleli ekumazini uYehova.” (1 Samuweli 3:7) Ngaba oku kwakuthetha ukuba uSamuweli wayesazi okuncinane ngoThixo wakhe? Akunjalo. Abazali bakhe nababingeleli ngokuqinisekileyo bamfundisa okuninzi. Noko ke, igama lesiHebhere elisetyenziswe kule ndinyana, ngokutsho komnye umphengululi, “linokusetyenziswa kolona lwalamano lusondeleyo.” USamuweli wayengekamazi uYehova ngokusondeleyo, njengoko wayeya kwenjenjalo kamva xa esebenza njengesithethi sikaYehova. Njengoko uSamuweli wayekhula, wamazi ngokwenene uYehova, esiba nolwalamano olusondeleyo kunye naye.—1 Samuweli 3:19, 20.
7, 8. (a) Kutheni iimfundiso ezinzulu zeBhayibhile zingafanele zisityhafise? (b) Ziziphi ezinye zeenyaniso ezinzulu zeLizwi likaThixo esifanele sifundisise ngazo?
7 Ngaba ungenisa ulwazi ngoYehova ukuze ube nolwalamano olusondeleyo kunye naye? Ukuze wenjenjalo, kufuneka ‘ukulangazelele’ ukutya kokomoya uThixo akulungiselelayo. (1 Petros 2:2) Musa ukwanela kukwazi iimfundiso ezisisiseko. Yenza umgudu wokufunda ngezinye zeemfundiso ezinzulu zeBhayibhile. (Hebhere 5:12-14) Ngaba iimfundiso ezinjalo ziyakutyhafisa, ucinga ukuba zinzima gqitha? Ukuba kunjalo, khumbula ukuba uYehova ‘ungumYaleli Ozukileyo.’ (Isaya 30:20) Uyayazi indlela yokudlulisela iinyaniso ezinzulu kwiingqondo zabantu abangafezekanga. Yaye unokuwusikelela umgudu wakho onyanisekileyo wokuqonda oko akufundisa kona.—INdumiso 25:4.
8 Kutheni ungakhe uzihlole enoba wazi kangakanani ngezinye ‘zezinto ezinzulu zikaThixo?’ (1 Korinte 2:10) Le asiyomibandela eyindinisa njengoko besenza abafundi bezakwalizwi nabefundisi xa bexoxa ngayo. Ziimfundiso eziluncedo ezinokusenza sifunde izinto ezibangela umdla ngengqondo nangentliziyo yoBawo wethu onothando. Ngokomzekelo, intlawulelo, “imfihlelo engcwele,” neminye iminqophiso eyahlukahlukeneyo uYehova awayisebenzisa ukusikelela abantu bakhe nokuzalisekisa iinjongo zakhe—le mibandela kunye neminye emininzi efana nayo ibangel’ umdla yaye iluncedo ubani unokwenza ngayo uphengululo nofundisiso lobuqu.—1 Korinte 2:7.
9, 10. (a) Kutheni ikratshi liyingozi, yaye yintoni enokusinceda siliphephe? (b) Ngokuphathelele ulwazi ngoYehova, kutheni sifanele sizabalazele ukuba ngabathobekileyo?
9 Njengoko ulwazi lwakho lukhula ngokunzulu ngeenyaniso zokomoya, lumkela ingozi enokubakho ngenxa yolwazi—ikratshi. (1 Korinte 8:1) Ikratshi liyingozi, kuba lahlukanisa abantu noThixo. (IMizekeliso 16:5; Yakobi 4:6) Khumbula ukuba akukho mntu unesizathu sokuqhayisa ngolwazi analo. Ngokomzekelo, phawula la mazwi kwintshayelelo yencwadi ephanda ngenkqubela yabantu yakutshanje kwezenzululwazi: “Okukhona sisazi kakhulu, kokukhona siqonda indlela esinolwazi oluncinane ngayo. . . . Yonke into esiyifundileyo incinane xa ithelekiswa noko singekakufundi.” Ukuthobeka okunjalo kuhle. Ngoku, xa kufikelelwa kolona lwazi lubalulekileyo—ulwazi ngoYehova uThixo—sinesona sizathu sibalaseleyo sokuhlala sithobekile. Ngoba?
