Ithemba Linqoba Ukuphelelwa Yithemba!
KWETHI Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, ukuphelelwa yithemba kuchazwa ngokuthi “ukuphela okuphelele kwethemba.” Khona-ke, kuyakhanya ukuthi ukuze sinqobe ukuphelelwa yithemba, sidinga ithemba!
Umuntu ohluphekile ophoqeleka ukuba alale emgwaqweni ngeke aphelelwe yithemba ngokuphelele uma enalo. Ithemba linganikeza ngisho nalabo abezwa izinhlungu zokucindezeleka isikhuthazo namuhla sokukhuthazela. Kodwa lelothemba kumelwe libe nokwethenjelwa! Kusho ukuthini lokhu?
Isisekelo Sethemba
Cabangela lokho okwenzeka kuSara, umka-Abrahama inzalamizi. Esezofinyelela iminyaka engu-90 yobudala, wayeseyinyumba futhi sekuyisikhathi eside ephelelwe yithemba lokuthi uyoke azale umntwana. Nokho, lapho umyeni wakhe eseneminyaka engu-99 ubudala, uJehova waphinda isithembiso ayesenze eminyakeni eminingi ngaphambili—uAbrahama ngempela wayeyoba “nembewu,” noma indlalifa. UAbrahama wayazi ukuthi lesi kwakuyisithembiso sokwethenjelwa. Cabanga indlela uSara okumelwe ukuba wajabula ngayo, lapho ngokuyisimangaliso, lesenzakalo esijabulisayo sifezeka, futhi ezala uIsaka! (Genesise 12:2, 3; 17:1-4, 19, qhathanisa neNW; 21:2) Ukuthembela kuka-Abrahama kuNkulunkulu kwakungelona ize, njengoba umphostoli uPawulu achaza: “Akangabazanga [uAbrahama] ngesithembiso sikaNkulunkulu ngokungakholwa, kodwa waqina ekukholweni, enika uNkulunkulu udumo.”—Roma 4:20.
Ebhalela amaJuda ayeseguqukile aba amaKristu osukwini lwakhe, uPawulu wabonisana nawo ngokuthi ayengathembela esithembisweni sikaNkulunkulu sensindiso ngoJesu ngenxa yezizathu ezimbili ezizwakalayo. Ecaphuna isithembiso sikaNkulunkulu kuAbrahama nesifungo saKhe saphezulu esihambisana naso, lomphostoli wagomela: “Ngokuba abantu bafunga omkhulu kunabo; kubona isifungo siyaqeda ukuphikisana konke, siqinise. Kulokhu-ke uNkulunkulu, ethanda kakhulu impela ukubonisa izindlalifa zesithembiso ukungaguquleki kwecebo lakhe, walawula ngesifungo, ukuze ngezinto ezimbili ezingeguquleke, uNkulunkulu angeqambe amanga ngazo, sibe-nenduduzo enamandla thina esibalekele ekulibambeni ithemba esilimiselweyo.” (Heberu 6:16-18) Yebo, izithembiso zikaNkulunkulu ziyiqiniso futhi zinokwethenjelwa. UJehova ungumninimandla onke futhi ukwazi ngokuyingqayizivele ukuqinisekisa ukugcwaliseka kwezwi lakhe siqu.
Ithemba—“Liqinile, Ligxilile”
UPawulu wabhala ukuthi ithemba lobuKristu “liqinile, ligxilile.” (Heberu 6:19) UPawulu wayazi lapho ithemba lakhe lalisekelwe khona. Uyachaza: “[Ithemba] lingena kokungaphakathi kwesihenqo.” Kusho ukuthini lokhu? UPawulu wayebhekisela ngokusobala ethempelini lasendulo eJerusalema. Kulona kwakunendawo eyiNgcwelengcwele, ehlukaniswe naso sonke isakhiwo ngesihenqo. (Eksodusi 26:31, 33; Mathewu 27:51) Yebo, ithempeli elingokoqobo eJerusalema sekuyisikhathi eside labhujiswa. Ngakho, namuhla, leNgcwelengcwele iwumfuziselo wani?
