Indlela Onokusondela Ngayo KuThixo
UYakobi 4:8 uthi: “Sondelani kuThixo, naye uya kusondela kuni.” Ebonisa indlela afuna ngayo ukuba abantu babe nolwalamano olusondeleyo naye, uYehova uThixo wanikela ngoNyana wakhe ngenxa yethu.
NGOKUPHATHELELE loo mbonakaliso yothando, umpostile uYohane wabhala: “Sinalo uthando [ngoThixo], kuba wasithanda kuqala.” (1 Yohane 4:19) Kodwa ukuze ngamnye wethu asondele kuThixo, umele athabathe amanyathelo athile. Loo manyathelo ayafana neendlela ezine esisondela ngazo kwabanye abantu, njengoko kuchazwe kwinqaku elandulelayo. Ngoku makhe singene kuzo.
Phawula Iimpawu ZikaThixo Ezimangalisayo
UThixo uneempawu ezininzi ezimangalisayo, ibe ezinye zezona zibalaseleyo luthando, ubulumko, okusesikweni namandla akhe. Ubulumko kunye namandla akhe zibonakala kakhulu kwindalo engaphandle nakwihlabathi elisingqongileyo, ukusuka kubuxhakaxhaka beminyele ukusa kwiiathom ezincinane. Umdumisi wabhala: “Amazulu avakalisa uzuko lukaThixo; yaye isibhakabhaka sixela umsebenzi wezandla zakhe.”—INdumiso 19:1; Roma 1:20.
Nezidalwa ziyalubonakalisa uthando lukaThixo. Ngokomzekelo, indlela esenziwe ngayo ibonisa ukuba uThixo ufuna sibunandiphe ubomi. Wasenza sakwazi ukubona imibala, ukungcamla nokuva ivumba, ukunandipha umculo, ukuhleka, ukubuka izinto ezintle, waza wasinika nentaphane yezinye izinto esikwaziyo ukuzenza nemikhwa engeyomfuneko kangako ukuze siphile. Ewe, ngokwenene uThixo unesisa, unobubele yaye unothando—mpawu ezo ngokuqinisekileyo zifak’ isandla ekubeni abe ‘nguThixo onoyolo.’—1 Timoti 1:11; IZenzo 20:35.
UYehova uzukiswa sisibakala sokuba ukuqheliselwa kolongamo lwakhe kunye nokuxhaswa kwalo zizidalwa zakhe ezikrelekrele ngokuyintloko kusekelwe kuthando. (1 Yohane 4:8) Kuyinyaniso kona ukuba, uYehova unguMongami Wendalo Iphela, kodwa abantu, ngakumbi abakhonzi bakhe abanyanisekileyo, ubaphatha ngendlela ubawo onothando abaphatha ngayo abantwana bakhe. (Mateyu 5:45) Soze ababandeze into eyingenelo kubo. (Roma 8:38, 39) Njengoko sele kukhankanyiwe, wada wanikela ngobomi bokuphela koNyana amzeleyo ngenxa yethu. Ewe, kungenxa yothando lukaThixo le nto siphila yaye sinethemba lobomi obungenasiphelo.—Yohane 3:16.
UYesu wasenza sabuqonda nangakumbi ubuntu bukaThixo kuba wamxelisa ngokugqibeleleyo uYise. (Yohane 14:9-11) Wayengaze azicingele yedwa, wayenolwazelelo yaye ebacingela abanye. Ngenye imini, kwaziswa kuYesu indoda eyayisisithulu neyayilithintitha. Unokuthelekelela nawe ukuba loo ndoda yayingakhululekanga phakathi kwezihlwele. Okubangel’ umdla kukuba, uYesu wayithabatha le ndoda waya nayo kwindawo engasese waza wayinyangela apho. (Marko 7:32-35) Ngaba uyabaxabisa abantu abakulumkeleyo ukukuvisa ubuhlungu nabasihlonelayo isidima sakho? Ukuba kunjalo, ngokuqinisekileyo uya kuhlala usondele kuYehova nakuYesu njengoko ufunda okungakumbi ngabo.
