Lubanzi Kangakanani Uthando Lwakho?
IMBAMBELELA (barnacle) isilwane esincane, esinegobolondo esihlala emanzini. Bambalwa abantu abake bacabange ngayo. Nokho, imbambelela inekhono elilodwa eliphawulekayo: Iyayazi indlela yokubambelela ezintweni. Iyini imfihlo yayo? Yenza inhlaka eqine kangangokuthi ulwebu nje oluwugqinsi olungamamilimitha angama-0,00762 “lunamandla angaphakathi” amakhilogremu angama-493 ngesentimitha skwele! Noma ubani oye wazama ukuphala imbambelela entweni yayo ezikhethele ukubambelela kuyo uzovuma ukuthi lento eyinamathelisayo inamandla amakhulu.
AmaKristu ajwayelene nento efana naleyo. Inhlangano kaJehova esemhlabeni yakhiwe abantu abavela kuzo zonke izizwe, izilimi, izinhlanga, namaqembu ezenhlalo. Nokho inobunye ngokuqinile. Iyini imfihlo yayo? Nayo, futhi, inento enamandla ehlanganisayo, enamandla kunenhlaka yembambelela ephansi. Umphostoli uPawulu wasitshela ukuthi iyini lento ehlanganisayo lapho ebhala: “Yembathani uthando oluyisibopho sokuphelela.”—Kolose 3:14.
Yebo, akukhona noma yini okuthiwa uthando okuhlanganisayo. Izimpi eziningi ziye zalwiwa ngegama ‘lothando lwezwe.’ Uthando lobugovu lungaholela emoneni. “Ukuthanda imali kuyimpande yakho konke okubi.” (1 Thimothewu 6:10) Futhi izikhathi zanamuhla ezinzima zibangelwa, ngokwengxenye, iqiniso lokuthi abantu abaningi ‘bangabazithandayo.’—2 Thimothewu 3:1, 2.
Khona-ke, luhlobo luni lothando oluhlanganisa amaKristu? Uthando olungenabugovu, olubanzi.
Ukuphi Umthombo Waloluthando?
Lombuzo uphendulwa ngamazwi amabili nje kuphela alotshwa umphostoli uJohane: “UNkulunkulu uluthando.” (1 Johane 4:8) Uthando lukaJehova luboniswa ngomusa wakhe kithina. Zonke izinto ezinhle esinazo empeleni zivela kuye. “Izipho zonke ezinhle neziphiwo zonke ezipheleleyo zivela phezulu.” (Jakobe 1:17) Lokhu kunjalo ngalelizwe esiphila kulo, futhi ikakhulukazi ngezibusiso ezingokomoya ezinikezwa ngobuningi kumaKristu anokwazisa.
UJesu Kristu wadonsela ukunakekela kwethu kokunye ukubonakaliswa okuphawulekayo kothando lukaJehova, ethi: “Yena [uJehova] uphumisa ilanga lakhe phezu kwababi nabahle, anise imvula phezu kwabalungileyo nabangalungile.” (Mathewu 5:45) Futhi uthando lukaJehova ngesintu sisonke, lungaphezu kokunikeza izibusiso ezibonakalayo, ngoba uJesu wachaza: “UNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangaka, waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe-nokuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 3:16) Iluphi olunye uthando olubanzi ngaphezu kwalolo?
Ngokubonisa uthando olunjalo ngesintu, uJehova ubonisa uthando olugxiliswe ngokuqinile esimisweni. Ngolimi lwesiGreki, lolothando lubizwa ngokuthi ia·gaʹpe. UJehova uyalubonisa futhi kumaKristu loluthando. Nokho, uthando lwakhe kuwo luba nenye imfanelo. Lapho umuntu esabela othandweni lukaNkulunkulu, uJehova ubonisa iphi·liʹa, igama lesiGreki elisho “ubungane” noma “uthando.” UJesu uyasiqinisekisa: “UBaba uqobo uyanithanda, ngokuba ningithandile nina.”—Johane 16:27.
Lingisa Uthando LukaNkulunkulu
Uthando olusebenza njengesibopho esihlanganisayo kumaKristu lulandela isibonelo esihle sikaJehova. Njengoba umphostoli uJohane asho: “Thina siyathanda, ngokuba yena wasithanda kuqala.” (1 Johane 4:19) Uthando olunjalo luwuphawu lwamaKristu eqiniso futhi, ngempela, luyisithelo somoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu.—Johane 13:34, 35; Galathiya 5:22.
