Ingabe Uyalazisa Ifa Lakho?
“Zamelani ukuthula . . . ; niqaphelisise . . . kungabikho oyisifebe noma [ongazazisi izinto ezingcwele] njengoEsawu owathengisa ubuzibulo bakhe ngesidlo sinye nje.”—HEBERU 12:14-16.
1, 2. (a) Liyini ifa? (b) Imiphi imibuzo ephakamayo ngokuphathelene nefa eliphakeme?
ABANTU baye babulala ngenxa yalo. Abanye baye bafa bengazange balithole. Abaningi, ngemva kokulithola, baye balisaphaza. Yini leyo? Ifa. Futhi ngokuvamile kuba ngaleyondlela uma kunempahla okumelwe izuzwe ngefa.
2 IBhayibheli likhuluma ngefa (amafa) izikhathi ezingama-229, futhi ezikhathini eziningi libhekisela efeni lezwe noma lempahla. Nokho, iZwi likaNkulunkulu futhi likhuluma ngefa eliphakeme kakhulu kunanoma iliphi elingase lishiywe esabelweni sefa. Futhi ifa elinjalo eliwadlula onke ungalithola uma ungalideleli. Liyini lelifa? Ubani olinikezayo? Kungani abanye libalahlekela? Singakubonisa kanjani ukwazisa ngalo?
Liyini Lelifa?
3. Liyini ifa lobuKristu, futhi ubani umabi walo?
3 Lapho amaJuda eAntiyokiya enqaba isigijimi sikamphostoli uPawulu sosindiso, waphendukela kwababengewona amaJuda, “kwabezizwe.” “Bathokoza, balidumisa izwi leNkosi; bakholwa bonke ababemiselwe ukuphila okuphakade.” (IzEnzo 13:45-48) Yebo, lelifa liwukuphila okuphakade. Ngabambalwa lisho “ifa elingapheliyo, nelingenasisihla, nelingabuniyo, . . . ezulwini.” Ubani umabi walelifa? UPetru wathi, “uNkulunkulu uYise weNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu.”—1 Petru 1:3, 4.
4. Iliphi ifa elingatholakala eningini lesintu?
4 Kodwa kuthiwani ngeningi lesintu elingenathemba lasezulwini? Ifa laso lingaba ukuphila okuphelele njengengxenye ‘yomhlaba omusha,’ umphakathi omusha wabantu abahlengwe ngomhlatshelo kaJesu Kristu. Linikeza ithemba lokuphila okuphakade kunozungezilanga oguquliwe, ongenakungcola. (IsAmbulo 11:18; 21:3, 4; Johane 17:3) Ubungathanda yini ukuba nethemba lefa elinjalo? Uma usuwenza kanjalo kakade, ingabe ulazisa ngempela?
Ukweya Nokwazisa Ubuzibulo
5, 6. (a) Kwakungobani oEsawu noJakobe? (b) Yini eyayikhethekile ngefa labo, futhi ubani owayeyozuza ngokuyinhloko?
5 Ukuze siyiqonde kangcono lendaba yokwazisa ifa, asibukeze kafushane isibonelo samawele amabili. Omunye wayenokwazisa okukhulu ngezinto ezingcwele, kanti omunye walahla ukwazisa kwakhe ngokunjalo futhi ngenxa yalokho walahlekelwa ifa elibaluleke kakhulu. AyenguJakobe noEsawu, amadodana enzalamizi engumHeberu ulsaka.
6 Umkhulu wawo uAbrahama wafa lapho eneminyaka eyi-15 ubudala. Ifa lezinto ezibonakalayo alishiyela indodana yakhe ulsaka lalihlanganisa umhlambi omkhulu wemfuyo nensimu lapho kwakunomhume wokungcwaba womkhaya. (Genesise 25:5-10) Nokho, isici esibaluleke kakhulu salelifa sasingeyona impahla noma yini ephathekayo. Kwakuyisithembiso uJehova ayesenze kuAbrahama futhi kamuva wasiphinda kulsaka: “Ngenzalo yakho ziyakubusiswa izizwe zonke zomhlaba.” (Genesise 22:18; 25:24-26; 26:2-5) Lokhu kwembula ukuthi uMesiya, empeleni “inzalo” ethenjisiwe kaGenesise 3:15, yayiyoza ngohlu lozalo luka-Abrahama ngesikhathi esithile esasiseza. Njengoba uEsawu ayeyizibulo lalamawele, ekufeni kukayise, ulsaka, wayezoba nelungelo elingokomthetho kulesisithembiso, kanye nesabelo esiphindwe kabili sempahla. Manje umbuzo uwukuthi, Ingabe walazisa yini ifa lakhe?
