Yintoni Ekushukumisela Ukuba Ukhonze UThixo?

“Uze uyithande ke iNkosi uThixo wakho ngentliziyo yakho iphela, nangomphefumlo wakho uphela, nangengqondo yakho iphela, nangamandla akho ephela.”—MARKO 12:30.

1, 2. Ziziphi izinto ezichulumancisayo ezifezwayo ngokuphathelele umsebenzi wokushumayela?

IXABISO lokwenene lenqwelo-mafutha aligqitywa ngenkangeleko yayo nje kuphela. Ukuyipeyinta kusenokuyiphucula inkangeleko yayo yangaphandle, yaye ukuhonjiswa kwayo kakuhle kusenokuyibangela ibe nomtsalane kumntu osenokuba ngumthengi; kodwa ezona zinto zibalulekileyo zezo zingabonakali ngokukhawuleza—injini eqhuba loo nqwelo-mafutha, kunye nazo zonke ezinye izixhobo zokuyiqhuba.

² Kuyafana nangenkonzo yomKristu kuThixo. AmaNgqina kaYehova aphuphuma imisebenzi yobuthixo. Nyaka ngamnye, ziiyure ezingaphezu kwewaka lezigidi ezichithelwa ekushumayeleni iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo. Ngaphezu koko, kuqhutywa izigidi zezifundo zeBhayibhile, yaye abo babhaptizwayo ngamakhulu amawaka. Ukuba ungumvakalisi weendaba ezilungileyo, ube nesabelo—kwanokuba sibonakala sisincinane—kula manani achulumancisayo. Yaye unokuqiniseka ukuba “akanantswela-bulungisa uThixo, ukude awulibale umsebenzi wenu, nomzamo wothando enalubonakalalisa kulo igama lakhe.”—Hebhere 6:10.

3. Ngaphandle kwemisebenzi yintoni amaKristu afanele ayixhalabele ngokwenene, yaye ngoba?

³ Noko ke, ukuxabiseka kokwenene kwenkonzo yethu—enokuba yeyethu sonke okanye njengabantu ngabanye—akujongwa ngamanani kuphela. Kunjengokuba uSamuweli waxelelwayo, “umntu ukhangela umphandle, uYehova ukhangela intliziyo.” (1 Samuweli 16:7) Ewe, koko sikuko ngaphakathi okubalulekileyo kuThixo. Kakade ke, imisebenzi ibalulekile. Izenzo zokuhlonela uThixo ziyayivathisa imfundiso kaYehova yaye zitsala abo basenokuba ngabafundi. (Mateyu 5:14-16; Tito 2:10; 2 Petros 3:11) Sekunjalo, imisebenzi yethu ayibonisi yonke inyaniso. UYesu ovusiweyo wayenesizathu sokuxhalaba ngokuphathelele ibandla lase-Efese—phezu kwayo nje imisebenzi yalo emihle. Walixelela oku: “Ndiyayazi imisebenzi yakho . . . Noko ke ndinale nto ngakuwe, yokuba uthando lwakho lokuqala walushiyayo.”—ISityhilelo 2:1-4.

4. (a) Inkonzo yethu kuThixo inokuba sisithethe ngayiphi indlela? (b) Kutheni kufuneka sizihlolisise?

⁴ Kukho ingozi. Ngokuhamba kwexesha, inkonzo yethu kuThixo inokufana nesithethe esimele senziwe. Omnye umfazi ongumKristu wakuchaza ngale ndlela: “Ndandidla ngokuphuma ukuya enkonzweni, ndiye kwiintlanganiso, ndifundisise, ndithandaze—kodwa konke ndandikwenza ngokuzenzekelayo, kwakungekho nto indiqhubayo.” Kakade ke, abakhonzi bakaThixo bafanele banconywe xa bezibhokoxa phezu kwazo nje iimvakalelo ‘zokukhahlelelwa phantsi’ okanye ‘ukudakumba.’ (2 Korinte 4:9; 7:6, TE) Sekunjalo, xa imisebenzi yethu yobuKristu isiba kukwenza nje, kufuneka sinqike injini, ngokungathi kunjalo. Kwaneyona nqwelo-mafutha isemgangathweni kuyafuneka ilungiswe ngamathuba athile; ngokufanayo, onke amaKristu kufuneka azihlolisise rhoqo. (2 Korinte 13:5) Abanye basenokuyibona imisebenzi yethu, kodwa abanakuziqonda iintshukumisa zezenzo zethu. Ngoko ke, ngamnye kuthi ufanele awuxhalabele lo mbuzo: ‘Yintoni endishukumisela ekubeni ndikhonze uThixo?’