Okokuqala nje uthando lomKristu kumelwe luye kuYise wasezulwini. Khona-ke, kumelwe abonise uthando kumaKristu akanye nawo. (Mathewu 22:37-39) Njengoba uthando lukaNkulunkulu lubanzi, uthando lwethu ngesikholwa nabo, nalo, kumelwe lube banzi, ‘lwanuleke.’ Ngokufanelekile, umphostoli uPawulu watshela amaKristu aseKorinte: “Umlomo wethu uvulekele ngakini nina-baseKorinte, inhliziyo yethu yanulekile; . . . yanulekani nani.”—2 Korinte 6:11-13.
Singalulingisa kanjani uthando lukaJehova olubanzi? Ake sicabangele izibonelo ezilandelayo.
‘Yanulani’ Uthando Emkhayeni
UPawulu waxwayisa ukuthi “ezinsukwini zokugcina” kwakuyoba khona ukuntuleka ‘kothando.’ (2 Thimothewu 3:1-3) Noma kunjalo, emkhayeni wamaKristu, uthando kumelwe lwande, kokubili uthando olugxiliswe esimisweni (a·gaʹpe) nohlobo lothando lobungane (phi·liʹa).—Mathewu 10:37; Efesu 5:28; Thithu 2:4.
Ukubonisa uthando akulula ngaso sonke isikhathi. Izinkinga zemali ngokuvamile zibangela imizwa elimele emkhayeni. Omunye umngane womshado ngesinye isikhathi angase acasulwe ukungabi nasikhathi komunye umngane. Umfazi angase abe nomuzwa wokuthi akanakwa noma uthathwa kalula. Abantu abasha abaningi banomuzwa wokuthi abazali babo ababaqondi. Lezinkinga nezinye ezifana nazo zingaxazululwa kanjani?
Ngokuyisisekelo, ikhambi liwukuba noma ubani ohilelekile alingise isibonelo sikaNkulunkulu ‘anule’ uthando lwakhe. “Bafazi, thobelani amadoda enu njengokufanele eNkosini,” kunxusa uPawulu. “Madoda, thandani omkenu, ningabacasukeli. Bantwana, lalelani abazali benu ezintweni zonke, ngokuba lokho kuyathandeka eNkosini. Boyise, ningabathukuthelisi abantwana benu ukuba bangadangali.”—Kolose 3:18-21.
Ukuthandazela usizo ekuboniseni uthando ngokuqinisekile kuwusizo lapho kuphakama izinkinga. Ngokufanayo nokukhulumisana okuhle komkhaya nengxoxo yeBhayibheli yasikhathi sonke. (Duteronomi 6:4-9) Njengesisekelo sokukhulumisana kothando okunjalo, imikhaya eminingi iye yakuthola kuwusizo ukusebenzisa isihloko esithi “Ukuphila NeNkonzo KaJesu” esikumagazini INqabayokulinda nesithi “Intsha Iyabuza” esikuPhaphama!
Uthando Olubanzi Ebandleni
Kuyadabukisa lapho abazali nezingane behluleka ukubonisana uthando. Kuyadabukisa futhi lapho amaKristu ehluleka ukubonisana uthando. Umphostoli uJohane uyavuma: “Ongathandi umzalwane wakhe ambonileyo angemthande uNkulunkulu angambonanga.”—1 Johane 4:20.
Uthando lusisiza ukuba sibafisele okungcono kakhulu abafowethu abangokomoya. (1 Korinte 13:4, 7) Singase sibone umfowethu ezabalaza ezinkingeni—mhlawumbe aze ‘avune abekuhlwanyele’ ngezenzo zakhe zobuwula ezidlule. (Galathiya 6:7) Noma kunjalo, uthando luyosisiza ukuba silondoloze isimo esiqondile ngakuye. Siyogwema imicabango enjengethi, ‘Bengilokhu ngimngabaza.’ Ngisho nakuba umfowethu engase abe buthaka okholweni, singakhumbula ukubekezelela kukaJehova ababuthakathaka futhi singazama ukulingisa umusa waKhe wothando.—2 Petru 3:9.
Uthando olukhona phakathi kwezinceku zikaJehova lusiza ukuqinisa amaKristu asemasha eminyakeni enzima yobusha. Lapho intombazane eNsundu esencane ibuzwa ukuthi yini eyayisiza ukuba inamathele ekukhulekeleni kweqiniso, yathi: “Ngicabanga ukuthi kwakungekhona nje kuphela lokho engangikufunde eBhayibhelini kodwa uthando engilubone lapho ngiba khona emihlanganweni yobuKristu nendlela engamukelwa ngayo okwangihlaba umxhwele kakhulu.”