7. UEsawu noJakobe babehluke kanjani ngokwazisa nangobuntu? (Genesise 26:34, 35; 28:6-9)
7 Njengoba lamawele ekhula, ubuntu bawo obuhlukene baba sobala. UEsawu wayengumzingeli ongaphumuli, “umuntu wasendle,” kanti uJakobe “waba-yibeka,” “ohlala ematendeni.” (Genesise 25:27) Manje ngolunye usuku lapho uJakobe epheka isitshulu sembumba, uEsawu wangena evela endle ekhathele futhi elambile. “UEsawu wathi kuJakobe: Ake ungiphe ukuba ngidle kokubomvu, kulokho okubomvu, ngokuba sengidiniwe!”—Genesise 25:30.
8. Isiphi isiphakamiso esimangalisayo uJakobe asenza kumfowabo, futhi wasabela kanjani uEsawu?
8 Kuleliphuzu uJakobe wenza isiphakamiso esiphawulekayo kumfowabo oyiwele naye, ethi: “Thengisa kimi namuhla ngefa lobuzibulo bakho.” (Genesise 25:31) Wayecela ifa likaEsawu ngokulishintsha ngesitsha sesitshulu! Ingabe ucabanga ukuthi uJakobe wayeyoba nethemba lokuphumelela elungiselelweni elinjalo lokuthengiselana? Ngokusobala wacabanga ukuthi wayeyoba nalo. Ngani? Ngoba wayekwazi ukuthambekela komfowabo nombono wakhe wezinto ezibalulekile. Ingabe wayenephutha? UEsawu, ngokusobala enza ihaba ngesimo sakhe esingokwenyama, waphendula: “Sengizakufa; linosizo luni kimi ifa lobuzibulo bami na?”—Genesise 25:32.
9. UEsawu uhluke kanjani kumfowabo ngokuphathelene nefa?
9 Ukuthengiselana kwaqiniswa ngesifungo, futhi uJakobe wapha umfowabo isinkwa nesitshulu sembumba. UEsawu wadla futhi wahamba “engenandaba.” (NE) Khona-ke umbhalo ophefumlelwe ngokuqondile uthi: “Wadelela kanjalo uEsawu ubuzibulo bakhe.” (Genesise 25:33, 34) Ngokuphambene, yeka indlela uJakobe azisa ngayo lelifa lobuzibulo! Wayengenandaba nempahla—insimu yokungcwaba nezilwane. Wayefuna ukuba inzalo yobuMesiya ethenjisiwe ize ngohlu lwakhe. Wayefuna ifa elingokomoya.—Qhathanisa uMathewu 6:31-33.
Ungalithengisa Yini Ifa Lakho?
10. (a) Iyiphi inkulumo ethakazelisayo uPawulu ayikhuluma ngokuphathelene noEsawu? (b) Buyini ubuhlobo phakathi kobufebe nokuthengisa kukaEsawu ubuzibulo bakhe?
10 Emakhulwini ayi-19 eminyaka kamuva, uPawulu wasebenzisa isibonelo sikaEsawu ukuba axwayise amaKristu akuqala, ethi: “Zamelani ukuthula nabo bonke . . . niqaphelisise kungabikho osilelayo emseni kaNkulunkulu, . . . kungabikho oyisifebe noma [ongazazisi izinto ezingcwele] njengoEsawu owathengisa ubuzibulo bakhe ngesidlo sinye nje.” Kungani uPawulu lapha ehlobanisa isifebe nesenzo sikaEsawu? Ngoba ukuba nesimo sengqondo sikaEsawu kungaholela ekwehlulekeni ukwazisa izinto ezingcwele bese kuholela ezonweni ezingathi sína kakhulu, njengobufebe.—Heberu 12:14-16.