Imiqobo Kwintshukumisa Efanelekileyo

5. Nguwuphi umthetho uYesu awathi ngowokuqala?

⁵ Xa wabuzwa ukuba nguwuphi na owona uphambili kwimithetho eyanikwa uSirayeli, uYesu wacaphula umyalelo owawusalathisela ingqalelo, kungekhona kwinkangeleko yangaphandle, kodwa kwintshukumisa yangaphakathi: “Uze uyithande ke iNkosi uThixo wakho ngentliziyo yakho iphela, nangomphefumlo wakho uphela, nangengqondo yakho iphela, nangamandla akho ephela.” (Marko 12:28-30) Ngaloo ndlela uYesu wakuchaza oko kufanele kusiqhubele ekukhonzeni uThixo—uthando.

6, 7. (a) USathana usihlasele ngenkohlakalo ngayiphi indlela isangqa sentsapho, yaye ngoba? (2 Korinte 2:11) (b) Indlela ubani akhule ngayo inokusichaphazela njani isimo sakhe sengqondo ngegunya lobuthixo?

⁶ USathana ufuna ukusithintela singakwazi ukuhlakulela olu phawu lubalulekileyo lothando. Ukuze afeze oku, enye indlela ayisebenzisileyo kukuhlasela isangqa sentsapho. Ngoba? Kuba kulapho siqala khona ukufunda ngothando yaye oko sikufundileyo kuya kuhlala kuhleli. USathana uwazi kakuhle umgaqo weBhayibhile wokuba oko kufundwe ebuntwaneni kunokuba luncedo xa sele sikhulile. (IMizekeliso 22:6) Ngobuqhophololo uzama ukuyigqwetha indlela esilujonga ngayo uthando sisebancinane. ‘Njengothixo weli phakade,’ uSathana uyaqiniseka ukuba ziyafezeka iinjongo zakhe xa abaninzi bekhulela emakhayeni olunqongopheleyo kuwo uthando kodwa angamathafa edabi, azaliswe bubukrakra, ingqumbo nonyeliso.—2 Korinte 4:4; Efese 4:31, 32; 6:4, umbhalo osemazantsi kwiNW; Kolose 3:21.

⁷ Incwadi ethi Ukwenza Ubomi Bentsapho Yakho Bonwabe yathi indlela ubawo ayifeza ngayo indima yakhe yobuzali “inokuba nomphumo ophawulekayo kwisimo sengqondo samva sabantwana bakhe ngokubhekisele egunyeni lomntu nelikaThixo.”a Enye indoda engumKristu eyakhuliswa ngqwabalala nguyise ongqongqo ithi: “Mna, ndikufumanisa kulula ukuthobela uYehova; eyona nto inzima kukumthanda.” Kakade ke, ukuthobela kubalulekile, kuba emehlweni kaThixo “ukuphulaphula kulungile ngaphezu kombingelelo.” (1 Samuweli 15:22) Kodwa yintoni enokusinceda sidlulele ngaphaya kokuthobela size sihlakulele uthando ngoYehova njengentshukumisa yonqulo lwethu?

“Uthando LukaKristu Luyasinyanzela”

8, 9. Idini lentlawulelo likaYesu lifanele lisishukumisele ekubeni simthande uYehova njani?

