Bheka! Ukukhanya Kuyamangalisa!
UMA wake waphumputha ebumnyameni uzama ukuthola indlela, uyazi ukuthi kungakhungathekisa kanjani lokho. Yeka injabulo elethwa ukukhanya! Kungenzeka wake waba sesimweni esasinjengokudukuza ebumnyameni. Mhlawumbe lokhu kwenzeka lapho wawungayiboni indlela yokuxazulula inkinga. Ngemva kwalokho kancane kancane wakubona ukukhanya—wathola ikhambi. Ukuphuma kulobo bumnyama uye ekukhanyeni kuyisenzakalo esimangalisayo.
Ngekhulu lokuqala, iningi labantu lalisebumnyameni ngokomoya. Ekhuluma ngalabo ababeshiye izinkolelo zabo zangaphambili futhi bamukela ubuKristu, umphostoli uPetru wabhala: “[UNkulunkulu] wanibiza ukuba niphume ebumnyameni ningene ekukhanyeni kwakhe okumangalisayo.” (1 Petru 2:9) Kubo, lokhu kwakunjengokusuka esigayegayeni baye ekukhanyeni okukhazimulayo. Kungase kufaniswe nokusuka ekubeni nomzwangedwa nomuzwa wokungabi nathemba, ngemva kwalokho ube ilungu lomkhaya onekusasa elilondekile.—Efesu 2:1, 12.
“Awusenalo Uthando Owawunalo Ekuqaleni”
AmaKristu ekhulu lokuqala athola “iqiniso”—ukholo lobuKristu beqiniso. (Johane 18:37) Abona ukukhanya kweqiniso okumangalisayo futhi aphuma ebumnyameni ngokomoya angena ekukhanyeni okukhazimulayo. Nokho, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi intshiseko yasekuqaleni yamanye amaKristu yancipha. Ngokwesibonelo, ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lokuqala kwase kunenkinga engathí sina ebandleni lase-Efesu. UJesu Kristu ovusiwe wayiveza le nkinga, ethi: “Nginalokhu ngawe, ukuthi awusenalo uthando owawunalo ekuqaleni. Ngakho-ke khumbula lapho uwe khona, uphenduke, wenze izenzo zangaphambili.” (IsAmbulo 2:4, 5) AmaKristu ase-Efesu kwakudingeka avuselele uthando lwawo ngoNkulunkulu nangeqiniso.
Kuthiwani ngathi? Nathi siye sathola injabulo yokubona ukukhanya, ukwazi iqiniso elimangalisayo leZwi likaNkulunkulu. Siyalithanda iqiniso. Kodwa ubunzima isintu esivame ukubhekana nabo bunganciphisa uthando lwethu ngeqiniso. Okunganezela kulokhu kungase kube izinkinga eziyizici ‘zezinsuku zokugcina.’ Siphila ezweni ‘elinezikhathi ezibucayi okunzima ukubhekana nazo’—izwe elinabantu “abazithandayo, abathanda imali, abazazisayo, abazidlayo, abahlambalazi, abangalaleli abazali, abangabongiyo, abangathembeki.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1, 2) Ithonya labo linganciphisa intshiseko yethu futhi libangele ukuba uthando lwethu ngoJehova luphole.
Uma sesiye saphelelwa uthando lwasekuqaleni, kudingeka ‘sikhumbule lapho siwe khona, siphenduke.’ Kudingeka sibuyele esimweni sethu esingokomoya sangaphambili. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kumelwe siqaphele ukuba singavumeli ukwazisa kwethu iqiniso kunciphe. Yeka ukuthi kubaluleke kangakanani ukuba sonke silondoloze isimo sengqondo sethemba nokujabula futhi sigcine uthando lwethu ngoNkulunkulu nangeqiniso luphila!
‘Iqiniso Elisikhululayo’
Ukukhanya kweqiniso elingokomBhalo kuyamangalisa ngoba iBhayibheli liphendula imibuzo ebalulekile eye yadida isintu izinkulungwane zeminyaka. Phakathi kwaleyo mibuzo kunale: Kungani silapha? Iyini injongo yokuphila? Kungani kunobubi? Ingabe kukhona ukuphila ngemva kokufa? UJehova uye wasikhanyisela ngezimfundiso zeqiniso ezimangalisayo. Akufanele yini sijabule ngempela? Kwangathi singeze sakuthatha kalula esiye sakufunda!
UJesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Niyolazi iqiniso, futhi iqiniso liyonikhulula.” (Johane 8:32) Umhlatshelo kaJesu wesihlengo uye wasikhulula esonweni nasekufeni. Kodwa la maqiniso ayigugu aye asikhulula ekungazini nasekungaqinisekini kwaleli zwe eligubuzelwe ubumnyama. Ukuzindla ngokwazisa ngalokho esiye sakufunda kuzosisiza ukuba siqinise uthando lwethu ngoJehova nangeZwi lakhe.
Ebhalela amaKristu aseThesalonika, umphostoli uPawulu wathi: “Ngesikhathi namukela izwi likaNkulunkulu, enalizwa ngathi, anilamukelanga njengezwi labantu, kodwa njengezwi likaNkulunkulu, njengoba nje liyilo ngempela, okuyilona elisebenzayo futhi kini nina makholwa.” (1 Thesalonika 2:13) AbaseThesalonika bezwa futhi ‘bamukela izwi likaNkulunkulu ngenjabulo.’ Babengasekho “ebumnyameni.” Kunalokho, base ‘bengamadodana okukhanya.’ (1 Thesalonika 1:4-7; 5:4, 5) Lawo maKristu afunda ukuthi uJehova unguMdali nokuthi unguMninimandla onke, uhlakaniphile, unothando futhi unesihe. Njengabanye abalandeli bakaKristu, afunda nokuthi uJehova wenza ilungiselelo lokusula izono zawo ngomhlatshelo wesihlengo weNdodana yakhe, uJesu Kristu.—IzEnzo 3:19-21.
Nakuba abaseThesalonika babengenalo ulwazi lwakho konke okuphathelene neqiniso, babazi ukuthi babengalufunaphi. ImiBhalo ephefumulelwe ingenza umuntu kaNkulunkulu “afaneleke ngokugcwele, ayihlomele ngokuphelele yonke imisebenzi emihle.” (2 Thimothewu 3:16, 17) AmaKristu aseThesalonika ayengaqhubeka etadisha futhi abone ngokuphindaphindiwe ukuthi ukukhanya okuvela kuNkulunkulu kuyamangalisa ngempela. Ayenesizathu sokujabula ngazo zonke izikhathi. (1 Thesalonika 5:16) Nathi kufanele sijabule.
Ukukhanya Endleleni Yethu
Ephawula isizathu sokuba ukukhanya kumangalise, umhubi wahlabelela: “Izwi lakho liyisibani onyaweni lwami, nokukhanya endleleni yami.” (IHubo 119:105) Isiqondiso sikaNkulunkulu esisithola eZwini lakhe singasisiza ukuba sikhethe inkambo eqondile futhi sibe nokuphila okunenjongo. Singakugwema ukuba njengomkhumbi ozintantela emanzini. Ukwazi nokusebenzisa iqiniso kuyasivikela ekubeni ‘sijikijeleke ngapha nangapha sengathi sijikijelwa amagagasi futhi siyiswe lé nalé yiyo yonke imimoya yemfundiso.’—Efesu 4:14.
IBhayibheli lithi: “Ningabeki ithemba lenu ezicukuthwaneni, noma endodaneni yomuntu wasemhlabeni, okungekhona okwayo ukusindisa.” Libuye lithi: “Uyajabula lowo olusizo lwakhe lunguNkulunkulu kaJakobe, othemba lakhe likuJehova uNkulunkulu wakhe.” (IHubo 146:3, 5) Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukuthembela kuJehova kusisiza ukuba sinqobe ukwesaba nokukhathazeka. Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Ningakhathazeki ngalutho, kodwa kukho konke izicelo zenu mazaziwe nguNkulunkulu ngomthandazo nangokunxusa kanye nokubonga; ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu okudlula konke ukucabanga kuyolinda izinhliziyo zenu namandla enu engqondo ngoKristu Jesu.” (Filipi 4:6, 7) Ukuholwa ukukhanya kweZwi likaNkulunkulu kusizuzisa ngempela.
