Kuthetha Ntoni Ukumthanda UThixo?

MALUNGA neminyaka engamawaka amathandathu eyadlulayo, usana lokuqala lwazalwa. Emva kokuzalwa kwalo, unina, uEva, wathi: “Ndizuze indoda ngoYehova.” (Genesis 4:1) Amazwi akhe abonisa ukuba, nangona babesele begwetyelwe ukufa ngenxa yemvukelo yabo, uEva nomyeni wakhe, uAdam, babesazi ukuba uYehova unguThixo. Kamva bazala unyana wesibini. La makhwenkwe abizwa ngokuba nguKayin noAbheli.

Njengoko aba nyana babekhula, ngokuqinisekileyo bafunda lukhulu ngothando lukaYehova ngokubukela indalo yakhe kuphela. Babebona imibala emihle yendalo neentlobo ngeentlobo zezilwanyana nezityalo. UThixo akazange abanike ubomi kuphela kodwa wabenza bakwazi ukubunandipha ubomi.

Baqonda ukuba abazali babo babedalwe befezekile nokuba eyona njongo kaYehova yayikukuba abantu baphile ngonaphakade. Kunokwenzeka ukuba uAdam noEva babachazela ngomyezo omhle wase-Eden, yaye ngandlel’ ithile kwafuneka bachaze isizathu sokuba bagxothwe kwelo khaya liyiparadisi. UKayin noAbheli basenokuba babesazi isiprofeto sikaThixo esikwiGenesis 3:15. Kweso siprofeto uYehova wavakalisa injongo yakhe yokulungisa imicimbi ngexesha elifanelekileyo ukuze kungenelwe abo bamthandayo nabazingqina benyanisekile kuye.

Ukufunda ngoYehova nangeempawu zakhe kumele ukuba kwenza uKayin noAbheli baba nomnqweno wokufumana inkoliseko kaThixo. Ngoko basondela kuYehova ngokumenzela amadini. Ingxelo yeBhayibhile ithi: “Kwathi ekupheleni kwamihla ithile, uKayin wathabatha eziqhameni zomhlaba, wazisa umnikelo kuYehova. UAbheli wazisa naye, ethabathe kumazibulo ezimvu zakhe, kwezinamanqatha.”—Genesis 4:3, 4.

Ukunqwenela kwabo ukufumana inkoliseko kaThixo kwakha isiseko solwalamano lwabo naye. Ekugqibeleni uKayin wamvukela uThixo, ngoxa uAbheli waqhubeka eshukunyiswa luthando lokwenene ngoThixo. UAbheli wayengenakuluhlakulela ulwalamano olunjalo noThixo ngaphandle kokuba kuqala azi ubuntu bukaYehova neenjongo zakhe.

Nawe unako ukumazi uYehova. Ngokomzekelo, eBhayibhileni unokufunda ukuba uThixo ungumntu wokwenene, kungekhona amandla angaphiliyo azula esithubeni edala izinto ngamabonandenzile. (Thelekisa uYohane 7:28; Hebhere 9:24; ISityhilelo 4:11.) Kwakhona iBhayibhile ifundisa ukuba uYehova nguThixo “onemfesane, onobabalo, ozeka kade umsindo, omninzi ngenceba nenyaniso.”—Eksodus 34:6.

“Ukuthobela Kulunge Ngaphezu Kombingelelo”

Njengoko ingxelo engoKayin noAbheli ibonisa, ukwazi uThixo nokuba nomnqweno wokuba nolwalamano olusondeleyo naye akwanelanga. Kuyinyaniso ukuba aba bafana babini basondeza amadini kuThixo. Kodwa, “uYehova wambheka uAbheli nomnikelo wakhe. Akambheka uKayin nomnikelo wakhe. Waqumba kunene uKayin, basangana ubuso bakhe.”—Genesis 4:3-5.

