Kutheni Ufanele Uthandaze?
“NOKUBA senide nacela, anamkeli, ngenxa yokuba nicela ngenjongo embi . . . Sondelani kuThixo, naye uya kusondela kuni.” (Yakobi 4:3, 8) Loo mazwi kaYakobi owayengumfundi kaYesu anokusishukumisela ukuba sicinge ngezizathu zethu zokuthandaza.
Umthandazo awuyondlela nje yokuxelela uThixo oko sikusweleyo. KwiNtshumayelo yakhe yaseNtabeni edumileyo, uYesu wathi: “UYihlo uyakwazi enikusweleyo ningekamceli.” Ukanti uYesu waphinda wathi: “Qhubekani nicela, niya kunikwa.” (Mateyu 6:8; 7:7) Ngoko uYehova uyafuna simxelele oko sivakalelwa kukuba sikuswele. Kodwa ke umthandazo ubandakanya okungakumbi kunoko.
Abahlobo bokwenene abancokoli kuphela xa beswele nto ithile. Baba nomdla omnye komnye, kwaye ubuhlobo babo buyakhula xa bevakalisa iimvakalelo zabo. Ngendlela efanayo, injongo yomthandazo asikokucela nje izinto esizifunayo. Usinika ithuba lokomeleza ulwalamano lwethu noYehova ngokuvakalisa ukuzinikela kwethu kuye ngokusuka entliziyweni.
Ewe, uThixo usivave ngelungelo lokuthandaza ukuze sisondele kuye. Oku kunokwenzeka kuphela xa sivakalisa iimvakalelo zethu kuThixo kunokuba sicengceleze imithandazo esiyinkqayileyo. Hayi indlela ekuyolisa ngayo ukuthetha noYehova ngomthandazo! Ngaphezu koko, umzekeliso weBhayibhile uthi: “Umthandazo wabathe tye uyakholiswa nguwo.”—IMizekeliso 15:8.
Umdumisi uAsafu wavuma ingoma esithi: “Ke mna, ukusondela kuThixo kulungile kum.” (INdumiso 73:28) Kodwa ke ukuze sisondele kuThixo, simele senze okungakumbi kunokuthandaza. Phawula indlela okuboniswa ngayo oku kule ngxelo ilandelayo:
“Omnye wabafundi [bakaYesu] wathi kuye: ‘Nkosi, sifundise ukuthandaza.’” Xa ephendula uYesu wathi: “Xa sukuba nithandaza, yithini, ‘Bawo, malingcwaliswe igama lakho. Ubukumkani bakho mabufike.’” (Luka 11:1, 2) Ngaba sinako ukuthandaza ngendlela enentsingiselo ngolo hlobo ukuba asiqalanga safunda ngegama likaThixo nangendlela eliza kungcwaliswa ngayo? Yaye ngaba sinako ukuthandaza ngokuvisisana nala mazwi kaYesu ukuba asibuqondi uBukumkani bukaThixo? Sinako ukuziqonda ezi zinto ukuba siyihlolisisa ngenyameko iBhayibhile. Olo lwazi silufumanayo luya kusinceda sazi uThixo size siqonde iindlela zakhe. Ukongezelela koko, ukuqhelana noYehova uThixo kuya kusenza sizive sisondelelene naye yaye sizinikele ngakumbi kuye. Ethubeni, oku kuya kusinceda sithethe naye ngokukhululeka xa sithandaza.
Umthandazo Unako Ukuzicombulula Iingxaki
Ukwakha ulwalamano olusondeleyo noYehova kuya kusinceda sicombulule iingxaki. Phawula indlela okwenzeka ngayo oku kwimeko nganye kwezi zilandelayo. Ezi meko zibonisa ukuba abo bathandazayo bakwazi ukuqinisa ulwalamano lwabo noYehova.
EBrazil ibhinqa eligama linguMaria lathandaza kuThixo licela uncedo. Ngaphambili lalifune ukuvukela imilinganiselo eyamkelekileyo yokuziphatha, esinye sezizathu zoko ikukuhanahanisa awayekubona kwibutho labantu. UMaria wayede washiya umyeni, abantwana kunye nekhaya lakhe. Waqalisa nokusebenzisa iziyobisi. Kodwa wathi akungalufumani ulonwabo, wazityand’ igila kuThixo waza wathandaza ecela uncedo.
Kungekudala, kwafika amaNgqina kaYehova amabini aza ashiyela uMaria inkupho ethile yeMboniselo eyayixubusha ngokubaluleka kokwamkela ulwalathiso lukaThixo. Yayichukumisa intliziyo yakhe, yaye waqalisa ukufundisisa iBhayibhile namaNgqina kwangolo suku. Ekugqibeleni oku kwakhokelela ekubeni abuyele entsatsheni yakhe. Njengoko wayefunda ngoYehova, wafuna ukubonisa indlela amthanda ngayo. UMaria wathi: “Ndaphucula kakhulu. Ekuqaleni umyeni wam kunye nentsapho babengafuni ndifundisise iBhayibhile. Kodwa bathi bakubona iinguqulelo endandizenza, baqalisa ukundikhuthaza.” Kamva, uMaria wahlulela ubomi bakhe kuMphulaphuli wemithandazo ukuze amkhonze.