⁸ Eyona ntshukumisa ibalaseleyo ekuhlakuleleni ukumthanda ngentliziyo iphela uYehova luxabiso ngedini lentlawulelo likaYesu Kristu. “Kwabonakaliswa ngale nto ukusithanda kukaThixo, ngokuthi uThixo amthume ehlabathini uNyana wakhe, ekuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze sidle ubomi naye.” (1 Yohane 4:9) Xa sisiqonda yaye sisixabisa, esi senzo sothando sisenza sisabele ngothando. “Siyamthanda, ngokuba [uYehova] wasithanda kuqala.”—1 Yohane 4:19.

⁹ Ngokuzithandela uYesu wasamkela isabelo sakhe sokukhonza njengoMsindisi wabantu. “Ngale nto silwazile uthando, kuba yena wasincamela ubomi bakhe.” (1 Yohane 3:16; Yohane 15:13) Uthando lukaYesu lokuzincama lufanele lukhulise intsabelo yoxabiso kuthi. Ngokomzekelo: Masithi ubusindiswe utshona emanzini. Ngaba ubuya kusuka nje ugoduke, uzomise, uze ulibale ngoko? Kakade ubungayi kwenjenjalo! Ubuya kuziva unetyala kuloo mntu ukuhlanguleyo. Ngapha koko, ubomi bakho busindiswe nguloo mntu. Ngaba akufani ngoYehova uThixo noYesu Kristu? Ngaphandle kwentlawulelo, ngamnye wethu ebeya kutshona, ngokungathi kunjalo, esonweni nasekufeni. Kunoko, ngenxa yesi senzo sothando sibalaseleyo, sinethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade kumhlaba oyiparadisi.—Roma 5:12, 18; 1 Petros 2:24.

10. (a) Intlawulelo sinokuyisebenzisa njani ngokobuqu? (b) Uthando uKristu analo lusinyanzela njani?

¹⁰ Khawucamngce ngentlawulelo. Yisebenzise kuwe, njengokuba uPawulos wenzayo: “Ubomi ke endibudlayo ngoku, ndisenyameni, ndibudlela ekukholweni kuNyana kaThixo, owandithandayo, wazinikela ngenxa yam.” (Galati 2:20) Ukucamngca ngolo hlobo kuya kukhulisa intshukumisa esuka entliziyweni, kuba uPawulos wabhalela abaseKorinte wathi: “Kuba [luyasinyanzela, NW] uthando lukaKristu, . . . wabafela ke bonke, ukuze abo badla ubomi bangabi sazidlela ubomi, babudlele owafayo wavuka ngenxa yabo.” (2 Korinte 5:14, 15) IJerusalem Bible ithi uthando lukaKristu “lusongamele.” Xa sicingisisa ngothando lukaKristu, siyanyanzeleka, sishukunyiswa ngokunzulu, side songanyelwe. Lufikelela iintliziyo zethu luze lusiqhubele esenzweni. Kunjengokuba inguqulelo kaJ. B. Phillips ikubeka ngawayo amazwi ngokuthi, “Owona mthombo wezenzo zethu luthando ngoKristu.” Naluphi na olunye uhlobo lwentshukumisa alusayi kuvelisa iziqhamo ezihlalayo kuthi, njengoko kwaboniswa ngumzekelo wabaFarisi.

“Nililumkele Igwele LabaFarisi”

11. Chaza isimo sengqondo sabaFarisi ngemisebenzi yonqulo.

¹¹ AbaFarisi bakwenza kwayinto engenantsingiselo ukunqula uThixo. Kunokubethelela uthando ngoThixo, bagxininisa kwimisebenzi njengento yokulinganisa imeko yokomoya. Ukuzixhalabisa kwabo ngokugqithiseleyo ngemithetho kwabenza babonakala bengamalungisa ngaphandle, kodwa ngaphakathi ‘babezele ngamathambo abafileyo nokungcola konke.’—Mateyu 23:27.