Cinga Ngeempawu ZikaThixo
Ubani unokuba neempawu ezintle, kodwa kufuneka sicinge ngaloo mntu ukuze sitsaleleke kuye. Kunjalo ke nangoYehova. Ukucamngca ngeempawu zakhe kulinyathelo lesibini elibalulekileyo lokusondela kuye. UKumkani uDavide, indoda eyayimthanda ngokwenene uYehova ‘neyayivunyiwe yintliziyo kaYehova,’ wathi: “Ndikhumbule imihla yakudala; ndicamngce ngawo wonke umsebenzi wakho; ngokuzithandela ndihleli ndizixhalabisa ngomsebenzi wezandla zakho.”—IZenzo 13:22; INdumiso 143:5.
Xa ubuka ubuhle bendalo okanye ufunda iLizwi likaThixo, iBhayibhile, ngaba, njengoDavide, uyacamngca ngoko ukubonayo noko ukufundayo? Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wonyana osandul’ ukufumana ileta evela kuyise amthanda kunene. Ubeya kuyijonga njani loo leta? Ngokuqinisekileyo akayi kubalekisa nje amehlo kumagama abhaliweyo aze ayigibisele edroweni. Kunoko, uza kuyifundisisa, afumane zonke iinkcukacha nobuceducedu obukuyo. Ngokufanayo, iLizwi likaThixo lifanele libe yinto exabisekileyo kuthi, kanye njengokuba lalinjalo kumdumisi, owavuma ingoma esithi: “Hayi indlela endiwuthanda ngayo umthetho wakho! Imini le yonke ndiwuxhalabele.”—INdumiso 119:97.
Gcina Unxibelelwano Oluhle
Unxibelelwano lungundoqo kulo naluphi na ulwalamano. Lubandakanya ukuthetha kunye nokuphulaphula—yaye alumele luphelele engqondweni kodwa lumele lubandakanye nentliziyo. Siye sithethe noMdali ngomthandazo, oyindlela yentlonelo yokuthetha noThixo. UYehova uyayithanda imithandazo yabo bamthandayo nabamkhonzayo kunye nabamvumayo uYesu Kristu njengommeli wakhe oyintloko.—INdumiso 65:2; Yohane 14:6, 14.
Mandulo, uThixo wayethetha nabantu ngeendlela ezininzi ezahlukeneyo, ezaziquka imibono, amaphupha, neengelosi. Noko ke, namhlanje uthetha nabo ngeLizwi lakhe elibhaliweyo, iBhayibhile Engcwele. (2 Timoti 3:16) ILizwi elibhaliweyo lineengenelo ezininzi. Linokufundwa nangaliphi na ixesha. Njengeleta, linokufundwa liphindaphindwe. Yaye alichanabeki kubuxoki njengoko kudla ngokubanjalo kumabali abaliswa ngomlomo. Ngoko iBhayibhile yigqale njengengqokelela yeeleta ezininzi ezisuka kuYihlo onothando wasezulwini, yaye mvumele athethe nawe ngezi leta imihla ngemihla.—Mateyu 4:4.
Ngokomzekelo, iBhayibhile iyayichaza imbono kaYehova ngokulungileyo nokuphosakeleyo. Ichaza injongo yakhe ngoluntu nangomhlaba. Kwaye ityhila indlela aqhubana ngayo nabantu abaninzi neentlanga, ukusuka kubanquli abanyanisekileyo ukusa kwiintshaba ezinolunya. Ngokwenza ukuba iinkqubano zakhe nabantu zibhalwe ngolu hlobo, uYehova uye wasizobela umfanekiso ocacileyo wobuntu bakhe. Utyhila uthando, uvuyo, usizi, ukuphoxeka, umsindo, inceba nenkxalabo anayo—ewe, udederhu lweengcamango neemvakalelo zakhe, kunye noonobangela bazo—zonke zichazwe ngendlela abanokuyiqonda lula abantu.—INdumiso 78:3-7.
Emva kokuba ufunde isicatshulwa seLizwi likaThixo, unokungenelwa njani? Yaye, okona kubalulekileyo, unokusondela njani kuThixo? Okokuqala, cinga ngoko sele ukufundile waza wakuzuza ngoThixo njengomntu, uvumele iingongoma ziyifikelele intliziyo yakho. Emva koko thandaza uze uxelele uYehova iingcamango zakho kunye neemvakalelo ezisemazantsi entliziyo yakho ngokuphathelele umbandela oye wawuhlolisisa nangendlela oza kuzama ukungenelwa ngayo kuwo. Lunxibelelwano ke olo. Kakade ke, ukuba zikho ezinye izinto ozicingayo, ngokuqinisekileyo unokuziquka nazo emthandazweni wakho.