Wezulu ngokwalo, khona kanye lapho kunesihlalo sobukhosi sikaNkulunkulu! UPawulu wakuchaza lokhu lapho ethi uJesu ngemva kokwenyuka kwakhe “kangenanga endaweni engcwele eyenziwe ngezandla [ethempelini eJerusalema], engumfanekiso waleyo okuyiyo ngempela, kepha wangena ezulwini uqobo ukuba manje abonakale ebusweni bukaNkulunkulu ngenxa yethu.” (Heberu 9:24) Ngakho ithemba lobuKristu, elisisiza ukuba silwisane nokuphelelwa yithemba, alixhomekanga kubantu bezombangazwe kodwa lixhomeke elungiselelweni lasezulwini. Lixhomeke kuLowo omiswe nguNkulunkulu, uJesu Kristu, owanikela ngokuphila kwakhe njengesihlengo sezono zethu futhi manje obonakala phambi kukaNkulunkulu ngenxa yethu. (1 Johane 2:1, 2) Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba kuboniswa kaningi ezinhlwini zalomagazini, yena loJesu ofanayo uyilowo omiswe ngokwaphezulu ukuba abuse njengeNkosi yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu wasezulwini futhi ubenza kanjalo kusukela ngo-1914. Ngokushesha loMbuso wasezulwini uzosusa izinto ezenza abaningi kangaka baphelelwe yithemba.
Ithemba—‘Ihange Lomphefumulo’
Ukuze aqinisekise abafundi bakhe ukuthi ithemba labo lensindiso ngoJesu lalinesisekelo esiqinile, uPawulu wasebenzisa isifaniso. Wachaza: “Sinalo njengehange lomphefumulo.”—Heberu 6:19.
Amahange ayaziwa kakhulu yizihambi ezinjengoPawulu. Amahange asendulo ayefana kakhulu nawesimanje, ngokuvamile enziwe ngensimbi enezinhlangothi ezimbili ezinjengamazinyo zokubambelela phansi olwandle. Endleleni eya eRoma cishe ngonyaka ka-58 C.E., umkhumbi uPawulu ayewugibele waba sengozini yokukhukhulekela ngasogwini. Kodwa njengoba isikebhe sasiya emanzini amancane ngisho nangokwengeziwe, amatilosi “aphonsa amahange amane ngasemuva.” Ngenxa yalawomahange, umkhumbi wasinda kulesosiphepho.—IzEnzo 27:29, 39, 40, 44.
Yini-ke okumelwe uyenze ukuze wenze ithemba lakho liqine njengehange ukuze usinde ekucindezeleni kwezomnotho, ukugula okungokomzimba noma okungokomzwelo, noma yiziphi ezinye “iziphepho” ezingase zikuphazamise? Okokuqala, ziqinisekise ngokuthi izithembiso zeBhayibheli zinokwethenjelwa. “Vivinyani konke.” (1 Thesalonika 5:21) Ngokwesibonelo, lapho oFakazi BakaJehova bekhuluma nawe ngokulandelayo, lalela abakushoyo. Uma bengavakashi njalo lapho uhlala khona, bafune endaweni abahlanganyela kuyo eseduze. Ngeke uphoqelelwe ukuba uzihlanganise nabo, kodwa uyomenywa ukuba wamukele isifundo seBhayibheli samahhala, esilungiselelwe ukuqhutshwa nomaphi futhi noma nini lapho kunokwenzeka ngawe.
Isifundo esinjalo siyokuqinisekisa ukuthi uNkulunkulu “ungumvuzi walabo abamfunayo.” (Heberu 11:6) Uyofunda ukuthi ngokushesha uMbuso kaNkulunkulu ngaphansi kweNkosi, uKristu Jesu, uyosusa ukonakala nokungalungi okubangela abaningi kangaka namuhla baphelelwe yithemba. Ngaphansi kwalowoMbuso, lomhlaba uyobuyiselwa ekubeni yipharadesi, futhi uNkulunkulu uyonikeza labo abamthandayo ukuphila okuphakade. (IHubo 37:29; IsAmbulo 21:4) Yeka ithemba elikhazimulayo!
Funda iBhayibheli ngokunakekela ukuze ubone ukuthi lelithemba liyiqiniso. Khona-ke sebenzela ukwakha ubuhlobo obuseduze bomuntu siqu noNkulunkulu, ube umngane wakhe njengoAbrahama. (Jakobe 2:23) Njengoba uJehova ‘enguMuzwi wemikhuleko,’ mtshele ngalokho okukukhathazayo. Lapho ukusondela kwakho kuye kuqotho, umkhuleko wakho uyokusiza ukuba wethule okukusindayo futhi unqobe ukuphelelwa kwakho yithemba. Umoya kaNkulunkulu ungase uvule ngisho nendlela yokushintsha isimo esikucindezelayo.—IHubo 55:22; 65:2; 1 Johane 5:14, 15.
