Ithemba Lingavuselelwa!

NAKUBA inkinga yamanje yokuntula ithemba iyisibonakaliso ‘sezinsuku zokugcina,’ ukuntula ithemba kwabonakala nasezinkulungwaneni zeminyaka edlule. (2 Thimothewu 3:1) Kwaqala ukuvela endaweni eyayingalindelekile neze—epharadesi. IBhayibheli lithi ngale ndawo: “UNkulunkulu watshala insimu e-Edene ngasempumalanga; wambeka khona umuntu amenzileyo. UJehova uNkulunkulu wahlumisa emhlabathini imithi yonke ebukekayo, emihle, edliwayo, nomuthi wokuphila phakathi nensimu, nomuthi wokwazi okuhle nokubi.”—Genesise 2:8, 9.

Amavesi alandelayo ayasikhanyisela ukuthi lokhu kuhlobene kanjani nenkinga yanamuhla yokuntula ithemba. Siyafunda: “UJehova uNkulunkulu wamyala umuntu, wathi: Ungadla kuyo yonke imithi yensimu ngokuthanda kwakho, kepha ungadli kuwo umuthi wokwazi okuhle nokubi, ngokuba mhla udla kuwo uyakufa nokufa.” (Genesise 2:16, 17) Ingabe u-Adamu wayenesizathu esithile sokungabaza lokho uJehova ayekushilo?

Siyaqhubeka nokufunda: “Inyoka yayinobuqili kunazo zonke izilwane zasendle abezenzile uJehova uNkulunkulu. Yathi kowesifazane: Ngempela uNkulunkulu ushilo yini ukuthi: Ningadli emithini yasensimini, na? Owesifazane wathi enyokeni: Singadla izithelo zemithi yasensimini, kepha ngezithelo zomuthi ophakathi nensimu uNkulunkulu ushilo ukuthi: Ningazidli, ningazithinti ukuba ningafi. Inyoka yathi kowesifazane: Aniyikufa nokufa; kepha uNkulunkulu uyazi ukuthi mhla nizidla, kuyakuvuleka amehlo enu, nibe-njengoNkulunkulu, nikwazi okuhle nokubi. Owesifazane ebona ukuthi umuthi ulungele ukudliwa, nokuthi uyabukeka emehlweni, nokuthi umuthi unxanelekile ekuhlakaniphiseni, wathatha izithelo zawo, wadla, wanika nendoda yakhe kanye naye, nayo yadla.”—Genesise 3:1-6.

Ngokungasinaki isixwayiso esicacile sikaNkulunkulu, u-Adamu no-Eva babonisa ukungamethembi uJehova. Bazibonakalisa befana nesitha sikaNkulunkulu uSathane, esasikhulume no-Eva ngenyoka engokoqobo. USathane wayengayethembi indlela kaJehova yokubusa. Ngenxa yalokhu nokuba nenhliziyo enokuzikhukhumeza nefuna ukuvelela, wavukela uNkulunkulu, wadukisa nabantu ukuba benze okufanayo. Wathonya abantu ukuba bacabange ukuthi kwakungamelwe bamethembe uNkulunkulu.

Waba Yini Umphumela? Ubuhlobo Obonakele

Kungenzeka uye waqaphela ukuthi abantu abangabethembi abanye bakuthola kunzima ukulondoloza ubungane. UPublilius Syrus, umlobi ongumLatini wekhulu lokuqala leminyaka B.C.E., wabhala: “Ukuthembana ukuphela kwesibopho sobungane.” Ngesenzo sabo sokuvukela, u-Adamu no-Eva babonisa ukuthi babengamethembi uNkulunkulu. Ngakho, uNkulunkulu ngokuqinisekile wayengenaso isizathu sokubethemba. Ngenxa yokushabalala kokwethembana, abantu bokuqala balahlekelwa ubungane noNkulunkulu. Akukho okubonisa ukuthi uJehova waphinde wakhuluma nabo ngemva kokubasola ngokuvukela kwabo.

Ubuhlobo buka-Adamu no-Eva nabo bonakala. UJehova waxwayisa u-Eva: “Uyakubeletha abantwana ngobuhlungu. Ukunxanela kwakho kuyakuba-sendodeni yakho; yona iyakukubusa.” (Omalukeke sizenzele.) (Genesise 3:16) I-Jerusalem Bible ithi: “Iyozenza ingqongqo phezu kwakho.” Kunokuba abusebenzise ngothando ubunhloko kumkakhe, njengoba uNkulunkulu ayefune kanjalo, u-Adamu wabe eseba inkosi yakhe, wazenza ingqongqo phezu kwakhe.