10 Phawula amanye amazwi aseBhayibhileni athetha ngoYehova. “Hayi indlela emikhulu ngayo imisebenzi yakho.” (INdumiso 92:5) “Ukuqonda [kukaYehova] akunakubaliswa.” (INdumiso 147:5) “Akugocagocwa ukuqonda [kukaYehova].” (Isaya 40:28) “Hayi ubunzulu bobutyebi nobobulumko nobolwazi lukaThixo!” (Roma 11:33) Ngokucacileyo, asinakwazi yonke into ngoYehova. (INtshumayeli 3:11) Uye wasifundisa izinto ezimangalisayo ezininzi, sekunjalo siya kusoloko sinezinto ezininzi ekusafuneka sizifunde. Ngaba oko akusivuyisi kuze kusenze sithobeke? Ngoko ke, njengoko sifunda masisoloko sisebenzisa ulwazi esinalo njengesiseko sokusondela kuYehova nesokunceda abanye benjenjalo—kungekhona indlela yokuziphakamisa.—Mateyu 23:12; Luka 9:48.
Bonakalisa Ulwazi Onalo NgoYehova
11, 12. (a) Ulwazi esilufumanayo ngoYehova lufanele lusichaphazele njani? (b) Yintoni ebonisa ukuba uthando lukabani ngoThixo lolokwenene?
11 Ngokufanelekileyo, umpostile uPawulos wanxulumanisa ulwazi nothando. Wabhala: “Ndiqhubeka ndithandazela ukuba uthando lwenu luphuphume ngakumbi nangakumbi lulwazi oluchanileyo nokuqonda okupheleleyo.” (Filipi 1:9) Kunokuba isenze sikhukhumale likratshi, inyaniso nganye exabisekileyo esiyifundayo ngoYehova nangeenjongo zakhe ifanele yandise uthando lwethu ngoBawo wethu osezulwini.
12 Kakade ke, abantu abaninzi abathi bayamthanda uThixo eneneni abamthandi. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba banyanisekile ngendlela abavakalelwa ngayo. Ukuvakalelwa ngaloo ndlela kulungile, kwaye kuyancomeka, xa kuvisisana nolwazi oluchanileyo. Kodwa ukuvakalelwa ngaloo ndlela nje kuphela akubangeli ubani abe nothando lokwenene ngoThixo. Ngoba? Phawula indlela iLizwi likaThixo elichaza ngayo uthando olunjalo: “Kuba ukumthanda uThixo kuko ukuthi, siyigcine imiyalelo yakhe.” (1 Yohane 5:3) Ngoko ke, xa uthando ngoYehova lubonakaliswa ngezenzo zokuthobela, luba luthando lokwenene.
13. Ukoyika uYehova kunokusinceda njani sibonakalise uthando esinalo ngaye?
13 Ukumoyika uYehova kuya kusinceda simthobele. Oku koyika kufanelekileyo nentlonelo enzulu ngoYehova kubangelwa kukungenisa ulwazi ngaye, ukufunda ngobungcwele, uzuko, amandla, okusesikweni, ubulumko nothando lwakhe olungapheliyo. Uloyiko olunjalo lubalulekile ukuze sisondele kuye. Phawula oko INdumiso 25:14 ikuthethayo: “Ukusondelelana noYehova kokwabo bamoyikayo.” Ukuba sinoloyiko olufanelekileyo lokungafuni ukungamkholisi uBawo wethu osezulwini onothando, sinokusondela kuye. Ukoyika uThixo kuya kusinceda sithobele isiluleko sobulumko esikwiMizekeliso 3:6 esithi: “Uze umgqale yena ezindleleni zakho zonke, kwaye uya kuwenza uthi tye umendo wakho.” Kuthetha ntoni oko?
14, 15. (a) Ziziphi ezinye izigqibo esijamelana nazo kubomi bethu imihla ngemihla? (b) Sinokuzenza njani izigqibo ngendlela ebonakalisa ukoyika uThixo?
14 Imihla ngemihla ufanele wenze izigqibo, ezinkulu nezincinane. Ngokomzekelo, uza kuncokola ntoni nabo usebenza nabo, ufunda nabo esikolweni okanye abamelwane bakho? (Luka 6:45) Ngaba uza kuzibhokoxa emsebenzini wakho, okanye uza kurhuq’ iinyawo? (Kolose 3:23) Ngaba uza kusondela kwabo bangabonakalisi uthando ngoYehova, okanye uya kufuna ukomeleza ulwalamano lwakho nabantu abakhulileyo ngokomoya? (IMizekeliso 13:20) Yintoni oza kuyenza, enoba incinane kangakanani na, ukuhambisela phambili izilangazelelo zoBukumkani bukaThixo? (Mateyu 6:33) Ukuba imigaqo yeZibhalo enjengale icatshulwe apha ikhokela izigqibo ozenza imihla ngemihla, ngoko ke, eneneni uyamgqala uYehova “ezindleleni zakho zonke.”