Yenza Izinto Kunye NoThixo
IBhayibhile ithi amadoda okholo amandulo ahamba kunye, okanye phambi, kukaThixo oyinyaniso. (Genesis 6:9; 1 Kumkani 8:25) Kuthetha ukuthini oko? Kaloku kuthetha ukuba ngokusisiseko ayephila usuku ngalunye ngokungathi uThixo ukunye nawo. Ewe, ayesona. Kodwa ke ayeyithanda imithetho nemigaqo kaThixo, yaye ayephila ngokuvisisana nenjongo kaThixo. UYehova uyatsaleleka kubantu abanjalo, kwaye uyabakhathalela, njengoko kuboniswe kwiNdumiso 32:8: “Ndiya kukuqiqisa ndikuyalele ngendlela ofanele uhambe ngayo. Ndiya kukucebisa iliso lam likuwe.”
Nawe unako ukumenza umhlobo osenyongweni uYehova—umhlobo ohamba nawe, okukhathalelayo, nokunika icebiso elinjengelikabawo. Umprofeti uIsaya wachaza uYehova ‘njengaLowo ukufundisa okuyingenelo kuwe, Lowo ukubangela unyathele endleleni ofanele uhambe ngayo.’ (Isaya 48:17) Njengoko sifumana ezi ngenelo, siyabuva ubukho bukaYehova, ngokungathi kunjalo, “ngakwisandla [sethu] sasekunene,” kanye njengoDavide.—INdumiso 16:8.
Igama LikaThixo—Ligxininisa Iimpawu Zakhe
Iinkonzo ezininzi kunye nenani elandayo leenguqulelo zeBhayibhile azilisebenzisi kwaye azilibhengezi igama likaThixo. (INdumiso 83:18) Ukanti, kumbhalo wantlandlolo wesiHebhere, eli gama—lithi Yehova—livela izihlandlo ezingama-7 000! (Into engumnqa kukuba, ngoxa ilisusa igama likaThixo, inkoliso yabaguquleli beBhayibhile iyawayeka amagama oothixo bobuxoki abaninzi abakhankanywe kumbhalo wantlandlolo, abanjengoBhahali, uBel, uMerodaki kwanoSathana ngenkqu!)
Abanye abantu bavakalelwa kukuba ukukhutshwa kwegama likaThixo yinto nje engenamsebenzi. Kodwa khawucinge nje: Ngaba kunzima okanye kulula ukwakha ulwalamano olusondeleyo noluphucukileyo nomntu ongenagama? Izibizo ezinjengesithi Thixo nesithi Nkosi (ezikwasetyenziswa nakoothixo bobuxoki) zisenokutsalela ingqalelo kumandla, kwigunya okanye kwisikhundla sikaYehova, kodwa ligama lakhe kuphela elimahlula ngokucacileyo. (Eksodus 3:15; 1 Korinte 8:5, 6) Igama loThixo oyinyaniso limela iimpawu zakhe. Umfundisi wezakwalizwi uWalter Lowrie wathetha amazwi ayinyaniso esithi: “Umntu ongalaziyo igama likaThixo akakabazi kakuhle ubuntu bakhe.”
Masenze umzekelo ngoMaria, umKatolika ozimiseleyo ohlala eOstreliya. Xa amaNgqina kaYehova ayeqala ukudibana naye, uMaria wavumela amaNgqina ukuba ambonise igama likaThixo eBhayibhileni. Wasabela njani? “Ukuqala kwam ukubona igama likaThixo eBhayibhileni ndalila. Ndandichukumiseke gqitha kukulazi nakukwazi ukuba ndandinokulisebenzisa igama likaThixo.” UMaria waqhubeka efundisisa iBhayibhile, yaye okokuqala ebomini bakhe, waye wamazi uYehova njengomntu waza wakwazi ukwakha ulwalamano oluhlala luhleli naye.