Ngemva kokuba bonile, u-Adamu wazama ukugudlulela icala kumkakhe. Ngokombono wakhe, yilokho okwakwenziwe umkakhe okwenza baxoshwa engadini ephelele bayiswa ezweni elingalungiswanga futhi base bezoba izigqila ngaphansi kwezimo ezimbi ngaphambi kokuba babuyele othulini. (Genesise 3:17-19) Singacabanga ukuthi lokhu kwakubangela ingxabano kulaba ababili. Kungenzeka ukuthi u-Adamu wasabela ngokhahlo, esho nokuthi wayengasayophinde amlalele u-Eva. Empeleni, kungenzeka ukuthi waba nomuzwa wokuthi kwakufaneleka ukuba amtshele ukuthi, ‘Kusukela manje kuqhubeke, yimi obusayo!’ Ngakolunye uhlangothi, kungenzeka ukuthi u-Eva wabona ukuthi u-Adamu wayehlulekile ukufeza indima yakhe yokuba inhloko yomkhaya, kwamenza waphelelwa ukumethemba. Noma ikuphi, ngokubonisa ukungamethembi uNkulunkulu, abantu balahlekelwa ubungane naye futhi bonakalisa nobuhlobo babo bebodwa.

Ubani Esingamethemba?

Akuwona wonke umuntu okufanelekelayo ukuba simethembe, njengoba isibonelo sika-Adamu no-Eva sibonisa. Singazi kanjani ukuthi ubani okufanelekelayo nongakufanelekeli ukuba simethembe?

IHubo 146:3 liyaseluleka: “Ningethembi ezikhulwini nasendodaneni yomuntu okungekho kuyo ukusiza.” Futhi kuJeremiya 17:5-7, siyafunda: “Uqalekisiwe umuntu othemba kubantu, ayenze inyama ibe-yingalo yakhe, nonhliziyo yakhe isuka kuJehova.” Ngakolunye uhlangothi, “ubusisiwe umuntu othemba kuJehova, nothemba lakhe linguJehova.”

Kuyavunywa, akukubi ngaso sonke isikhathi ukwethemba abantu. Le mibhalo imane icacisa ukuthi kuyafaneleka ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuthembela kuNkulunkulu, kodwa ukuthembela kubantu abangaphelele ngezinye izikhathi kungaholela enhlekeleleni. Ngokwesibonelo, abantu abathembela kubantu ukuze bafinyelele lokho okungenziwa uNkulunkulu kuphela—ukunikeza insindiso nokuletha ukuthula okuphelele okunokulondeka—bazodumazeka.—IHubo 46:9; 1 Thesalonika 5:3.

Eqinisweni, abantu nezinhlangano zabo kufanele kuthenjwe ngokwezinga okwenza ngalo ngokuvumelana nezinjongo zikaNkulunkulu nangezinga okubonisa ngalo izimiso zokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu. Ngakho, uma sifuna ukukhuthaza abanye ukuba basethembe, kumelwe sikhulume iqiniso, sithembeke futhi sibe abanokwethenjelwa. (IzAga 12:19; Efesu 4:25; Heberu 13:18) Ukuziphatha ngokuvumelana nezimiso zeBhayibheli yikho kuphela okungenza ngamunye wethu akufanelekele ukwethenjwa abanye futhi kube umthombo wamandla nesikhuthazo kubo nakithi.

Ukubuyiselwa Kwethemba

OFakazi BakaJehova banesizathu esiqinile sokuthembela kuNkulunkulu nokukhuthaza abanye ukuba benze kanjalo. UJehova ukholekile futhi uthembekile, kungathenjelwa kuye njalo ukuthi uzokwenza akushilo, ngoba ‘akunakwenzeka ngoNkulunkulu ukuba aqambe amanga.’ Uma sibeka ithemba lethu kuNkulunkulu onothando asisoze sidumazeke.—Heberu 6:18; IHubo 94:14; Isaya 46:9-11; 1 Johane 4:8.

Abantu abathembela kuJehova ngobunye nabaphila ngezimiso zakhe bashukumiseleka ngokuqinile ekubeni bathembane. Ezweni elikhungethwe inkinga yokuntula ithemba, yeka ukuthi kujabulisa kanjani ukuthola abantu abathembekile! Cabanga ukuthi izwe lingaba elihluke kanjani uma besingakwethemba ngokuphelele okushiwo noma okwenziwa yinoma ubani! Kuyoba njalo ezweni elisha elizayo elithenjiswe uNkulunkulu. Ngeke kusaba nenkinga yokungethembi!

Ungathanda ukuphila ngaleso sikhathi? Uma kunjalo, oFakazi BakaJehova bakunxusa ukuba uqinise ithemba lakho kuNkulunkulu nasezithembisweni zakhe ngokufunda okwengeziwe ngezimfuneko zakhe zokuphila. Ukutadisha iBhayibheli kunikeza ubufakazi bokuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona, ukuthi unesithakazelo enhlalakahleni yesintu nokuthi ngokushesha uzothatha isinyathelo sokulungisa izinkinga zezwe ngoMbuso wakhe. Izigidi ziye zafunda ukuthembela kuNkulunkulu naseZwini lakhe, iBhayibheli. OFakazi BakaJehova bayokujabulela ukukubonisa indlela abaqhuba ngayo isifundo seBhayibheli, okuyinkonzo abayenzela umphakathi mahhala. Noma bhalela abanyathelisi balo magazini ukuze uthole ukwaziswa okwengeziwe.

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Ukungamethembi uNkulunkulu konakalisa ubuhlobo phakathi kwabantu bebodwa

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Abantu kufanele bethenjwe ngokwezinga abenza ngalo ngokuvumelana nezimiso zokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu kuphela