15 Ngenxa yoko, kwisigqibo ngasinye esisenzayo, sifanele sikhokelwe koku: ‘Yintoni uYehova aya kufuna ndiyenze? Yiyiphi into eya kumkholisa kakhulu?’ (IMizekeliso 27:11) Ukubonakalisa ukumoyika uYehova kulo mbandela yeyona ndlela elungileyo yokubonakalisa ukuba siyamthanda. Kwakhona ukoyika uThixo kuya kusinceda sihlale sicocekile—ngokomoya, ngokuziphatha nasemzimbeni. Khumbula ukuba, kwakule ndinyana ifanayo uYakobi abongoza kuyo amaKristu ukuba ‘asondele kuThixo,’ ukwabongoza esithi: “Hlambululani izandla zenu, nina boni, nisulungekise iintliziyo zenu, nina bangenazigqibo.”—Yakobi 4:8.
16. Yintoni esingasayi kuze siyizalisekise ngokunikela kwethu kuYehova, sekunjalo, yintoni esinokuyenza ngokuphumelelayo?
16 Kakade ke, ukubonakalisa uthando lwethu ngoYehova kuquka okungakumbi kunokungakwenzi okubi. Uthando lukwasibangela senze okuhle. Ngokomzekelo, sivakalelwa njani xa sicinga ngendlela ebalaseleyo uYehova abonakalisa ngayo isisa? UYakobi wabhala: “Sonke isipho esilungileyo naso sonke isipho esigqibeleleyo sivela phezulu, kuba sihla sivela kuYise wezikhanyiso zesibhakabhaka.” (Yakobi 1:17) Liyinyaniso elokuba, xa sinikela kuYehova izinto zethu, asimenzi ukuba abe sisityebi. Zonke izinto nobuncwane obukhoyo bobakhe. (INdumiso 50:12) Yaye xa sinikela kuYehova ngexesha namandla ethu, asenzi into ebengenako ukuyenza. Nokuba besinokwala ukushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo, ebeya kwenza amatye ukuba ashumayele! Ngoko ke, kutheni sifanele sinikele kuYehova ngezinto eziphathekayo, ngexesha nangamandla ethu? Ngokuyintloko, kungenxa yokuba sibonakalisa uthando lwethu kuye ngentliziyo, ngomphefumlo, nengqondo nangamandla ethu ephela.—Marko 12:29, 30.
17. Yintoni enokusenza sinikele ngokuchwayita kuYehova?
17 Xa sinikela kuYehova, sifanele senjenjalo ngovuyo, “kuba uThixo uthanda umphi ochwayitileyo.” (2 Korinte 9:7) Umgaqo obhalwe kwiDuteronomi 16:17 unokusinceda sinikele ngokuchwayitileyo kuba uthi: “Isipho sayo nganye masibe ngokwentsikelelo akunike yona uYehova uThixo.” Xa sicinga ngendlela uYehova aye wabonakalisa ngayo isisa kuthi, siba nomnqweno wokunikela kuye ngesisa. Iminikelo enjalo ivuyisa intliziyo yakhe, kanye njengokuba isipho esincinane esivela kumntwana onothando simvuyisa umzali. Ukubonakalisa uthando lwethu ngale ndlela kuya kusinceda sisondele kuYehova.
Yakha Ulwalamano Ngomthandazo
18. Kutheni kufanelekile ukucingisisa ngendlela esinokuyiphucula ngayo imithandazo yethu?
18 Ixesha lethu lokuthandaza lisipha elona thuba lixabisekileyo—ixesha lokuthetha ngokusondeleyo nangokufihlakeleyo noBawo wethu osemazulwini. (Filipi 4:6) Ekubeni umthandazo iyeyona nto ibalulekileyo ukuze sisondele kuThixo, kufanelekile ke ngoko ukunqumama nokucingisisa ngemithandazo yethu. Oko akuthethi ukuba ifanele ibe bubuciko ize ibe nocwangco ngendlela egqithiseleyo, kodwa ifanele ibe ngamazwi anyanisekileyo asuka entliziyweni. Sinokuyiphucula njani imithandazo yethu?
19, 20. Kutheni sifanele sicamngce ngaphambi kokuba sithandaze, yaye ziziphi ezinye izinto ezifanelekileyo esinokucamngca ngazo?
19 Sinokuzama ukucamngca ngaphambi kokuba sithandaze. Ukuba siyacamngca kusengaphambili, sinokwenza imithandazo yethu ingqale ize ibe nentsingiselo, ngaloo ndlela sikuphepha ukuphindaphinda amagama aqhelekileyo nasisicengcelezo. (IMizekeliso 15:28, 29) Mhlawumbi kusenokunceda ukucingisisa ngemibandela uYesu awayikhankanya kumthandazo wakhe ongumzekelo size sijonge indlela oku kufana ngayo neemeko zethu. (Mateyu 6:9-13) Ngokomzekelo, sisenokuzibuza ngendima encinane esinokuyenza ekwenzeni ukuthanda kukaYehova apha emhlabeni. Ngaba sinokumxelela uYehova ngeminqweno yethu ukuba asisebenzise kangangoko kunokwenzeka size simcele ukuba asincede siphumeze naziphi na izabelo asinike zona? Ngaba sinexhala ngezinto zethu eziphathekayo? Ziziphi izono esifuna ukuxolelwa kuzo, yaye ngubani esifuna ukumxolela ngakumbi? Ziziphi izilingo ezisithwaxayo, yaye ngaba siya kuqonda indlela ekungxamiseke ngayo ukufuna ukukhuselwa nguYehova kulo mbandela?
