Abantu Abaselula Bayabuza . . .
Ngaba Ngokwenene Ndinokuba Ngumhlobo KaThixo?
NDIBE ngumhlobo kaThixo? UDoris oneminyaka engama-20 ubudala ukholelwa ukuba akunakwenzeka oko. Eli bhinqa liselula livakalisa intlungu yalo lisithi: “Ndiziva ndingabalulekanga gqitha kwaye ndingakufanelekeli ukuthandwa nguye nabani na. Andithandazi nokuthandaza kuYehova uThixo ngenxa yokuba andiqondi ukuba ndiyakufanelekela ukusondela kuye.” Ngaphakathi, bambi abantu abaselula baziva bengakufanelekeli ngokupheleleyo ukuba ngabahlobo bakaThixo. Nangona besenokuyithanda ingcamango yokuba ngumhlobo kaThixo, bavakalelwa kukuba abanakukufikelela oko. Ngaba ukhe wavakalelwa ngaloo ndlela?
Maxa wambi, ubuthathaka bakhe bunokumenza oselula azive engakufanelekeli kwanokuthetha noThixo. Ngokomzekelo, khawucinge ngoMichael oselula. Uthi ngaphambi kokuqonda iindlela zobuthixo, wayesoloko “ecinga phantse ngazo zonke izinto eziphosakeleyo nezingcolileyo.” Noko ke, oko wakufunda kufundisiso lwakhe lweBhayibhile kwamenza wayiqonda intlungu nodano awayemzisela lona uThixo. Wacacisa: “Intlanganiso yebandla nganye ubuncinane yayindenza ndicacelwe sesinye seziphako zam. . . . Ndandingaqondi ukuba uYehova wayenokundixolela izono zam ezazibonakala zingapheli ngoxa mna ndandingazixoleli.”
Kwezinye iimeko, indlela oselula aphathwa ngayo ngabanye isenokumenza azive engakufanelekeli ukuba ngumhlobo kaYehova. Ngokomzekelo, uDoris, ocatshulwe ngaphambilana, walahlwa ngunina esemncinane. Watyhila oku: “Andiqondi ukuba kukho umntu ondithandayo. Ukuba umama nentsapho yakowethu bandilahla, kunokwenzeka njani ukuba omnye umntu andikhathalele?” Ukuba oselula uye waphathwa ngendlela ethoba isidima okanye waxhatshazwa ukususela ebuntwaneni, usenokukholelwa ngokunyanisekileyo ukuba uThixo akanakuze afune ukuba ngumhlobo wakhe.
Kwelinye icala, umntu oselula usenokuba wakha wanobuhlobo noThixo kodwa, ngenxa yobuthathaka, wawela esonweni esinzulu. Oku kwenzeka kuTracy. Lo uneminyaka engama-21 ubudala ukhala esithi: “Ndiziva ndineentloni gqitha, intlungu netyala endinalo azinyamezeleki. Ndimenze buhlungu kakhulu uBawo, uYehova.”
Mhlawumbi ukwimeko efana nenye yezi zichazwe ngasentla. Kodwa likho ithemba: UThixo unokuba ngumhlobo wakho!
Isizathu Sokuba Unokuba Ngumhlobo KaThixo
Liyinyaniso elokuba ukona kunokumthintela ubani ekubeni ngumhlobo kaThixo. Ngethamsanqa, uBawo wethu onothando uye wathabatha inyathelo lokuqala lokusinceda. Umpostile uPawulos ubhala athi: “UThixo uqondakalisa okwakhe ukusithanda ngokuthi, sakubon’ ukuba sisengaboni, uKristu asifele.” (Roma 5:8) Ngokufa kwakhe, uYesu waba yintlawulelo yokuhlangula abo banoxabiso kulawulo olupheleleyo lwesono. (Mateyu 20:28) Ngaloo ndlela, lo mpostile uyongezelela: “Besiziintshaba zikaThixo, kodwa usenze abahlobo bakhe ngokufa koNyana wakhe.”—Roma 5:10, Today’s English Version.