Kwakutheni ukuze uYehova angalamkeli idini likaKayin? Ngaba kwakukho into engalunganga ngokuxabiseka komnikelo wakhe? Ngaba uYehova wacaphuka ngenxa yokuba uKayin enikele ‘ngeziqhamo zomhlaba’ kunokunikela ngedini lesilwanyana? Kusenokuba akunjalo. Kamva, uThixo wayamkela ngovuyo iminikelo yokutya okuziinkozo nezinye iziqhamo zomhlaba kubanquli bakhe abaninzi. (Levitikus 2:1-16) Ngoko ke, kuyabonakala ukuba kwakukho into engalunganga entliziyweni kaKayin. UYehova wayibona intliziyo kaKayin waza wamlumkisa esithi: “Yini na ukuba uqumbe, yini na ukuba busangane ubuso bakho? Ukuba uthe walungisa, abuyi kuswabuluka ubuso yini na? Ukuba uthe akwalungisa, isono sibuthumile ngasesangweni, singxamele wena.”—Genesis 4:6, 7.

Uthando lokwenene ngoThixo luthetha okungaphezulu kunokunikela amadini kuphela. Kungenxa yoko uYehova wakhuthaza uKayin ukuba ‘alungise.’ UThixo wayefuna ukuthotyelwa. Ukuthobela uThixo ngolo hlobo kwakuza kumnceda uKayin akhe isiseko esihle sokuba nolwalamano lothando noMdali. IBhayibhile igxininisa ukubaluleka kokuthobela ngala mazwi: “UYehova unonelele amadini anyukayo nemibingelelo, ngangokuba enonelele ukuthotyelwa kwezwi likaYehova, yini na? Yabona, ukuthobela kulunge ngaphezu kombingelelo, nokubaza iindlebe kulungile ngaphezu kwamanqatha eenkunzi zeegusha.”—1 Samuweli 15:22, NW.

Le ngcamango yabethelelwa kakuhle kamva ngamazwi eyoku-1 kaYohane 5:3: “Oku koko uthando lukaThixo luthetha kona, ukuba sigcine imiyalelo yakhe; ukanti imiyalelo yakhe asiloxanduva.” Ayikho indlela yokubonakalisa uthando ngoYehova elunge ngaphezu kokuzithoba kwigunya lakhe. Oku kuthetha ukuthobela imigaqo yeBhayibhile yokuziphatha. (1 Korinte 6:9, 10) Kuthetha ukuthanda okulungileyo size sithiye okubi.—INdumiso 97:10; 101:3; IMizekeliso 8:13.

Enye imbonakaliso ebalulekileyo yothando lwethu ngoThixo kukuthanda ummelwane. IBhayibhile isixelela oku: “Ukuba nabani na wenza ingxelo ethi: ‘Ndiyamthanda uThixo,’ ukanti umthiyile umzalwana wakhe, ulixoki. Kuba lowo ungamthandiyo umzalwana wakhe, ambonileyo, akanako ukumthanda uThixo, angambonanga.”—1 Yohane 4:20.

Ukusondelelana NoThixo Kunokwenzeka

Bambi basenokuthi, ‘Ndiyamnqula uYehova. Ndiyayithobela imithetho yakhe. Ndibaphatha kakuhle abanye abantu. Zonke ezo zinto ndiyazenza. Sekunjalo, andiziva ndisondele ngokwenene kuThixo. Andiziva ndinothando olunzulu ngaye, ibe loo nto indenza ndizive ndinetyala.’ Bambi basenokucinga ukuba abakufanelekeli ukuba nolwalamano olusondele ngolo hlobo noYehova.

Emva kweminyaka ephantse ibe ngama-37 ekhonza uYehova ngokuzinikela, omnye umKristu wabhala: “Kumaxesha amaninzi ebomini bam ndiye ndaziva ngathi andikhathali ngenkonzo yam kuYehova, mhlawumbi ngathi andimkhonzi ngokusuka entliziyweni uYehova. Kodwa bendisazi ukuba ukukhonza uYehova yinto elungileyo, yaye bendingenakuyeka ukwenjenjalo. Noko ke, ngalo lonke ixesha bendifunda ngomntu othile othi ‘intliziyo yakhe yazaliswa kukumthanda uYehova,’ bendiye ndizibuze, ‘Yintoni engalunganga kum, ekubeni ndingazange ndivakalelwe ngolo hlobo?’” Sinokusondelelana njani noThixo?

