Ukuthandaza Phambi Kwabanye Ngenhliziyo Ethobekile
KWAKUWUSUKU olujabulisayo emlandweni wakwaIsrayeli. INkosi uDavide yayihlele ukuba umphongolo kaJehova ulethwe enhlokodolobha entsha, iJerusalema. Ngokujabula, yadumisa uJehova phambi kwabantu bonke, yaphetha umthandazo wayo oqotho ngalamazwi: “Makabongwe uJehova uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, kusukela phakade kuze kube-phakade.” Ngezinhliziyo ezipheleleyo, labo ababelalele “bathi: Amen, bamdumisa uJehova.”—1 IziKronike 16:36.
Ezikhathini zasendulo, kwakungokuvamile ngomuntu ofanelekayo phakathi kwabantu bakaNkulunkulu ukuba amelele abanye ngomthandazo ngalendlela. Nanamuhla izinceku zikaJehova zenza ngendlela efanayo. Imihlangano yebandla, imihlangano emikhulu, izikhathi zokudla zomkhaya, nezifundo zeBhayibheli zasemakhaya kungezinye zezikhathi lapho amadoda angamaKristu—futhi ngezinye izikhathi abesifazane—eba nelungelo lokumelela abanye ngomthandazo. (1 Korinte 11:4, 5) Uba yini umphumela? Njengasosukwini lukaDavide, labo abalalele futhi bathi “Amen” bayakheka futhi baba nomuzwa wokuthi ubuhlobo babo noJehova buyaqiniswa.
Ukumelela abanye ngomthandazo kuwumthwalo wemfanelo ongelula. Lowo othandazayo kumelwe aveze imiqondo ekubonisa kahle lokho okusezinhliziyweni zalabo abalalele. Umthandazo wakhe uthinta ingokomoya labo. Ngakho-ke, labo abajabulela lelilungelo benza kahle ukwenanela isicelo sikaDavide esithi: “Umkhuleko wami mawube-njengempepho ebusweni bakho.”—IHubo 141:2.
Singayilungiselela kanjani imithandazo yethu ukuze ibe nephunga elimnandi njengempepho phambi kukaJehova? Ngokucabanga kusengaphambili ngalokho esizokusho ngokombono wesiqondiso uJehova asinike sona. IBhayibheli liqukethe imithandazo eminingi eyizibonelo kuhlanganise nezeluleko ezinhle kakhulu endabeni yomthandazo. Ukucabangela lokhu kwaziswa kuyosifundisa izindinganiso ezibalulekile eziwusizo ikakhulukazi lapho sithandaza ukuba kuzwe abanye futhi sibathandazela.
Ngenhliziyo Ethobekile
Enye yezindinganiso ezinjalo iwukuthi uJehova ulalela imithandazo elethwa abathobekile. (2 IziKronike 7:13, 14) Umhubi uyasitshela: “Ngokuba noma uJehova ephakeme, uyanakekela nokho ophansi; uyamazi ozidlayo ekude.” (IHubo 138:6) Njengesibonelo salokhu, cabanga ngokuthobeka kweNkosi uSolomoni emthandazweni wayo wasobala ekunikezelweni kwethempeli. Yayisanda kuqeda ukwakha esinye sezakhiwo ezinhle kakhulu kwezake zabonwa kulomhlaba, kodwa lokhu akuzange kuyenze iqhoshe. Kunalokho, yathandaza: “Kepha uNkulunkulu uyakuhlala impela kubantu emhlabeni na? Bheka, izulu nezulu lamazulu alinakukwanela; pho, kakhulu kangakanani lendlu encane engiyakhileyo na?”—2 IziKronike 6:18.
Nathi kumelwe sithobeke, ikakhulukazi lapho sithandazela abanye. Ngokwengxenye, ukuthobeka kubonakaliswa yizwi. Yebo, amaKristu kumelwe agweme ukuzithoba kokuzenzisa noma ukumbuluza. Kodwa imithandazo eshiwo ngokuthobeka ayinakho ukuzikhukhumeza noma ukubukisa. (Mathewu 6:5) Futhi, ukuthobeka kuyaboniswa ngalokho esikushoyo. Uma sithandaza ngokuthobeka, ngeke sifune ukuthi uJehova enze izinto ezithile. Kunalokho, siyomnxusa ukuba avume ukuzenza ngendlela ethile evumelana nentando yakhe.—Qhathanisa neHubo 118:25.
Ukuthobeka, futhi, kuyosiholela ekubeni sigweme ukusebenzisa imithandazo ukuze sisekele iphuzu elithile noma ukuze sinikeze iseluleko esingokomuntu siqu kubantu. Uma kunjalo, siyobe sibonisa umoya owaboniswa ngumFarisi okomunye wemifanekiso kaJesu. UJesu wakhuluma ngomFarisi nomthelisi ababethandaza ngesikhathi esisodwa ethempelini. UmFarisi wathi: “Nkulunkulu, ngiyakubonga ngokuba ngingenjengabanye abantu: izigcwelegcwele, abangalungile, iziphingi, nanjengalomthelisi. Ngizila ukudla kabili ngeviki, nginikela okweshumi kukho konke enginakho.” Kodwa umthelisi wayelokhu ezithoba, ethi: “Nkulunkulu, ngihawukele mina-soni.” Waphetha ngokuthini uJesu? “Lo [umthelisi] wehlela endlini yakhe elungisisiwe kunomunye [umFarisi].”—Luka 18:9-14.
