Ithemba Liyakoyisa Ukuphelelwa Lithemba!
KWIWEBSTER’S Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, ukuphelelwa lithemba kuchazwa ngokuthi “kukulahlekelwa lithemba ngokupheleleyo.” Ngoko licacile elokuba, ngoko, ukuze soyise ukuphelelwa lithemba, kufuneka sibe nethemba!
Umntu oye ngelishwa wanyanzeleka ukuba abe ngumngqibi akanakuphelelwa ku lithemba ngokupheleleyo ukuba unalo ithemba. Ithemba linokubangela inkalipho namandla okunyamezela kwanakwabo badandathekileyo. Kodwa elo themba limele libe lelinokuthenjwa! Kuthetha ukuthini oku?
Isiseko Sethemba
Phawula okwenzeka kuSara, umfazi kasolusapho uAbraham. Xa wayesondela kwiminyaka engama-90 ubudala, wayengekabi namntwana kwaye kwakusekukudala ekuncamile ukuba nomntwana. Kanti, xa indoda yakhe yayineminyaka engama-99 ubudala, uYehova waphinda isithembiso awayesenze kwiminyaka eliqela ngaphambili—ngokwenene uAbraham wayeza kuba nayo ‘nembewu,’ okanye indlalifa. UAbraham wayesazi ukuba esi yayisisithembiso esinokuthenjwa. Khawucinge indlela uSara ekumele ukuba wachwayita ngayo xa, ngokungummangaliso, esi siganeko senzekayo, waza wazala uIsake! (Genesis 12:2, 3; 17:1-4, 19; 21:2) Intembelo ka-Abraham kuThixo yayingeyiyo engafanelekanga, kwanompostile uPawulos wachaza: “Owathi, ngokusingisele kwidinga likaThixo, [uAbraham] akathandabuza ngokungakholwa; wesuka womelela ngokholo, ezukisa uThixo.”—Roma 4:20.
Ebhalela amaYuda awaba ngamaKristu ngomhla wakhe, uPawulos waqiqa ngelokuba ayenokuthembela kwisithembiso sikaThixo sosindiso ngoYesu ngenxa yezizathu ezibini ezivakalayo. Ecaphula isithembiso sikaThixo kuAbraham kunye nesifungo Sakhe awasenzayo, lo mpostile wathi: “Kuba abantu okunene bafunga lowo umkhulu kubo, sithi kubo isifungo siphelise yonke impikiswano, sise engqinisekweni. Uthe ngoko uThixo, enga angathi ngokukhona kugqithiseleyo akubonakalise kwiindlalifa zedinga ukungaguquleki kwecebo lakhe, wasuka walamla ngesifungo; ukuze kuthi, ngezinto ezimbini ezinganakuguquleka, angenako ukuxoka ngazo uThixo, sithi thina, basindileyo, sabamba ithemba elibekwe phambi kwethu, sibe novuselelo olunamandla.” (Hebhere 6:16-18) Ewe, izithembiso zikaThixo zinyanisekile yaye zinokuthenjwa. UYehova ungusomandla yaye unako ngokukodwa ukuqinisekisa ukuba ilizwi lakhe liyazalisekiswa.
Ithemba—‘Eliqinisekileyo Neliqinileyo’
UPawulos wabhala ukuba ithemba lamaKristu ‘liqinisekile yaye liqinile.’ (Hebhere 6:19, NW) UPawulos wayesazi apho ithemba lakhe lalisekelwe khona. Uyachaza: “[Ithemba] lingena liye ngaphaya kwesikhuselo.” Kuthetha ukuthini oku? UPawulos ngokucacileyo wayebhekisela kwitempile yamandulo yaseYerusalem. Kule tempile kwakukho iNgcwele kaNgcwele, eyayahlulwe ngumkhusane kuyo yonke enye inxalenye yesakhiwo. (Eksodus 26:31, 33; Mateyu 27:51) Kambe ke, itempile yokoqobo eYerusalem yayitshatyalaliswe kudala. Ngoko, namhlanje, ifanekisela ntoni le Ngcwele kaNgcwele?