12. Emva kokuba uYesu ephilise indoda ethile, abaFarisi bakubonisa njani ukuqaqadeka kweentliziyo zabo?

¹² Ngesinye isihlandlo ngemfesane uYesu waphilisa indoda eyayomelwe sisandla. Hayi indlela emele ukuba yavuya ngayo le ndoda kukuphiliswa ngephanyazo kwesigulo ngokungathandabuzekiyo esasingayonwabisanga ngokwenene emzimbeni nangokweemvakalelo! Sekunjalo, abaFarisi abazange bavuyisane nayo. Kunoko, bazixakekisa ngokuhlaba amadlala into engenamsebenzi—isibakala sokuba uYesu wayeyincede ngeSabatha. Bezixakekise ngeendlela bona ababewucacisa ngazo uMthetho, abaFarisi abazange bawuqonde ngokupheleleyo umoya woMthetho. Akumangalisi ke ukuba uYesu abe ‘wayebuhlungu ngenxa yokuqaqadeka kwentliziyo yabo’! (Marko 3:1-5) Ngaphezu koko, walumkisa abalandeli bakhe wathi: “Nililumkele igwele labaFarisi nabaSadusi.” (Mateyu 16:6) Izenzo zabo nezimo zengqondo ababenazo zityhiliwe eBhayibhileni ukuze kungenelwe thina.

13. Sisiphi isifundo esinokusifunda kumzekelo wabaFarisi?

¹³ Umzekelo wabaFarisi usifundisa ukuba kufuneka sibe nembono esengqiqweni ngemisebenzi. Eneneni, imisebenzi ibalulekile, kuba “ukholo, ingekho imisebenzi, lufile.” (Yakobi 2:26) Noko ke, abantu abangafezekanga banotyekelo lokubagweba abanye ngoko bakwenzayo kunokubagweba ngoko bakuko. Maxa wambi, sisenokude nathi sizigwebe ngale ndlela. Sisenokuyixhalabela ngokugqithe emgceni imisebenzi, ngokungathi le kuphela kwendlela ejongwa ngayo imeko yethu yokomoya. Sisenokukulibala ukubaluleka kokuhlolisisa iintshukumisa zethu. (Thelekisa eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 5:12.) Sisenokuba ngabantu ababambelela ngokungqongqo emthethweni “abahluza imbuzane, ke baginye inkamela,” bethobela oko kubhalwe emthethweni ngoxa besaphula injongo yawo.—Mateyu 23:24.

14. AbaFarisi babefana njani nendebe okanye isitya esingacocekanga?

¹⁴ Into abaFarisi ababengayiqondi kukuba xa umntu emthanda ngokwenene uYehova, izenzo zokuhlonel’ uThixo ziya kulandela ngokuzenzekelayo. Imeko yokomoya isuka ngaphakathi iphuphumele ngaphandle. UYesu wabagxeka kabukhali abaFarisi ngeengcingane zabo eziphosakeleyo kule nkalo, esithi: “Yeha, nina babhali, baFarisi, bahanahanisindini! Ngokuba nihlambulula umphandle wendebe nesitya, kanti ke ngaphakathi kuzele kukuphanga nokungazeyisi. MFarisindini uyimfama, hlambulula tanci okungaphakathi kwendebe nesitya, ukuze kuthi okungaphandle kwazo kuhlambuluke nako.”—Mateyu 23:25, 26.