Xa umntu othile umthanda ngokwenene, ngokufuthi ucinga ngaye. Uba nomnqweno onzulu wokusondela kuye kuba umkhathalele. Okukhona umbona, uthetha naye yaye ucinga ngaye, kokukhona umthanda ngakumbi nangakumbi. Lo mgaqo ukwasebenza nasekuhlakuleleni kwakho uthando ngoThixo.

KwiNdumiso 77:12, umbhali ophefumlelweyo uthi: “Ndicamanga ngako konke ukusebenza kwakho, ndithelekelele ngezenzo zakho zonke ezincamisayo.” Ukucamngca kubalulekile ekuhlakuleleni uthando ngoThixo. Oku kuyinyaniso ngokukodwa ekubeni engabonakali. Kodwa okukhona ucinga ngakumbi ngaye, kokukhona eya kuba ngowokwenene nangakumbi kuwe. Kungaloo ndlela kuphela onokuthi uhlakulele ulwalamano lothando olusuka entliziyweni ngaye—ngenxa yokuba engowokwenene kuwe.

Utyekelo lwakho lokucamngca rhoqo ngeendlela nangeenkqubano zikaYehova luya kuxhomekeka ekubeni umphulaphula ngokufuthi kangakanani. Umphulaphula ngokulesa nangokufundisisa rhoqo iLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile. Umdumisi uchaza umntu onoyolo njengalowo “unonelela umthetho kaYehova; ucamanga ngomyalelo wakhe imini nobusuku.”—INdumiso 1:1, 2.

Enye into ebalulekileyo ngumthandazo. Kungoko iBhayibhile isibongoza ngokuphindaphindiweyo ukuba sithandaze—“ngaso sonke isihlandlo,” ‘sinikele ixesha emthandazweni,’ ‘sizingise emthandazweni,’ yaye ‘sithandaze ngokungapheziyo.’ (Efese 6:18; 1 Korinte 7:5; Roma 12:12; 1 Tesalonika 5:17) Ukuthandaza kwethu ngokungapheziyo kuYehova kuya kumenza asithande, yaye ukuqiniseka ngokuba uyaphulaphula kuya kusenza sisondele kuye. Oku kwangqinwa ngumdumisi, xa wavakalisa oku: “Ndiyamthanda, ngokuba uYehova eliva ilizwi lam, ukutarhuzisa kwam. Ngokuba endithobele indlebe yakhe, ndiya kumnqula ngemihla yam yonke.”—INdumiso 116:1, 2.

Ukuxelisa UThixo Wothando

UYehova usenzela izinto ezilungileyo. NjengoMdali wendalo iphela, ngokuqinisekileyo zininzi izinto amele acinge ngazo yaye azinyamekele. Sekunjalo, iBhayibhile isixelela ukuba nangona emkhulu, uyazikhathalela izidalwa zakhe ezingabantu. Uyasithanda. (1 Petros 5:6, 7) Umdumisi uyakungqina oku ngamazwi akhe athi: “Yehova, Nkosi yethu, hayi, ubungangamsha begama lakho ehlabathini lonke! Wena uwambathise amazulu ngendili yakho. Xa ndilikhangelayo izulu lakho, umsebenzi weminwe yakho, inyanga neenkwenkwezi ozimisileyo: Uyintoni na umntu lo, le nto umkhumbulelayo? Unyana womntu, le nto umvelelayo?”—INdumiso 8:1, 3, 4.

UYehova uye wamkhumbula njani umntu? IBhayibhile iyaphendula: “Ngako oku uthando lukaThixo lwenziwa lwabonakala kwimeko yethu, ngenxa yokuba uThixo wathumela uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo ehlabathini ukuze sizuze ubomi ngaye. Uthando lukule nkalo, kungekhona eyokuba siye samthanda uThixo, kodwa eyokuba yena wasithanda waza wathumela uNyana wakhe njengombingelelo wokucamagushela izono zethu.”—1 Yohane 4:9, 10.