Izinceku zikaJehova ezithobekile ngempela ziyasiqaphela futhi isikhundla sazo phambi kwakhe. Zingaphansana kwezingelosi, lapho uJehova enguMbusi ophakade, ophakeme wendawo yonke. (IHubo 8:3-5; 90:1-4) Lapho abantu benethuba lokukhuluma namakhosi noma ababusi balelizwe, ngokuvamile bakwenza ngenhlonipho nangesizotha, belazisa ngokukhethekile lelolungelo. Ingabe kumelwe sibonise inhlonipho nokwazisa okungaphansi lapho sikhuluma ‘noNkulunkulu ophilayo neNkosi yaphakade’? (Jeremiya 10:10) Akunjalo neze. Ngakho, izinkulumo ezinjengokuthi “Sawubona, Jehova” noma “Sifuna ukukhuluma nawe, Jehova” zingezingafaneleki emthandazweni, ngokufanayo nangezinkulumo zengxoxo ezinjengokuthi “Ninjani namhlanje?” “Usikhonzele kuJesu,” noma “Yiba nosuku olumnandi.”—Qhathanisa nomShumayeli 5:1, 2.
Nokho, akashongo yini umphostoli uPawulu ukuthi simelwe ukusondela kuJehova “ngesibindi”? (Heberu 4:16; qhathanisa neyoku-1 Johane 3:21, 22.) Ingabe lokho akusiniki inkululeko yokukhuluma ngendlela esiyithandayo? Akunjalo ngempela. Inkulumo kaPawulu yayibhekisela eqinisweni lokuthi ngenxa yomhlatshelo kaJesu singasondela kuJehova naphezu kombandela wesono sethu. Singasondela kuye ngomthandazo noma ngasiphi isikhathi nanoma ngayiphi indaba. Kodwa ngisho nalapho sithandaza ngesibindi, kumelwe ngokuthobeka sikuqaphele ukuba yize kwethu. Ngakho, uJehova wathi: “Kepha yilowo engiyakubheka kuye: ohluphekayo nonomoya ochobozekileyo, othuthumela ngezwi lami.”—Isaya 66:2.
Iseluleko Esiyisixwayiso
UJesu Kristu waqhubeka enikeza iseluleko ngomthandazo eNtshumayelweni yakhe yaseNtabeni. Kuyo waxwayisa ngokuthi lapho sithandaza ‘singathemelezi njengabezizwe.’ (Mathewu 6:7) Lokhu akusho ukuthi akumelwe sithandazele njalo indaba efanayo (uma nje siqiniseka ukuthi kuyinto efanele ukuthandazelwa). Siyatshelwa: “Celani, khona niyakuphiwa: funani, khona niyakufumana; ngqongqothani, khona nizakuvulelwa.” (Mathewu 7:7) Kunalokho, isixwayiso sikaJesu sasisho ukuthi akumelwe siphindaphinde izinto zize zingabe zisaba nenjongo. Ngamanye amazwi, “Ningaphindaphindi okuyize.”—Mathewu 6:7, IBhayibheli Lezikhombo, umbhalo waphansi.
Abanye abantu banomkhuba wokuphindaphinda njalo imithandazo ebhalwe phansi ngaphandle kokucabanga ngamazwi awo. Ngezinye izikhathi leyomithandazo ibhalwa ngolimi olungezwakali kulowo othandazayo. Lolu lungolunye uhlobo ‘lokuphindaphinda okuyize.’ Nalu olunye: Cabanga ngomKristu owela ngokunganaki emkhubeni wokusebenzisa ngaphandle kokucabanga inkulumo efanayo nsuku zonke lapho eletha ukubonga kuJehova. Ekugcineni, amazwi aba angenanjongo. Ngisho negama laphezulu, uJehova, lingasetshenziswa ngalendlela. Yiqiniso, sinxuswa ukuba sibize igama likaJehova. (IHubo 105:1) Kodwa uma sisebenzisa lelogama cishe ekupheleni komusho ngamunye emthandazweni wethu, khona-ke liba injwayelo noma ‘ukuphindaphinda okuyize.’
UPawulu wathinta enye indinganiso ebalulekile lapho ebhala: “Uma ngikhuleka ngezilimi, kukhuleka umoya wami, kepha ingqondo yami ayinasithelo. . . . Nxa ubonga ngomoya, lowo osesikhundleni nabangalungile angasho kanjani ukuthi Amen ekubongeni kwakho na? Lokhu engakwazi ekushoyo.” (1 Korinte 14:14-16) Osukwini kukaPawulu, amaKristu athile athola isipho esimangalisayo sokukhuluma ngezilimi, futhi ngokusobala abanye kubo bathandaza ngezilimi phambi kwebandla. Kodwa njengoba uPawulu abonisa, iningi lebandla lalingaziqondi.