15. Caphula imizekelo ebonisa ukuba uYesu ujonga ngaphaya koko kubonakala ngaphandle.

¹⁵ Kuncinane kakhulu onokukubona kumphandle wendebe, isitya, okanye isakhiwo. Abafundi bakaYesu babekhwankqisiwe bubuhle betempile yaseYerusalem, uYesu awayibiza ngokuthi “umqolomba wezihange” ngenxa yoko kwakusenzeka ngaphakathi. (Marko 11:17; 13:1) Loo meko yetempile iyafana naleyo yezigidi zabo bathi bangamaKristu, njengokuba ingxelo yeNgqobhoko ibonisa. UYesu wathi wayeya kubagweba abathile ababesenza “imisebenzi yamandla” egameni lakhe ‘njengabenzi bokuchasene nomthetho.’ (Mateyu 7:22, 23) Ngokwahlukileyo koko, wathi ngomhlolokazi owayenikele imali exabiso lincinane kakhulu etempileni: “Lo mhlolokazi ulihlwempu uphose ngaphezu kwabo bonke abaphosileyo emkhumbini wokulondoloza imali . . . yena ekusweleni kwakhe uphose konke abenako, impilo yakhe iphela.” (Marko 12:41-44) Ngaba wayegweba ngeendlela ezingafaniyo? Nakanye. Kuzo zombini ezi meko, uYesu wabonakalisa imbono kaYehova. (Yohane 8:16) Wakubona oko kwakuqhuba le misebenzi waza wagweba ngokuvisisana nako.

“Walowo . . . Ngokwawakhe Amandla”

16. Kutheni kungeyomfuneko ukuba sisoloko sithelekisa umsebenzi wethu nowomnye umKristu?

¹⁶ Ukuba iintshukumisa zethu zifanelekile, akukho mfuneko yokuba sisoloko sithelekisa. Ngokomzekelo, akuncedi nto ukuthi ngomoya wokhuphiswano sizabalazele ukuchitha ixesha elilingana nelo lisetyenzwa ngomnye umKristu kubulungiseleli okanye sizame ukufeza okulingana noko kufezwa ngulowo ekushumayeleni. UYesu wathi uYehova mthande ngentliziyo, ngengqondo, ngomphefumlo nangamandla akho ephela—kungekhona awomnye umntu. Amandla, umxhino, neemeko zabantu ziyahluka. Ukuba imeko yakho iyavuma, uthando luya kukuqhubela ekubeni uchithe ixesha elininzi kubulungiseleli—mhlawumbi ude ube ngumlungiseleli wexesha elizeleyo onguvulindlela. Noko ke, ukuba ulwisana nokugula, ixesha olichithela kubulungiseleli lisenokuba ngaphantsi kokuba unqwenela. Ungatyhafi. Ukuthembeka kuThixo akujongwa ngeeyure. Ekubeni iintshukumisa zakho zinyulu, uya kuba nesizathu sokuvuya. UPawulos wabhala: “Elowo ke makawucikide owakhe umsebenzi, wayeya kwandula ukuba neqhayiya ngokwakhe yedwa, angabi nalo ngomnye.”—Galati 6:4.

17. Ngawakho amazwi, balisa ngokufutshane umzekeliso weetalente.

¹⁷ Khawuqwalasele umzekeliso kaYesu weetalente, njengoko ubhalwe kuMateyu 25:14-30. Indoda eyayiza kuhambela kwelinye ilizwe yabiza abakhonzi bayo yaza yabaphathisa impahla yayo. “Omnye wamnika iitalente zantlanu, omnye zambini, nomnye yaba nye, walowo wanikwa ngokwawakhe amandla.” Ekubuyeni kwale nkosi ukuze ilungise imicimbi nabakhonzi bayo, yafumana ntoni? Umkhonzi owayenikwe iitalente ezintlanu wayefumene iitalente ezintlanu ezingakumbi. Ngokufanayo, umkhonzi owayenikwe iitalente ezimbini wayefumene iitalente ezimbini ezingakumbi. Umkhonzi owayenikwe italente enye wayimbela emhlabeni yaye akazange abandise ubutyebi benkosi yakhe. Inkosi yayijonga njani le meko?

18, 19. (a) Kutheni inkosi ingazange ithelekise umkhonzi owayenikwe iitalente ezimbini nomkhonzi owayenikwe iitalente ezintlanu? (b) Umzekeliso weetalente usifundisa ntoni ngokuncoma nokuthelekisa? (c) Kutheni umkhonzi wesithathu wagwetywa ngokuqatha?