Ukukhanya Njengezinkanyiso Ezweni
Esinye isizathu sokuba ukukhanya okuvela eZwini likaNkulunkulu kumangalise ukuthi kusivulela ithuba lokuthola isabelo esiphakeme kakhulu. UJesu wayala abalandeli bakhe: “Hambani niyokwenza abantu bazo zonke izizwe babe abafundi, nibabhapathize egameni likaYise neleNdodana nelomoya ongcwele, nibafundise ukugcina konke enginiyale ngakho. Bhekani! Nginani izinsuku zonke kuze kube isiphelo sesimiso sezinto.” Waqala lo myalo ngokuthi: “Nginikwe lonke igunya ezulwini nasemhlabeni.”—Mathewu 28:18-20.
Cabanga ukuthi ubani osiza amaKristu eqiniso emsebenzini wokushumayela izindaba ezinhle nowokufundisa abantu bazo zonke izizwe amaqiniso eBhayibheli. UJesu wathembisa abalandeli bakhe ukuthi wayezoba nabo. Ngempela, uye wabasiza futhi wabasekela enkonzweni yabo njengoba benza ‘ukukhanya kwabo kukhanye’ ngale ndlela nangeminye ‘imisebenzi emihle.’ (Mathewu 5:14-16) Nezingelosi zihilelekile kulo msebenzi wobuvangeli. (IsAmbulo 14:6) Kuthiwani ngoJehova uNkulunkulu? Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Mina ngatshala, u-Apholo wanisela, kodwa uNkulunkulu waqhubeka ekhulisa.” Yeka ukuthi sinelungelo elingakanani lokuba “yizisebenzi ezikanye noNkulunkulu”!—1 Korinte 3:6, 9.
Cabanga futhi nangendlela imizamo yethu ebusiswa ngayo kulo msebenzi esiwunikwe uNkulunkulu. Akukho okungafaniswa nelungelo esilinikwe uNkulunkulu ‘lokukhanya njengezinkanyiso ezweni.’ Ngokubonisa ukukhanya okuvela eZwini likaNkulunkulu ngamazwi nangezenzo zethu, siyakwazi ukubasiza ngempela abantu abanhliziyo ziqotho. (Filipi 2:15) Futhi singajabula njengoba sishumayela futhi sifundisa ngentshiseko, ‘ngoba uNkulunkulu akayena ongalungile ukuba akhohlwe umsebenzi wethu nothando esalubonisa kulo igama lakhe.’—Hebheru 6:10.
‘Thenga Umuthi Wamehlo Ukuze Uhlikihle Amehlo Akho’
Esigijimini esasiya ebandleni laseLawodikeya langekhulu lokuqala, uJesu wathi: ‘Thenga kimi umuthi wamehlo ukuba uwuhlikihle emehlweni akho ukuze ubone. Bonke engibathandayo ngiyabasola ngibayale.’ (IsAmbulo 3:18, 19) Ikhambi langempela lokususa ubumpumputhe obungokomoya “umuthi wamehlo”—izimfundiso nesiyalo sikaJesu. Uma sifuna ukuzigcina siphilile ngokomoya, kumelwe samukele iseluleko sakhe futhi sizithobe nasesiqondisweni esitholakala kulo lonke iBhayibheli. Kufanele futhi sibe nesimo sengqondo esinjengesikaKristu futhi silingise isibonelo sakhe. (Filipi 2:5; 1 Petru 2:21) Umuthi wamehlo awutholakali mahhala. UJesu wathi: ‘Wuthenge kimi.’ Ukuze siwuthole kudingeka isikhathi nomzamo.
Uma siphuma endaweni emnyama futhi singena ekamelweni elikhanyayo, kungase kuthathe isikhathi ukuba amehlo ethu ajwayele. Ngokufanayo, kuthatha isikhathi ukutadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu nokubona ukukhanya kweqiniso. Kudinga isikhathi ukuzindla ngalokho esikufundile nokubona ukuthi liyigugu kangakanani iqiniso. Nokho, akubizi kakhulu. Ngani? Ngoba ukukhanya kuyamangalisa!
[Isithombe ekhasini 14]
‘Thenga kimi umuthi wamehlo ukuba uwuhlikihle emehlweni akho ukuze ubone’