Ngaphambi kokuba baqonde imilinganiselo kaYehova, bambi abaselula, njengoMichael okhankanywe ngaphambilana, basenokuba bebesenza izono ezinzulu. Sekunjalo, ngedini lentlawulelo likaYesu, ubani unokuzixolelwa izono zexesha elidlulileyo, kungakhathaliseki ukuba bezinzulu kangakanani. IBhayibhile inikela esi siqinisekiso sikhuthazayo: “Ukuba sithi sizivume izono zethu, uthembekile, ulilungisa, ukuba asixolele izono zethu, asihlambulule kuko konke ukungalungisi.” (1 Yohane 1:9) Noko ke, umntu ufanele athabath’ amanyathelo okubonisa uThixo ukuba uyakuxabisa oko kuhlanjululwa. Umpostile uPawulos uchaza umgaqo onokusetyenziswa: ‘Nento engcolileyo ningayichukumisi, itsho iNkosi, Ndandiya kunamkela, ndibe nguyihlo.’ (2 Korinte 6:17, 18) Hayi indlela okuchukumisa ngayo ukwazi ukuba xa ubani eyeka ukwenza izono ezinjalo aze aguquke ngokwenene, uThixo ukulungele ukumamkela kwinkoliseko Yakhe njengomhlobo.
Kuthekani ngolutsha olukhule luxhatshazwa? Umele wazi ukuba uThixo akabagqali benetyala abantu ngenxa yezinto ezenziwa kubo bengazithandi. Abanjalo babengamaxhoba kunokuba babe nenxaxheba esonweni. Kwakhona, khumbula ukuba ukuxabiseka kwakho njengomntu akuxhomekekanga kwindlela omnye umntu akujonga ngayo. UYehova unokuba nguMhlobo wakho phezu kwazo nje iimeko zakho. UMaureen wakhuliswa ngumama ongumKristu kwikhaya elizele ubundlobongela ngenxa kayise owayelikhoboka lotywala. Kodwa wathi: “Phezu kwayo nje le meko inzima, ngandlel’ ithile ndakwazi ukuba nolwalamano noYehova. Ndafikelela ekumazini njengaLowo ungasayi kuze andilahle.”
Kuthekani Ukuba Uwela Esonweni Esinzulu?
UDoug, owakhuliswa ngabazali abahlonela uThixo, waziphatha kakubi ngokwesini xa wayeneminyaka eli-18. Oku kwabangelwa zizinxulumani zakhe ezibi. UDoug wavuma: “Ndandisazi ukuba kwakuphosakele oko, kodwa ndaqhubeka ndikwenza kuba ndandifuna ukonwaba.” Kamva, uDoug wabubona ubudenge bekhondo lakhe. Wavuma: “Ndaqala ukubona ukuba bonke abo babizwa ngokuba ngabahlobo bam babendisebenzisela nje ukufumana imali yam okanye ulonwabo.” Wandula ke waqalisa ukuthabatha amanyathelo okuzuza kwakhona ubuhlobo noYehova. Kodwa umqobo omkhulu wawumi phambi kwenkqubela yakhe.
UDoug wazityand’ igila esithi: “Eyona nto yabangela ukuba kube nzima ukubuya kukuba ndandiziva ndingaxabisekanga gqitha. Ndandivakalelwa kukuba konke endandikwenzile kwakukubi emehlweni kaYehova. Ukwazi indlela alunge ngayo nendlela aye wandinyamezela ngayo, kwandenza ndabona ngathi akukho ndlela yokuba angandixolela kuba ndandingcole gqitha.” Sekunjalo, uDoug wakwazi ukuwuqabela lo mqobo ngoncedo lomdala webandla nangokuqwalasela ngenyameko ingxelo yeBhayibhile engoManase.
Wayengubani uManase? Wayengukumkani wakwaYuda wamandulo. IBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba wafundiswa nguyise owayehlonela uThixo, uHezekiya, ukuba amthande uYehova. Kodwa emva kokufa kukayise waza yena waba ngukumkani kubudala beminyaka eli-12, wacinga ukuba ngoku wayenokwenza unothanda. Wamlahla uYehova waza wanqula uBhahali. Unqulo olunjalo lwaluphawulwa kukuziphatha kakubi okugabadeleyo nemibhiyozo eyayibalaselisa isini ngokugqith’ emgceni. UManase “wakwandisa ukwenza okubi emhlweni kaYehova, ukuba amqumbise.” Esebenzisa abantu abathembekileyo, “uYehova wathetha kuManase nakubantu bakhe; abaphulaphula.” Kwandula ke, njengembonakaliso yomgwebo kaYehova, uManase wasiwa eBhabhiloni njengebanjwa elikhonkxiweyo.—2 Kronike 31:20, 21; 33:1-6, 10, 11.