Yebo, uthando olubanzi lungahlanganisa ndawonye ibandla. Kodwa khumbula, uthando lukaJehova lufinyelela kuso sonke isintu. Singamlingisa kanjani kulokhu?
Ukuthanda Labo Esingabazi
UJesu waqokomisa indlela eyodwa evelele yokubonisa uthando ngisho nakubantu esingabazi. Wathi: “Lelivangeli lombuso liyakushunyayelwa ezweni lonke, kube-ngubufakazi ezizweni zonke, andukuba kufike ukuphela.” (Mathewu 24:14) Yebo, oFakazi BakaJehova babonisa uthando ngabanye uma beshumayela izindaba ezinhle kubantu abangabazi ngokuphelele.
Uthando ngesintu sisonke lushukumisela amaKristu ukuba asize abantu angabazi nangezinye izindlela. NjengomSamariya womfanekiso kaJesu, bazama ukuba ngomakhelwane abahle, ‘benza okuhle kubo bonke,’ ngokuvamile bathola imiphumela emihle engalindelekile. (Galathiya 6:10; Luka 10:29-37) Ngokwesibonelo, intombazane esencane yaseAlaska eyayihlanganyela emsebenzini wokushumayela endaweni engamakhilomitha angama-260 kude nekhaya lakubo yahlangana nomkhaya owawungenamali ufelwe imoto. Lapho izwa ngesimo sawo esibucayi, uyise wentombazane washayela amakhilomitha angama-520 eyonikeza usizo. Lokhu kwanikeza ithuba lokutshela umkhaya ngezinjongo zikaJehova nangoMbuso wakhe. Ngemva kokutadisha iBhayibheli, indoda nomfazi babonakalisa ukuzinikezela kwabo kuJehova. Manje nabo, ngokufanayo, bathola injabulo yokuhlanganyela izindaba ezinhle nabanye.—IzEnzo 20:35.
Ungabathanda Yini Abakuzondayo?
Nokho, uthando lobuKristu lungaphezu kokuthanda abantu ongabazi. UJesu wanxusa abafundi bakhe: “Thandani izitha zenu, nibabusise abaniqalekisayo, nibaphathe kahle abanizondayo, nibakhulekele abanizingelayo ukuba nibe-ngabantwana bakaYihlo osezulwini; ngokuba yena uphumisa ilanga lakhe phezu kwababi nabahle, anise imvula phezu kwabalungileyo nabangalungile.”—Mathewu 5:44, 45.
Ingabe kungenzeka ngempela ukuthanda labo abasishushisayo? Phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, oFakazi BakaJehova eJalimane lobuNazi babeshaywa ngonya futhi baphoqwe ukuba benze umsebenzi onzima beholelwa umholo omncane. Ngokusobala, babengeke babe nothando olukhulu nobungane (phi·liʹa) ngabashushisi babo. Noma kunjalo, bababonisa uthando olunezimiso (a·gaʹpe) olufana nalolo uJehova ake walubonisa sonke isintu. Kanjalo, lapho kunokwenzeka, oFakazi bahlanganyela nabashushisi isigijimi seqiniso esinikeza ukuphila. Futhi abanye balezitha ekugcineni baba amaKristu.
Abaningi balabo abashushisa izinceku zikaNkulunkulu benza kanjalo ngokungazi, njengoba kwenza uSawulu, kamuva owaba ngumphostoli uPawulu. (Galathiya 1:13, 14) Lapho siqaphela ukuthi abashushisi abanjalo, ngenye indlela, bayizisulu zamanga kaSathane, sisizwa ukuba sibe nesimo esengeziwe sothando kubo.—2 Korinte 4:4.
UJehova, uNkulunkulu wothando nozwela, uyakujabulela ukuvuza labo ababonisa uthando olubanzi emkhayeni, ebandleni, kwabangabazi, ngisho nasezitheni. Uthando olunjalo lubopha amalungu omkhaya nawebandla ndawonye ngokuqinile, njengoba nenhlaka yembambelela iyenza ikwazi ukunamathela ngokuqinile edwaleni. Ngokungaphezulu, uthando lukhuthaza abangaphandle ukuba beze bahlanganyele ebunyeni bobuKristu. Khona-ke, ingabe asinaso isizathu sokusabela ngokwazisa othandweni lukaNkulunkulu ngokwandisa uthando lwethu ngisho nangokwengeziwe? Ngokuqinisekile sinaso! Ngakho ‘masivame nokuvama kulokho.’—1 Thesalonika 4:9, 10.