Ewe, sinako ‘ukusondela kuThixo,’ nangona singenako ukumbona ngamehlo ethu enyama. Sinako “ukububona” ubuntu bakhe obuhle ngendlela engathethekiyo ezingqondweni nasezintliziyweni zethu, size ngaloo ndlela sikhulise uthando lwethu ngaye. Olo thando “lungumxokelelwane ogqibeleleyo womanyano.”—Kolose 3:14.
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 6]
UYehova Uyasabela Xa Ubonakalisa Uthando Kuye
ULWALAMANO luye lubandakanye abantu ababini. Njengoko sisondela kuThixo, naye usabela ngokusondela kuthi. Khawuqwalasele iimvakalelo awayenazo ngoSimeyon noAna ababesele bekhulile, bobabini abakhankanywa ngokukhethekileyo eBhayibhileni. Umbhali wencwadi yeVangeli uLuka usixelela ukuba uSimeyon “wayelilungisa kwaye esoyik’ uThixo,” elindele uMesiya. UYehova waziphawula ezi mpawu zintle zikaSimeyon waza wabonakalisa uthando kule nkonde ithandekayo ngokuyityhilela ukuba ‘yayingayi kubona kufa ngaphambi kokuba ibone uKristu.’ UYehova wasigcina isithembiso sakhe waza walathisela uSimeyon kuYesu owayelusana, owayeziswe ngabazali Bakhe etempileni eYerusalem. Enemincili yaye enoxabiso olunzulu, uSimeyon waluthabatha olo sana waza wathandaza esithi: “Ngoku, Nkosi enguMongami, uyalindulula likhululekile ikhoboka lakho ngoxolo ngokwendlela ovakalise ngayo; ngenxa yokuba amehlo am ayibonile indlela yakho yokusindisa.”—Luka 2:25-35.
“Kanye ngelo lixa,” uYehova wabonakalisa uthando lwakhe nakuAna owayeneminyaka engama-84 ngokumalathisela kuYesu. IBhayibhile isixelela ukuba, lo mhlolokazi uxabisekileyo wayesoloko esetempileni, “enikela inkonzo engcwele” kuYehova. Ezaliswe luxabiso, naye, njengoSimeyon, wambulela uYehova ngobubele bakhe obungaqhelekanga, yaye emva koko wathetha ngalo mntwana “kubo bonke abo babelindele intlangulo yeYerusalem.”—Luka 2:36-38.
Ewe, uYehova wayiphawula indlela uSimeyon noAna ababemthanda yaye bemoyika ngokunzulu ngayo, nendlela ababekuxhalabele ngayo ukuphunyezwa kwenjongo yakhe. Ngaba iingxelo zeBhayibhile ezilolu hlobo azikwenzi usondele nangakumbi kuYehova?
NjengoYise, uYesu wayekwazi ukuyifunda intliziyo yomntu. Xa wayefundisa etempileni, wabona “umhlolokazi othile osisisweli” enikela “iingqekembe ezimbini ezincinane zexabiso elincinane kakhulu.” Kwabanye abantu ababebukele, isipho sakhe sasinokubonakala singabalulekanga, kodwa kwakungenjalo kuYesu. Walincoma eli bhinqa kuba lalinikele ngako konke elalinako. (Luka 21:1-4) Ngenxa yoko, sinokuqiniseka ukuba uYehova noYesu bayasixabisa xa sibanika konke esinokubanika kona, enoba sisipho esikhulu okanye sincinane.
Ngoxa uThixo evuyiswa ngabo bamthandayo, uba buhlungu xa abantu bemlahla baze balandele ikhondo lokwenza okuphosakeleyo. IGenesis 6:6 isixelela ukuba “yaba buhlungu intliziyo” kaYehova ngenxa yobubi boluntu lwangaphambi komhla woMkhukula kaNowa. Kamva, amaSirayeli angathobeliyo ‘amvavanya ngokuphindaphindiweyo uThixo, yaye amenza buhlungu Lowo uyiNgcwele kaSirayeli,’ itsho INdumiso 78:41. Ewe, uThixo akanguye “uMsunguli” ozinxwemayo kwabanye nongenazimvakalelo. Enyanisweni ungumntu, umntu oneemvakalelo ezingenziwanga azalungelelana okanye zabuthuntu ngenxa yokungafezeki, njengezethu.
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 7]
Ukucinga ngezidalwa zikaYehova kuyenye yeendlela zokusondela kuye