11. Yini eye yenzeka kwamanye amaKristu ezikhathini zamanje?
11 Ingabe ngezinye izikhathi ulingelwa ukuba uthengise ifa lakho lobuKristu, ukuphila okuphakade, ngento ethile edlulayo ‘njengesitsha sokudla kwembumba’? Ingabe mhlawumbe ngaphandle kokukuqaphela, udelela “izinto ezingcwele”? Ngokwesibonelo, kulezikhathi zamuva amanye amaKristu aye aba izisulu zokuyekelela kwesimanje kokuziphatha. Abonakala enesifiso sikaEsawu sokungabekezeli sokwanelisa inkanuko yenyama. Njengoba asho uJakobe: “[Sheshisa], ungiphe ukuba ngidle okubomvu,” ingabe ngokomphumela abazange yini bathi: ‘Sheshisa! Kungani singaze silindele umshado ohloniphekile?’—Genesise 25:30; qhathanisa uGenesise 34:1-4.
12. (a) Kungayiphi indlela abanye abangazange babonise ngayo ukwazisa ngezinto ezingcwele? (b) Nokho, yini abanye abaye bayenza?
12 Kanjalo yini eye yenzeka? Isifiso sokwaneliseka ngokobulili kungakhathaliseki ukuthi iyini imiphumela, siye saba ‘isitsha sabo sokudla kwembumba.’ Ngokomphumela, baye badelela izinto ezingcwele, kuhlanganise nobuhlobo babo noJehova uNkulunkulu noJesu Kristu. Baye badelela ubuqotho, ukwethembeka nobumsulwa. Baye bafaka ifa labo engozini. Nokho, abanye balaba kamuva baye bashukunyiselwa ekuphendukeni kwangempela futhi ngokusobala baye baphinda bazuza ukuma kwabo noNkulunkulu.—Qhathanisa iHubo 51.
Kungani Abanye Bewa?
13. Yiziphi izici ezingonakalisa umbono wethu wezinto ezingokomoya?
13 Yini ebangela lokhu kuthambekela kokuziphatha okubi? Kungenzeka yini ukuthi labantu baye bavumela umbono wabo wezinto ezingokomoya ufiphale? Kunezinto eziningi ezingaba nomphumela owumshosha phansi endleleni yethu yokucabanga—abangane nezihlobo ezingaphili ngezimiso zethu, ngisho nabantu ababuthakathaka ngokomoya ebandleni, isimo sasemsebenzini esingenazimiso eziqotho zokuziphatha ukuzijabulisa nokufunda okusolekayo, okudukile ukufuna uthando kwabangakholwayo. Zonke lezizinto zingaholela ekuziphatheni okubi. Kungenzeka yini ukuthi okunye kwalokhu kuthinta umbono wakho wezinto ezibalulekile khona manje?—2 Korinte 6:14; 2 Thesalonika 3:6.
14. Iyiphi ingozi ekhona kokunye ukuzilibazisa kwesimanje?
14 Ngokwesibonelo, ingabe uzithola ubukela ithelevishini noma amabhayisikobo abonisa futhi aze athuthukise ukuziphatha okubi? Kumelwe kuvunywe ukuthi lamafilimu angayikhanga inyama engaphelele—njengomsinga ocwilisa abangaqaphile. Zingaba nomphumela wobuqili ekucabangeni kwakho. Lokhu kubonakala ngokukhanyayo ethonyeni elinamandla longqingili kwezokuzilibazisa. Baye bakhuthaza amabhayisikobho nemidlalo evumela ubungqingili. Ngenxa yalokho, okwakubhekwa njengobulili obuphendukezelwe ngaphambili manje kuhlonishwa “njengenye indlela yokuphila”! Sekuye kwafinyelelwa isimo esachazwa umphostoli uPawulu sokuthi: “Abathi bebuthuntu bazinikela emanyaleni, ukuze basebenze ukungcola konke ngokuhuheka.”—Efesu 4:19; 1 Korinte 6:9-11.
15. Singazigwema kanjani izihibe zokuziphatha okubi?
15 Liyini ikhambi? Zigcine ukude ‘nalowomsindo wokushinga’! IBhayibheli liyeluleka: “Funani okuhle, hayi okubi, . . . Zondani okubi, nithande okuhle.” Ah, nanto uvivinyo lwangempela—ukuzonda okubi ngokukhuthele.—1 Petru 4:4; Amose 5:14, 15.