Nangona uJosé wayenomfazi omhle neshishini eliqhuba kakuhle eBolivia, wayengonwabanga. Ukuthandana kwakhe nomnye umntu kwabangela ukuba umfazi wakhe amshiye. Wazinkcinkca kanobom ngotywala ibe wayeziva engelutho. UJosé uthi: “Ndaqalisa ukuthandaza ngokunyaniseka, ndibuza oko ndifanele ndikwenze ukuze ndikholise uThixo. Kungekudala amaNgqina kaYehova atyelela indawo elikuyo ishishini lam aza acela ukundiqhubela isifundo seBhayibhile sekhaya sesisa, kodwa andizange ndivume. Oku kwenzeka izihlandlo ezithathu. Rhoqo ndithandazela uncedo, ayefika. Ekugqibeleni, ndazimisela ukuphulaphula xa ebuya. Ndandiyifunde ndayigqiba iBhayibhile yaye ndinemibuzo emininzi, kodwa ayesoloko endiphendula ngendlela eyanelisayo. Ukufunda ngoYehova kwandenza ndanenjongo ebomini, yaye abahlobo bam abangamaNgqina babeyimizekelo elukhuthazo kakhulu! Ndalishiya ibhinqa endandincuma nalo kunye nabahlobo endandisela nabo. Kungekudala, ndabuyela emfazini wam nasebantwaneni. Ndabhaptizwa ebutsheni bowe-1999.”
EItali, umtshato kaTamara wawusengxakini, ngoko wathandaza ecela ubulumko. Wayengqwabalala, ekubeni wayeye wabethwa waza wagxothwa kowabo xa wayeneminyaka eli-14 ubudala. UTamara uthi: “Ndafumana iBhayibhile ndaza ndaqalisa ukuyifunda. Ngenye ingokuhlwa, ndafunda ukuba ‘ukufumana ubulumko kunjengokufumana ubuncwane obufihliweyo.’ Ndabuthandazela obo bulumko. (IMizekeliso 2:1-6) Ngentsasa elandelayo, amaNgqina kaYehova atyelela. Ndaqalisa ukufundisisa iBhayibhile nawo, kodwa ndathabatha ixesha ngaphambi kokuba ndikusebenzise oko ndandikufunda. Ekugqibeleni, ndagqiba kwelokuba ndilandele indlela yokuphila yamaKristu ndize ndibhaptizwe. Ngoku, mna nomyeni wam sinceda abanye ukuba bangenelwe kubulumko bukaThixo.”
UBeatriz wayengomnye wabantu abaphila tofotofo eCaracas, eVenezuela. Ukanti, wazibona sele eqhawule umtshato yaye edandathekile. Ngenxa yokuphelelwa lithemba, ngenye imini wakha wachitha iiyure ethandaza. Ngentsasa elandelayo, kwankqonkqoza umntu emnyango. Ecaphuka, wakroba kumngxuma oselucangweni waza wabona abantu ababini bephethe iibhegi zeencwadi. Wenza ngathi akakho, kodwa ngaphambi kokuba sihambe eso sibini, safaka iphetshana ngaphantsi kocango. Lalisithi “Yazi IBhayibhile Yakho.” Ngaba utyelelo lwaso lwalunxibelelene nemithandazo awayeyenze kubusuku obungaphambili? Wasikhwaza esithi masibuye. Kungekudala wayefundisisa iBhayibhile, ibe kamva wabhaptizwa. Ekubeni ede walufumana ulonwabo, ngoku uBeatriz ufundisa abanye ngendlela yokufumana ulonwabo.
UCarmen wathandazela imeko yakhe yokuhlwempuzeka. Wayenabantwana abalishumi nomyeni olinxila, uRafael. UCarmen uthi: “Ndazama ukuzifumanela imali ngokuhlambela abantu iimpahla.” Kodwa uRafael waya engena nzulu kumkhwa wokusela. “Kwathi ukuze aqalise ukutshintsha umyeni wam, safundisisa iBhayibhile namaNgqina kaYehova. Safunda ngedinga loBukumkani—elokuba kungekudala uYehova uza kushenxisa ubuhlwempu nengcinezelo ehlabathini. Ekugqibeleni imithandazo yam kuThixo yayiphendulekile!” Ukufunda ngeendlela zikaYehova kwamnceda uRafael wayeka ukusela, yaye wambatha “ubuntu obutsha.” (Efese 4:24) Yena nentsapho yakhe bakwazi ukuphucula umgangatho wabo wokuphila. URafael uthi: “Ewe asizozityebi, yaye asinakhaya lilelethu, kodwa ke sinazo izinto eziyimfuneko ebomini, yaye sonwabile.”
Xa Yonke Imithandazo Iya Kuphendulwa
Ngaba ukuthandaza kwabanceda aba bantu? Ngokuqinisekileyo kwabanceda! Yaye ngaba uyiphawule into yokuba kwiimeko ezininzi imithandazo yabo yaphendulwa ngokuthi ubani osuka kwibandla lamaKristu abancede basondele kuYehova uThixo ngokufundisisa iBhayibhile?—IZenzo 9:11.
Ngoko ke, sinezizathu ezihle zokuthandaza. Kungekudala, umthandazo othi uBukumkani bukaThixo mabufike nokuthanda kwakhe kwenziwe emhlabeni uza kuphendulwa. (Mateyu 6:10) Emva kokuba uThixo eshenxise abo bamchasayo kweli hlabathi siphila kulo, “umhlaba ngokuqinisekileyo uya kuzaliswa kukwazi uYehova.” (Isaya 11:9) Baya kwandula ke bonke abo bathanda uYehova banandiphe ‘inkululeko ezukileyo yabantwana bakaThixo’—yaye ngokuqinisekileyo imithandazo yabo iya kuphendulwa.—Roma 8:18-21.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Ngaba uyasazi isizathu sokuba sifanele sithandaze?