Xa uManase wacingisisa ngezenzo zakhe zangaphambili waza wazithelekisa noko wayekukhumbula ngemithetho kaYehova, waziva enetyala kakhulu waza wacela ukuxolelwa. Wazithoba phambi koThixo waza “wathandaza kuye.” Waza uThixo “wathandazeka yena nguye, wakuva ukutarhuzisa kwakhe, wambuyisela eYerusalem ebukumkanini bakhe.” Ewe, “uSozimfefe” wayekulungele ukuvumela lo moni uguqukayo ukuba asondele kuye kwakhona. Emva kokufumana inceba enjalo, uManase, ngamava obuqu, ngoku ‘wazi ukuba uYehova nguye uThixo.’—2 Kronike 33:12, 13; 2 Korinte 1:3.
Ukuba uYehova wayenokwamkela uManase, ngokuqinisekileyo ubeya kuvumela oselula ophambukayo namhlanje ukuba azuze kwakhona ulwalamano kunye Naye ukuba ubonisa isimo sengqondo sokuguquka. UDoug walwamkela uncedo lwabalusi bokomoya ebandleni lakhe. Wancedwa wabona ngokucacileyo ukuba uThixo “akaphiki kuphele, akawugcini umsindo ngonaphakade.”—INdumiso 103:9.
Hlala Ungumhlobo KaThixo
Xa uThixo eba nguMhlobo wakho, umele uluxabise olu lwalamano ukuze ulugcine. Enye intombazana eneminyaka eli-18 ubudala nebhaptiziweyo yaba ngumama ongatshatanga. Sekunjalo, yancedwa ukuba ilungise imicimbi noYehova. (Bona uIsaya 1:18.) Waba yintoni umphumo wokuguquka kwayo? Yacacisa: “Ndafunda ukuba uYehova unguBawo onothando engenguye umngcungcuthekisi. Ndaqonda ukuba kwamkhathaza oko ndandikwenzile. Kubaluleke kakhulu ukumjonga uThixo njengoMhlobo, uthile oneemvakalelo, engenguye uMoya nje oqikelelwayo wokunikwa imbeko kodwa ungathandwa ngokwenene.” NjengoManase, yakhuthazwa ukuba ibe nenxaxheba ngokupheleleyo ekunquleni uYehova. (2 Kronike 33:14-16) Oku kungqineke kuyinkuselo kuyo. Icebisa olunye ulutsha isithi: “Hlalani nizama ukudumisa uYehova nokuba kunzima kangakanani. Ngothando uYehova uya kuzilungisa iindlela zenu kwakhona.”
Kwakhona kubalulekile ukwakha ubuhlobo nabo bangabahlobo bakaThixo. Ngoko ke, baphephe ngokupheleleyo abo ngokucacileyo bangenantlonelo ngemilinganiselo yobuthixo. (IMizekeliso 13:20) ULinda oselula waziphatha kakubi ngokwesini nomnye oselula owayenobuhlobo “obabubaluleke ngaphezu kwayo nantoni na.” Emva kokuchacha kwakhona ngokomoya, uLinda wavuma: “Ungabutshabalalisa ubomi bakho bonke ngokungabi nalwalamano lobuqu noYehova.”
Ngaba unalo ulwalamano olunjalo? Ukuba akunalo, sebenzela ukulufumana. ULinda ushwankathela ukuxabiseka kokuba nobuhlobo noThixo ngokuthi: “Eyona nto ibalulekileyo ehlabathini lonke lulwalamano oluhle lobuqu noYehova. Akukho nkwenkwe okanye ntombazana okanye nayiphi na into kweli hlabathi ebaluleke ngaphezu kwaloo nto. Ukuba akukho buhlobo noYehova, ngoko akukho nto ibalulekileyo.”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 31]
Bambi abantu abaselula basenokuziva bengakufanelekeli ukuba ngabahlobo bakaThixo