20 Ukongezelela, sisenokucinga ngabantu esibaziyo ngokukhethekileyo abafuna uncedo lukaYehova. (2 Korinte 1:11) Noko ke, asifanele sikulibale ukubulela. Ukuba sinokunqumama nje size sicingisise, ngokuqinisekileyo sinokufumana izizathu zokumbulela uYehova size simdumise suku ngalunye ngenxa yobulungisa bakhe obuyintabalala. (Duteronomi 8:10; Luka 10:21) Ukwenjenjalo kunenzuzo eyongezelelekileyo—kunokusinceda ukuba sibe nethemba size sibe nombulelo ngobomi.
21. Kukufundisisa yiphi imizekelo yeZibhalo enokusinceda xa sithandaza kuYehova?
21 Ukufundisisa nako kunokuphucula imithandazo yethu. Kukho imithandazo ebalaseleyo eyenziwa ngamadoda namabhinqa athembekileyo ebhalwe kwiLizwi likaThixo. Ngokomzekelo, ukuba sijamelana nengxaki elucelomngeni, esenza ukuba sibe nexhala side sizoyikisele okanye soyikisele abo sibathandayo, sinokufunda umthandazo kaYakobi ophathelele nokuhlangana kwakhe nomntakwabo onenqala, uEsawu. (Genesis 32:9-12) Okanye sinokufundisisa umthandazo owabhalwa nguKumkani uAsa xa umkhosi wamaTiyopiya omalunga nesigidi wawusongela abantu bakaThixo. (2 Kronike 14:11, 12) Ukuba sikhathazwe yingxaki esongela ukuzisa ugculelo kwigama elihle likaYehova, ngoko ke kufanelekile ukuba siqwalasele umthandazo kaEliya awawenza ngaphambi kwabanquli bakaBhahali kwiNtaba yeKarmele, kwanomthandazo kaNehemiya ngokuphathelele imeko elusizi yeYerusalem. (1 Kumkani 18:36, 37; Nehemiya 1:4-11) Ukufunda nokucingisisa ngemithandazo enjalo kunokomeleza ukholo lwethu kuze kusenze siyazi eyona ndlela esinokuthetha ngayo noYehova ngezinto ezingumthwalo kuthi.
22. Uthini umxholo wonyaka wama-2003, yaye yintoni esinokuhlala sizibuza yona ebudeni balo nyaka?
22 Licacile elokuba, ayikho eyona ndlela izukileyo, nolona sukelo luphakamileyo kunolo lokuthobela isiluleko sikaYakobi ‘sokusondela kuThixo.’ (Yakobi 4:8) Ngamana singenjenjalo ngokuba nenkqubela kulwazi lwethu ngoThixo, ngokufuna iindlela zokubonakalisa uthando ngakumbi, size sakhe ulwalamano naye kwimithandazo yethu. Ebudeni bonyaka wama-2003, ngoxa sikhumbula uYakobi 4:8 njengomxholo wonyaka, masiqhubeke sizihlolisisa enoba ngokwenene sisondela kuYehova. Ngoko ke, kuthekani ngenxalenye yokugqibela yaloo mazwi? UYehova uya ‘kusondela kuthi’ njani, yaye esizisela ziphi iintsikelelo? Inqaku elilandelayo liza kuxubusha lo mbandela.
Ngaba Usakhumbula?
• Kutheni ukusondela kuYehova kuyinto efanele ithatyathwe nzulu?
• Luluphi usukelo esinokuzibekela lona ngokuphathelele ukungenisa ulwazi ngoYehova?
• Sinokubonakalisa njani ukuba sinothando lokwenene ngoYehova?
• Ziziphi iindlela esinokwakha ngazo ulwalamano olusenyongweni noYehova ngomthandazo?
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 12]
Umxholo wonyaka wama 2003 uza kuthi: “Sondelani kuThixo, naye uya kusondela kuni.”—Yakobi 4:8.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 8, 9]
Njengoko wayekhula, uSamuweli wamazi ngokusondeleyo uYehova
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12]
Umthandazo uEliya awawubhala kwiNtaba yeKarmele ungumzekelo omhle kuthi