Amazulu ngokwawo, apho itrone kaThixo ikhoyo! UPawulos wakuchaza oku xa wathi uYesu emva kokunyukela kwakhe emazulwini “akangenanga kweyona ngcwele inokwenziwa ngezandla [kwitempile eseYerusalem], engumfuziselo weyenyaniso; ungene kuwo amazulu ngokwawo, ukuba abonakale ngoku ebusweni bukaThixo ngenxa yethu.” (Hebhere 9:24) Ngoko ithemba lamaKristu, elisinceda silwe nokuphelelwa lithemba, alixhomekekanga kubantu bezobupolitika kodwa kwilungiselelo lasezulwini. Lixhomekeke kuLowo uThixo wammiselayo, uYesu Kristu, owanikela ngobomi bakhe njengentlawulelo yezono zethu nobonakala phambi koThixo ngoku ngenxa yethu. (1 Yohane 2:1, 2) Ngokungakumbi, njengoko ngokufuthi kuboniswa kwimihlathi yeli phephancwadi, kwalo Yesu uye wamiselwa nguThixo ukuba alawule njengoKumkani woBukumkani bukaThixo basezulwini yaye ebesenjenjalo ukususela ngowe-1914. Obu Bukumkani bamazulu buya kuthi kungekudala bushenxise izinto ezibangela ukuphelelwa lithemba okungaka.
Ithemba—“Iankile Yomphefumlo”
Ukuze eyisele abantu ababeza kufunda iincwadi zakhe ekubeni ithemba labo losindiso ngoYesu lalinesiseko esiqinileyo, uPawulos wasebenzisa isifaniso. Wachaza oku, ‘Eli themba sinalo ngokweankile yomphefumlo.’—Hebhere 6:19.
Abahambi abanjengoPawulos babezazi kakuhle iiankile. Iiankile zamandulo zazifana nezanamhlanje, ngokufuthi zenziwe ngentsimbi zinamacala amabini anjengamazinyo ukwenzela ukubambelela kwintsele yolwandle. Endleleni eya eRoma malunga nonyaka wama-58 C.E., inqanawa kaPawulos yayisengozini yokuzika. Kodwa njengoko iphenyane lalisiya kumanzi angekho nzulu, oomatiloshe “baphosa iiankile zané esinqeni somkhobe.” Ngoncedo lwezo ankile, inqanawa yasinda kweso saqhwithi.—IZenzo 27:29, 39, 40, 44.
Ngoko, yintoni omele uyenze ukuze ithemba lakho linqabiseke njengeankile ukuze ukwazi ukusinda kubunzima bezoqoqosho, ukugula emzimbeni okanye ngokweemvakalelo, okanye naziphi na “izaqhwithi” onokujamelana nazo? Okokuqala, qiniseka ngelokuba izithembiso zeBhayibhile zinyanisekile. ‘Zicikide zonke izinto.’ (1 Tesalonika 5:21) Ngokomzekelo, xa amaNgqina kaYehova ethetha nawe kwakhona, phulaphula oko akuthethayo. Ukuba awafane atyelele kwindawo ohlala kuyo, wakhangele kwiHolo YoBukumkani okufuphi kuyo. Akuyi kunyanzelwa ukuba uwathelele, kodwa uya kucelwa ukuba wamkele isifundo seBhayibhile sesisa, esilungiselelwe ukuqhutywa kuyo nayiphi na indawo nexesha elikulungeleyo.
Isifundo esinjalo siya kukuqinisekisa ukuba uThixo “ungumvuzi wabo bamfunayo.” (Hebhere 11:6) Uya kufunda ukuba kungekudala uBukumkani bukaThixo phantsi koKumkani, uYesu Kristu, buya kushenxisa ukonakala nokungekho sikweni okubangela ukuphelelwa lithemba okungaka namhlanje. Phantsi kobo Bukumkani, lo mhlaba uya kubuyiselwa kwiparadisi, yaye uThixo uya kunika abo bamthandayo ubomi obungunaphakade. (INdumiso 37:29; ISityhilelo 21:4) Elinjani lona ukuzuka ithemba!
Funda iBhayibhile ngenyameko ukuze ubone ukuba eli themba liyinyaniso. Uze usebenzele ekukhuliseni ulwalamano lobuqu nolusenyongweni noThixo, ube ngumhlobo wakhe njengokuba noAbraham wayenguye. (Yakobi 2:23) Ekubeni uYehova ‘enguMphulaphuli wemithandazo, mxelele izinto ezikuxhalabisayo. Xa ucela ngokunyanisekileyo, umthandazo wakho uya kukunceda wothule imithwalo yakho uze woyise ukuphelelwa kwakho lithemba. Umoya kaThixo usenokukuvulela indlela yokutshintsha imeko ekunxunguphalisayo.—INdumiso 55:22; 65:2; 1 Yohane 5:14, 15.