Namuhla, asinazo izipho ezinjalo eziyisimangaliso. Kodwa amaKristu athandazela abanye kumelwe athandaze ngendlela eyoqondakala. Ngokwesibonelo, ekuqaleni kwenkulumo yeningi simema amalungu omphakathi ukuba azohlanganyela nathi umthandazo. Emthandazweni onjalo, ngokuqinisekile kungokunengqondo ukugwema amagama noma indaba izivakashi ezingenakuyiqonda.
Kufanele Ibe Mide Kangakanani Imithandazo?
Imithandazo yangasese ingaba mide ngendlela esifuna ngayo. Ngaphambi kokuba uJesu akhethe abaphostoli bakhe abayi-12, wathandaza ubusuku bonke. (Luka 6:12) Nokho, kufanele ube mude kangakanani umthandazo wasobala? Nokho, ngaphambi kokunikeza izifanekiselo lapho emisa iSikhumbuzo sokufa kwakhe, uJesu ‘wazibusisa’ futhi ‘wabonga,’ ngokusobala ekwenza lokho ngemithandazo emifushane. (Mathewu 26:26-28) Ngakolunye uhlangothi, umthandazo kaSolomoni ekunikezelweni kwethempeli wawumude kakhulu. Kungokufanayo nangomthandazo kaJesu wangobusuku obungaphambi kokufa kwakhe.—2 iziKronike 6:14-42; Johane 17:1-26.
Ngakho-ke, awukho umthetho wokuthi umthandazo wasobala kufanele ube mude kangakanani. Kodwa ayikho inzuzo ekhethekile emithandazweni emide. Eqinisweni, uJesu wabagxeka ababhali ‘ababedla izindlu zabafelokazi, bekhuleka isikhathi eside ngokuzenzisa.’ (Luka 20:46, 47) Imithandazo eyenzelwa abanye kufanele ihlanganise izimo noma izidingo zabo futhi kufanele ibe ngeyobude obufanele lesosikhathi. Akudingeki ukuba senze imithandazo emide, engenanjongo ehlanganisa amaphuzu amaningi angahambelani. Lapho sibonga ukudla, umthandazo ungaba ngomfushane kakhulu. Ngokufanayo, umthandazo ovula imihlangano wobuKristu, akudingeki ube mude. Lowo omelela umkhaya ekuqaleni noma ekupheleni kosuku, noma ophetha umhlangano omkhulu ngomthandazo, angase afise ukuhlanganisa amaphuzu amaningi afanelekela lesosikhathi.
Umthandazo owenzelwa abanye uyoba nomphumela omuhle uma usuka enhliziyweni ethobekile futhi ushiwo ngokulinganisela nokucabangela. Uyokwakha ingokomoya lalabo abalalele futhi uyoqinisa ubuhlobo babo noJehova. Ngokomphumela, njengalabo abahlanganyela emthandazweni oqotho kaDavide lapho umphongolo wesivumelwano ulethwa eJerusalema, bonke abalalele bayoshukunyiselwa ukuba ‘bathi Amen, futhi badumise uJehova.’—1 IziKronike 16:36.
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Ingabe izilaleli kufanele zisho ‘uAmen’ ozwakalayo ekuphetheni komthandazo wasobala?
Yebo, uma zithanda noma zizizwa zishukumiseleka ukwenza kanjalo. UPawulu wakhuluma ‘ngoAmen’ owashiwo yilabo ababelalele umthandazo, nakuba engazange asho ngokuqondile ukuthi lokhu kwakuzwakala noma bakusho ngezinhliziyo zabo. (1 Korinte 14:16) Nokho, ngaphansi koMthetho kaMose, kwake kwaba nesikhathi lapho amaIsrayeli ayalezwa ngokuqondile ukuba asho ‘uAmen!’ ozwakalayo. (Duteronomi 27:14-26) Ngakho-ke, lapho umuntu othandazayo ebonisa ukuphetha komthandazo wakhe ngokuba athi “Amen,” izilaleli kufanele zithi “Amen” ezinhliziyweni zazo noma ngokuzwakalayo ngezwi eliphansi. Abazali kumelwe baqeqeshe izingane zabo ukuba zibonise ukwazisa ngendlela ezisho ngayo noma yimuphi ‘uAmen.’
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Uma ingane iqala ukukhala, kukhala ucingo, noma kuvela olunye uhlobo lokuphazamiseka phakathi nomthandazo webandla, ingabe kuwukungahloniphi ukulungisa isimo esiphuthumayo?
Cha. Eqinisweni, kuyobe kuwukubonakaliswa kothando ngenceku ekhonzayo ukuba ishiye ibandla elithandazayo ngaphandle kokubanga umsindo futhi ilungise isimo esiphuthumayo ngemfanelo. (1 Korinte 14:40) Kanjalo, ibandla lonke lingaqhubeka lithandaza ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka. Noma ubani olungisa isimo esiphuthumayo angabuya azohlanganyela umthandazo lapho isimo esiphuthumayo sesidlulile.