Umbingelelo wokucamagushela ububo njani ubungqina obubalaseleyo bothando lukaThixo? Makhe siqwalasele okwenzeka kumyezo wase-Eden. UAdam noEva babefanele benze isigqibo sokuba bazithobe kumthetho kaYehova ngethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade befezekile okanye bamvukele uYehova baze bafumane umvuzo woko ngokufa. Bakhetha ukuvukela. (Genesis 3:1-6) Ngokwenjenjalo uluntu lonke balugwebela ukufa. (Roma 5:12) Beqhutywa likratshi abazange basinike ithuba lokuzenzela isigqibo. Akukho namnye kuthi owaba negalelo kulo mbandela.

Noko ke, uYehova uye ngothando wamkhumbula umntu, eyiqonda imeko yakhe. Ngokufa okulidini koNyana Wakhe, uYesu Kristu, uYehova uye wamisa isiseko esisemthethweni kumntu ngamnye ukuze akhethe ubomi okanye ukufa, ukuthobela okanye imvukelo. (Yohane 3:16) Kungokungathi uYehova usinike ithuba lokuba sigwetywe ngokokhetho lwethu—ithuba lokubuyela e-Eden, size ngokungathi kunjalo, sizenzele izigqibo ngokwethu. Oku kokona kubonakaliswa kothando kukhulu kwakha kwenziwa.

Khawuthelekelele intlungu awayinyamezelayo uYehova njengoko wayebona izibulo lakhe lithukwa, lingcungcuthekiswa yaye libethelelwa njengesaphuli-mthetho. Ibe uThixo wakunyamezela oko ngenxa yethu. Ukwazi kwethu ukuba uYehova ubonakalise uthando kuthi kuqala, ngokufanayo, kufanele kusishukumisele ekubeni simthande kuze kusenze simfune. (Yakobi 1:17; 1 Yohane 4:19) IBhayibhile iyasikhuthaza ukuba “singxamele uYehova namandla akhe; sifune ubuso bakhe ngamaxesha onke. Sikhumbule imisebenzi yakhe ebalulekileyo awayenzayo, izimanga zakhe, nezigwebo zomlomo wakhe.”—INdumiso 105:4, 5.

Ukusondela ngokobuqu nokuba nolwalamano lothando noThixo, ukuba ngumhlobo wakhe, kuyinto yokwenene. Kunokwenzeka. Kuyinyaniso ukuba uthando lwethu ngoThixo asinakulufanisa ngokupheleleyo nolwalamano lwabantu. Uthando esinalo ngeqabane, abazali, abantakwethu, abantwana okanye abahlobo bethu lwahlukile kuthando esinalo ngoThixo. (Mateyu 10:37; 19:29) Ukuthanda uYehova kubandakanya ukuzahlulela kwethu kuye, ukumnqula nokuzinikela kuye ngokupheleleyo. (Duteronomi 4:24) Alukho olunye ulwalamano olunezo mbopheleleko. Sekunjalo, sinokuluhlakulela uthando olunamandla nolunzulu ngoThixo ngokubonakalisa intlonelo, sinoloyiko.—INdumiso 89:7.

Nangona ungafezekanga, njengoKayin noAbheli unawo amandla okumthanda uMdali wakho. UKayin walwenza ukhetho lwakhe, wathelela uSathana, waza waba ngumbulali wokuqala. (1 Yohane 3:12) Ngokwahlukileyo koko, uAbheli uya kukhunjulwa nguYehova njengendoda yokholo nobulungisa yaye uya kuvuzwa ngobomi kwiParadisi ezayo.—Hebhere 11:4.

Nawe umele ukhethe. Ngoncedo lomoya kaThixo neLizwi lakhe, unako ukumthanda ngokwenene uThixo “ngentliziyo yakho yonke, nangomphefumlo wakho wonke, nangamandla akho onke.” (Duteronomi 6:5) NoYehova, uya kuqhubeka ekuthanda, kuba “ungumvuzi wabo bamfuna ngokunyanisekileyo.”—Hebhere 11:6.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

Idini lika-Abheli lamkeleka kuThixo