“Bambelela Ngokuqinileyo”!
Emva kokukhuthaza abanye abafundi ukuba ‘bazicikide zonke izinto,’ uPawulos wongezelela oku: “Nibambelele ngokuqinileyo kuleyo intle.” (1 Tesalonika 5:21, NW) Enye indlela yokwenza oku kukunxulumana nabantu ababambelele ngokuqinileyo kwithemba lamaKristu. Ukumkani uSolomon osisilumko walumkisa: “Ohamba nezilumko uba sisilumko naye; ke olikholwane lesidenge uya konakaliswa.” (IMizekeliso 13:20) Musa ukuvumela ikhethe okanye iimvakalelo zokungafaneleki zikuthintele ukuba ufune unxulumano olulungileyo. Ngokomzekelo, phakathi kwamaNgqina kaYehova kukho abantu ababengenathemba ngaphambili. Kodwa ukufundisisa kwabo iBhayibhile, ndawonye nonxulumano oluchwayitisayo namanye amakholwa, kuyalomeleza ulwalamano lwabo noYehova kuze kubanike ithemba eliqinisekileyo nelifana neankile. Ngaba oku kuyakoyisa ngokwenene ukuphelelwa lithemba? Ngokuqinisekileyo kwenjenjalo.
Thabatha umzekelo ka-Annmarie, owayephelelwe lithemba ngenxa yempatho engqwabalala yomyeni wakhe. Uchaza athi: “Ndagqiba kwelokuba ndizibulale, kodwa ngasizathu sithile ndagqiba kwelokuba ndiqale ndithandaze kuThixo. Ndikhumbula ndisithi, ‘Kutheni ungenakundinceda? Ngalo lonke ixesha bendisoloko ndithembele ngawe, kodwa khange ndincedakale.’ Ndaqukumbela umthandazo wam ndicinga ukuba ubomi abunanjongo, ngoko akukho nto ndisayiphilelayo. Ngelo xesha kwankqonkqozwa emnyango. Ndagqiba kwelokuba ndingakunanzi, ngethemba lokuba nokuba ngubani na owayesemnyango wayeza kuhamba ekugqibeleni.
“Kwaqhubeka kunkqonkqozwa, yaye kwandiphazamisa. Ndosula iinyembezi ndaza ndaya kukroba ukuba ngubani na owayesemnyango, ndithemba ukwahlukana naye ngokukhawuleza ukuze ndenze oko ndandikuceba.” UAnnmarie uthi, “Kodwa, ngoncedo lukaYehova, akuzange kwenzeke ngolo hlobo, kuba xa ndavula umnyango, ndafumana amabhinqa amabini emi apho. Liyinyaniso elokuba ndandididekile, yaye andizange ndikuqonde ngokwenene oko ayekuthetha. Kodwa andinika incwadi eyayichaza ngenjongo yobomi. Yiloo nto kanye endandiyifuna ukuvuselela umdla wam ngobomi.” Iindwendwe zakhe zalungiselela isifundo seBhayibhile esithe rhoqo kunye naye. UAnnmarie wafunda ukuba ngumhlobo kaThixo. Ekugqibeleni, oku kwamenza wanenjongo ebomini. Ngoku unceda abanye bakhulise ukukholosa ngoThixo.
Mhlawumbi ubunethemba lokupheliswa kokuphelelwa lithemba ungakhange ukuqonde konke okubandakanyekileyo. Kodwa ukuba wakhe wathandaza wathi: “Mabufike uBukumkani bakho. Makwenziwe ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni, njengokuba kusenziwa emazulwini,” ngoko ubuthandazela uBukumkani bukaThixo phantsi koYesu Kristu, obuya kubhangisa ezo zinto zibangela abantu abantliziyo zilungileyo baphelelwe lithemba. (Mateyu 6:10) Ufundisiso lwakho lobuqu lweBhayibhile nokunxulumana rhoqo nabanye abanentembelo efanayo kuya kukomeleza ukubambelela kwakho kwithemba loBukumkani bukaYehova obuzayo nobuza kuzisa iParadisi kumhlaba wethu. (1 Timoti 6:12, 19) Eli lithemba elizukileyo elivakaliswa leli phephancwadi kwinkupho nganye. Yamkela ngovuyo eli themba ukuze ulwe nxamnye nokuphelelwa lithemba. Enyanisweni, ithemba “alidanisi.”—Roma 5:5.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Ukufundisisa iBhayibhile kusinika ithemba elisebenza ‘njengeankile yomphefumlo’