16. Iyiphi indinganiso uPawulu ayibekela amaKristu?
16 Uma sinomqondo kaKristu, akumelwe yini sithinteke kabi ngobudlova obungadingekile, unya olubuhlungu nokuziphatha okubi ngokwedlulele okuboniswa ekuzilibaziseni okuningi namuhla? Ngempela, kumelwe ibe yini indinganiso yethu? UPawulu uyaphendula: “Konke okuyiqiniso, konke okuhloniphekayo, konke okulungileyo, konke okumhlophe, konke okuthandekayo, konke okutusekayo, noma kukhona okuhle, noma kukhona okubongekayo, zindlani ngalokho.”—Filipi 4:8.
17. (a) Iyini imifanekiso engcolile? (b) Abanye baye bazonakalisa kanjani izingqondo zabo? (c) Iyini inkambo yokuhlakanipha?
17 Ngokuqinisekile kungcono futhi kuphephile ukulalela isiyalo somphostoli. Ngeshwa abanye baye ‘bazindla’ ngemifanekiso yeTV engcolile, amabhayisikobho nezincwadi.a Ngenxa yalokho, baye bonakalisa izingqondo nezinhliziyo zabo ngokuziphatha okubi nokuphendukezelwa kobulili. Yeka ukuthi bekungaba ngcono kanjani ukusebenzisa iseluleko somphostoli: “Bazalwane, ningabi-ngabantwana ngengqondo [ezintweni ezingokomoya], kanti ebubini nibe yizingane”!—1 Korinte 14:20.
Singakwandisa Kanjani Ukwazisa Kwethu?
18. Yini engasebenza njengesivikelo nengasisiza ukuba sazise izinto ezingcwele?
18 Ubuhlobo obuseduze nabazali bomuntu bungamenza ukuba aluqaphele kakhulu uthando lwabo nezimiso, kanjalo kwenze kungenzeki kalula ngaye ukuba adumaze umkhaya. Kungokufanayo ngobuhlobo bethu noJehova. Kodwa singabuqinisa kanjani lobubuhlobo? Ngokwazi uNkulunkulu ngokuseduze. Isifundo sethu siqu esijulile seZwi likaNkulunkulu siyosisiza ukuba simazi futhi simthande kakhulu kangangokuba simelane nanoma isiphi isilingo. Njengoba uDavide akubeka kumaHubo 23, njalo siyoba nomuzwa wokuthi uMalusi wethu, uJehova, unathi. Yeka ukuthi kungaba ubuwula kanjani ukwenza iphutha elibi lapho sinaloMalusi eduze kangaka!—Heberu 4:13.
19, 20. (a) Iziphi izinkinga ezimbili ezikhona ngokuphathelene nesifundo somuntu siqu? (b) Kungani manje kubonakala kungasenasikhathi sesifundo somuntu siqu?
19 Nokho, kunezinkinga ezimbili eziyisisekelo. Okokuqala, kwabaningi, isifundo somuntu siqu siwumthwalo. Ngenxa yezimiso zemfundo ezinganele, abantu abaningi namuhla banobunzima obukhulu bokufunda. Kubona, ukutadisha kuwumzamo. Kodwa yonke into enenzuzo engapheli ekuphileni ihilela umzamo. Ingabe akuwufanele yini umzamo ukwazi uJehova, iNkosi yendawo yonke, uBaba wethu noNkulunkulu womusa ongafanelekanga?—Mathewu 6:9; Jakobe 4:8.
20 Inkinga yesibili iyilokho okubonakala kuwukuntula isikhathi sesifundo somuntu siqu. Nokho eminyakeni engama-30 noma 40 edlule kwakubonakala kunesikhathi—isikhathi sokuxoxa, sokufunda, sokubhala izincwadi, sokushaywa umoya njengomkhaya, nesokuzindla. Kungani izinto ziye zashintsha? Isimo esifana nesokwehla kwamandla emali siye sathinta isikhathi sethu. Usuku ngokuvamile alusewona amahora angama-24. Ngani? Ngenxa yokuthi “isela” elithile liye langena emakhaya amaningi futhi liye lathatha isikhathi esiningi esibalulekile. Ingabe uyalazi ‘lelosela’? Yebo, liyithelevishini, nethonya layo eligogayo. Okunye ukuhlola kubonisa ukuthi “umkhaya waseMelika osesilinganisweni ubuka ithelevishini amahora ayi-7 nemizuzu engama-22 ngosuku.” Lokho cishe kuyingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yosuku! Ngokwesilinganiso, isikhathi esingakanani osichitha ubukela iTV usuku ngalunye? Nsuku zonke, emhlabeni wonke, izinkulungwane zezigidi zamahora abalulekile okuphila ziyalahleka njengoba abantu behlezi phambi kweTV. Kuyiqiniso, ezinye izinhlelo zihlanzekile, ziyalibazisa noma zifundise. Kodwa ngisho nalezi zingadla isikhathi. Ukuyenga kweTV kukhohlisa kakhulu.