‘Bambisisa’!
Ngemva kokutusa ukuba abafundi abakanye naye ‘bavivinye konke,’ uPawulu wanezela: “Nibambisise okuhle.” (1 Thesalonika 5:21) Enye indlela yokwenza lokhu iwukuhlangana nabantu ababambisisa ithemba lobuKristu. Inkosi ehlakaniphile uSolomoni yaxwayisa: “Ohamba nabahlakaniphileyo uyakuhlakanipha, kepha umngane weziwula uyakushoshozelwa yizo.” (IzAga 13:20) Ungavumeli ubandlululo noma umuzwa wokungaphatheki kahle kukuvimbele ukuba ufune ukuzihlanganisa nabangane abahle. Ngokwesibonelo, phakathi koFakazi BakaJehova kunabantu ababengenathemba ngaphambili. Kodwa ukutadisha kwabo iBhayibheli, kuhlanganise nobungane obujabulisayo kanye nabakholwa nabo, kuqinisa ubuhlobo babo noJehova futhi kubanikeza ithemba elinokwethenjelwa, elifana nehange. Ingabe lokhu ngempela kuyakunqoba ukuphelelwa yithemba? Ngokuqinisekile kuyakunqoba.
Cabangela indaba ka-Annmarie, owaphelelwa yithemba ngenxa yokuphathwa yindoda yakhe ngonya. “Nganquma ukuzibulala,” echaza, “kodwa ngenxa yesizathu esithile nganquma ukukhuleka kuNkulunkulu kuqala. Ngiyakhumbula ngithi, ‘Kungani ungangisizi? Sekuyisikhathi eside ngithembele kuwe, kodwa usizo alukho.’ Ngaphetha umkhuleko wami ngicabanga ukuthi ukuphila kwakungenanjongo, ngakho nami ngangingafa. Ngalesosikhathi ngezwa kungqongqozwa emnyango. Nganquma ukunganaki, ngethemba ukuthi noma ubani owayelapho wayeyogcina ehambile.
“Ukungqongqoza kwaphikelela, futhi ngakhungatheka. Ngasula izinyembezi futhi ngayobona ukuthi ubani owayesemnyango, ngithemba ukuthi ngizokhululeka ngokushesha ukuze ngenze engase ngikuhlosile. Kodwa,” kusho uAnnmarie, “ngenxa kaJehova, akwenzekanga ngaleyondlela, ngoba lapho ngivula umnyango, ngathola kumi lapho abesifazane ababili. Eqinisweni, ngangikhungatheke kakhulu, futhi angizange ngikuqonde ngempela lokho ababekusho. Kodwa banginikeza incwadi eyayiyochaza ukuthi ukuphila kunenjongo. Kwakuyilokho kanye engangikudinga ukuze ngivuselele isithakazelo sami ekuphileni.” Izivakashi zakhe zahlela ukuba zibe nesifundo seBhayibheli sasikhathi sonke naye. UAnnmarie wafunda ukuba umngane kaNkulunkulu. Lokhu, kamuva, kwamnikeza injongo ekuphileni. Manje usiza abanye ukuba bakhe ukuthembela kwabo kuNkulunkulu.
Mhlawumbe uye waba nethemba lokuqedwa kokuphelelwa yithemba ngaphandle kokuqaphela konke okuhilelekile. Kodwa uma wake wakhuleka ngalendlela: “Mawufike umbuso wakho; mayenziwe intando yakho emhlabeni njengasezulwini,” khona-ke uye wakhulekela ukuza koMbuso kaNkulunkulu ngaphansi kukaJesu Kristu, oyoqeda lezozinto eziholela abantu abanhliziyo-zilungile ekuphelelweni yithemba. (Mathewu 6:10) Isifundo sakho siqu seBhayibheli nokuhlangana njalo nabanye abanethemba elifanayo kuyoqinisa ukubambelela kwakho ethembeni lokuza koMbuso kaJehova futhi ulethe iPharadesi emhlabeni wethu. (1 Thimothewu 6:12, 19) Leli yithemba elikhazimulayo elimenyezelwa yilomagazini ngamunye okhishwayo. Yamukela lelithemba ngobuqotho ukuze ulwisane nokuphelelwa yithemba. Yiqiniso, ithemba “alijabhisi.”—Roma 5:5.
[Isithombe ekhasini 7]
Ukutadisha iBhayibheli kusinikeza ithemba elisebenza ‘njengehange lomphefumulo’