¹⁸ Okokuqala, makhe siqwalasele umkhonzi owanikwa iitalente ezintlanu nowanikwa zambini ngokulandelelana kwabo. Kuye ngamnye waba bakhonzi, inkosi yathi: “Wenze kakuhle, mkhonzi ulungileyo nothembekileyo!” (NW) Ngaba ngewayetshilo kumkhonzi oneetalente ezintlanu ukuba wayezuze ezimbini kuphela? Akubonakali njalo! Kwelinye icala, akazange athi kumkhonzi owayezuze iitalente ezimbini: ‘Kutheni ungazuzanga zantlanu? Khawukhangele umkhonzi okhonza naye ujonge ukuba undizuzele ezingakanani!’ Hayi, inkosi enemfesane, efanekisela uYesu, ayizange ibathelekise. Yababela iitalente “walowo wanikwa ngokwawakhe amandla,” yaye yayingalindelanga okungakumbi kunoko ngamnye wayenokukunikela. Bobabini aba bakhonzi banconywa ngokufanayo, kuba bobabini bayisebenzela ngomphefumlo uphela inkosi yabo. Sonke sinokufunda koku.

¹⁹ Kakade ke, umkhonzi wesithathu akazange anconywe. Enyanisweni, walahlelwa ebumnyameni obungaphandle. Ekubeni wayefumene italente enye, kwakungalindelwanga ukuba avelise ngokulingana nomkhonzi owayeneetalente ezintlanu. Noko ke, akazange azame nokuzama! Wagwetywa ngokuqatha ngenxa yesimo sentliziyo yakhe ‘ekhohlakeleyo, nelivila,’ esabonisa ukungabi naluthando ngenkosi.

20. UYehova ukujonga njani ukusikelwa kwethu umda?

²⁰ UYehova ulindele ukuba sonke ngabanye simthande ngamandla ethu ephela, sekunjalo hayi indlela ekuvuyisa ngayo ukuba “uyakwazi yena ukubunjwa kwethu, ekhumbula ukuba siluthuli”! (INdumiso 103:14) IMizekeliso 21:2 ithi “umlinganisi weentliziyo nguYehova”—kungekhona owamanani. Uyakuqonda konke ukusikelwa kwethu umda esingenako ukukulawula, enokuba kokwemali, kokomzimba, kokweemvakalelo okanye kokunye. (Isaya 63:9) Kwangaxeshanye, ulindele ukuba sibusebenzise ngokona kona ubuncwane esisenokuba sinabo. UYehova ufezekile, kodwa xa eqhubana nabanquli bakhe abangafezekanga, akalindeli imfezeko. Akanguye ongekho ngqiqweni kwiinkqubano zakhe nakoko akulindeleyo.

21. Ukuba inkonzo yethu kuThixo iqhutywa luthando, kuya kulandela yiphi imiphumo emihle?

²¹ Ukumthanda uYehova ngentliziyo, ngomphefumlo, ngengqondo nangamandla ethu ephela “kungaphezu kwawo onke amadini atshiswayo kuphele, nemibingelelo.” (Marko 12:33) Ukuba siqhutywa luthando, ngoko ke siya kwenza konke okusemandleni ethu enkonzweni kaThixo. UPetros wabhala ukuba xa iimpawu zobuthixo, kuquka uthando, “zikhoyo . . . kuni, zisanda, zinenza ukuba ninganqeni, ningabi ngabaswele isiqhamo ekuyazini iNkosi yethu uYesu Kristu.”—2 Petros 1:8.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

Impinda

◻ Inkonzo yethu kuThixo ifanele iqhutywe yintoni?

◻ Uthando lukaKristu lusinyanzela njani ukuba sikhonze uYehova?

◻ Yintoni ababezixakekise ngayo abaFarisi esifanele siyiphephe?

◻ Kutheni kungebobulumko ukusoloko sithelekisa inkonzo yethu neyomnye umKristu?

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 16]

Ubuchule, umxhino neemeko zomntu ziyahluka kwezomnye