21. (a) Iyiphi inkinga abanye abangase babe nayo? (b) Ucabanga ukuthi liyini ikhambi?
21 AmaKristu angakugwema kanjani ukukhuthuzwa ‘yilelisela’? Kuphela ngokuhlelwa kwesikhathi okuqinile. Nciphisa isikhathi sakho sokubuka iTV. Beka izinto zakho eziza kuqala—abantu nobuhlobo kubaluleke ngaphezu kweTV. Ngokwesibonelo, ingabe uyazicasukela izivakashi ezifika phakathi nomdlalo wakho weTV owuthandayo? Futhi ingabe ukuthola kunzima ukucisha iTV ngisho nakuba uhlelo ludina noma lulubi? Khona-ke unenkinga.—1 Korinte 9:24-27.
22. Singasisebenzisela kanjani isikhathi sokubuka iTV kweminye iminako?
22 Iziphi izinyathelo eziwusizo ongazithatha ukuze usebenzisele lawomahora ayigugu esifundweni sakho somuntu siqu nobuhlobo? Phawula izinhlelo ezifanele ukubukwa umKristu bese ubuka lezo kuphela uma kungekho lutho olubaluleke kakhulu lokwenziwa. Abanye baye bathatha ngisho isinyathelo esidlulele kakhulu—ukungabi nayo nhlobo iTV ekhaya! Leyo indaba yomuntu siqu. Kodwa ngokuqinisekile ababi mpofu ngokomoya ngenxa yokungabi nethelevishini.—Efesu 5:15, 16.
23, 24. Yini esingayenza ukuze sibonise ukwazisa kwangempela ngefa lethu? (Heberu 11:26)
23 Khona-ke, yini esingayenza uma sifuna ukulondoloza ifa lethu eliyigugu futhi singalithengisi ‘ngesitsha sokudla kwembumba’? Qiniseka ngezinto ezibaluleke kakhulu ekuphileni kobuKristu. Beka izinto eziza kuqala futhi unamathele kuzo. Landelela ngokukanembeza ukuzuza isipho sokuphila okuphakade, njengoba nje umphostoli uPawulu ‘ajonga emgomeni, emklomelweni wokubizwa okukhulu kwaphezulu.’ NjengoJakobe, bonisa ukwazisa okujulile ngalelifa. NjengoMose, ‘bheka umvuzo.’—Filipi 1:9, 10; 3:13, 14; Heberu 11:24-26.
24 Singazishukumisa kanjani ukuba senze konke lokho? Ngesifundo senkuthalo seBhayibheli. Kwenze nsuku zonke ekuphileni kwakho. Yiba khona njalo emihlanganweni yobuKristu futhi ulalelisise uma ukhona. Thanda okulungileyo uzonde okubi. Cha, musa ukwedelela ifa lakho ukuze wanelise isifiso esithile senyama esiphuthumayo. Ifa lakho, ukuphila okuphakade, libaluleke kakhulu kunanoma isiphi ‘isitsha sokudla kwembumba,’ kungakhathaliseki uhlobo lwesimanje esingaba yilo!—Heberu 10:24, 25; 12:12-16.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Imifanekiso engcolile ichazwa “njengokulotshiwe, okudwetshiwe, noma ezinye izindlela zokukhulumisana ezihloselwe ukuvusa inkanuko. [Kusuka egameni lesiGreki upornographos, elisho ukubhala ngezifebe . . . ].”—The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.
Uyakhumbula?
□ Liyini ifa lobuKristu?
□ UEsawu wabudelela kanjani ubuzibulo bakhe?
□ Iyiphi ingozi ekhona ngamaKristu namuhla ngokuphathelene nefa lawo?
□ Kungaziphi izindlela ezihlukene esingandisa ngazo ukwazisa kwethu?
[Isithombe ekhasini 9]
Ungalishintsha yini ifa lakho ‘ngesitsha sokudla kwembumba?’