Indlela Esibonisa Ngayo Ukuba Siyamthanda UThixo
UKUHLAKULELA uthando ngoThixo akuyonto ephelela nje engqondweni. Njengoko abakhonzi bakaThixo ehlabathini lonke benokukungqina oku, uthando lokwenene ngoThixo luya lukhula ngokukhula njengoko umntu eqhelana ngakumbi nobuntu bakhe, yaye luqina nakakhulu njengoko ekuqonda ngakumbi oko uThixo akuthandayo nakuthiyileyo, kwanoko akulindeleyo kuye.
Ngothando, uYehova uye wasinika iLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile, elisichazela ngokubanzi ngaye. Kulo sifunda indlela uYehova aye wazisingatha ngayo iimeko ezahlukahlukeneyo. Kanye njengokuba sichulumanca xa sifumana ileta evela kumntu esimthandayo, nayo iBhayibhile iyasichulumancisa njengoko isityhilela ubuntu bukaYehova.
Noko ke, umele ukuba uphawulile kubulungiseleli bakho basesidlangalaleni ukuba ukufunda ngoThixo akusoloko kumenza umntu amthande. UYesu wathi kumaYuda athile awayengenaluxabiso nawayephila ngexesha lakhe: “Niyaziphengulula iZibhalo, ngenxa yokuba nicinga ukuba ngazo niya kuba nobomi obungunaphakade; . . . kodwa ndazi kakuhle ukuba aninalo uthando lukaThixo kuni.” (Yohane 5:39, 42) Abanye bachitha iminyaka befunda ngezenzo zikaYehova ezithandekayo kodwa sekunjalo abanalo uthando ngaye. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba abacamngci ngentsingiselo yoko bakufundayo. Kodwa ke noko izigidi zabantu abanyanisekileyo esifundisisa nazo iBhayibhile ziqhubeka zimthanda ngakumbi nangakumbi uThixo. Kubangelwa yintoni oko? Kubangelwa kukuba zilandela umzekelo ka-Asafu, njengoko siye senjenjalo nathi. Zikwenze njani oko?
Camngca Ngoxabiso
UAsafu wazimisela ukuba uza kuhlakulela uthando ngoYehova entliziyweni yakhe. Wabhala wathi: “Ngentliziyo yam ndiya kubonakalisa ukuxhalaba kwam . . . Ndiya kulukhumbula uqheliselo lukaYa; kuba ndiya kukukhumbula ukwenza kwakho kwakudala. Yaye ngokuqinisekileyo ndiya kucamngca ngayo yonke imisebenzi yakho, ndizixhalabise ngezenzo zakho.” (INdumiso 77:6, 11, 12) Luya kukhula uthando ngoThixo entliziyweni yomntu ocamngcayo ngeendlela zikaYehova njengoko wenzayo lo mdumisi.
Kanti ukukhumbula amava esiye sawanandipha njengoko sikhonza uYehova kuya kuluqinisa ulwalamano lwethu kunye naye. Umpostile uPawulos wathi “singabasebenzi abangamadlelane” kaThixo, yaye kudla ngokubakho ubuhlobo obukhethekileyo phakathi kwabahlobo abasebenza kunye. (1 Korinte 3:9) Xa silubonakalisa uthando lwethu ngoYehova, ukuxabisa ngokwenene oko, yaye kuyayivuyisa intliziyo yakhe. (IMizekeliso 27:11) Ngoko xa simbongoza uYehova aze asincede ekujamelaneni nobunzima, siyazi ukuba ukunye nathi, yaye ngaloo ndlela luqina ngakumbi uthando lwethu ngaye.
Ubuhlobo buqina ngakumbi phakathi kwabantu ababini xa bekhuphelana imbilini yabo. Ngokufanayo, xa sixelela uYehova isizathu sokuba sizinikele kuye, luyaqina uthando lwethu ngaye. Oko kuya kwenza ukuba sicamngce ngamazwi kaYesu athi: “Uze umthande uYehova uThixo wakho ngentliziyo yakho iphela nangomphefumlo wakho uphela nangengqondo yakho iphela nangamandla akho ephela.” (Marko 12:30) Yintoni esinokuyenza ukuze siqinisekise ukuba siya kuqhubeka simthanda uYehova ngentliziyo yethu iphela, ngomphefumlo wethu uphela, ngengqondo yethu iphela, nangamandla ethu ephela?
Ukuthanda UYehova Ngentliziyo Yethu Iphela
IZibhalo zibhekisela kwintliziyo yokomfuziselo, engumntu wangaphakathi—iminqweno, isimo sengqondo, neemvakalelo zethu. Ngoko, ukuthanda uYehova ngentliziyo yethu iphela kuthetha ukuba eyona nto siyifuna ngamandla kukukholisa uThixo. (INdumiso 86:11) Sibonisa ukuba simthanda ngaloo ndlela ngokuthi senze ubuntu bethu bamkeleke kuye. Sizabalazela ukuxelisa uThixo ‘ngokuthi sikwenyanye okungendawo size sinamathele kokulungileyo.’—Roma 12:9.
Uthando lwethu ngoThixo luchaphazela indlela esivakalelwa ngayo ngento yonke. Ngokomzekelo, sisenokuba siwuthanda gqitha umsebenzi wethu wempangelo, kodwa ngaba sibeka intliziyo yethu kuwo? Akunjalo. Ekubeni simthanda uYehova ngentliziyo yethu iphela, eyona nto siyixabisileyo kukuba singabalungiseleli bakaThixo. Kuyafana ke nangabazali bethu, amaqabane ethu omtshato, nabaqeshi bethu; nangona sifuna ukubakholisa, kodwa sibonisa ukumthanda kwethu ngentliziyo iphela uYehova ngokuthi sifune ukukholisa yena kuqala. Ngapha koko, besifanele ukumbeka kwindawo yokuqala kakade entliziyweni yethu.—Mateyu 6:24; 10:37.
Ukuthanda UYehova Ngomphefumlo Wethu Uphela
EZibhalweni igama elithi “umphefumlo” ngokusisiseko libhekisela kumntu ephela nakubomi esibuphilayo. Ngoko ukuthanda uYehova ngomphefumlo wethu uphela kuthetha ukuba sisebenzisa ubomi bethu ukuze simdumise yaye sibonise ubungqina bokumthanda kwethu.
Kakade ke, sisenokuba nazo ezinye izinto esinomdla kuzo ebomini, njengokufunda umsebenzi, ukuqhuba ishishini, okanye ukuba nentsapho. Kodwa kwangaxeshanye, singqina ukuba simthanda ngomphefumlo wethu uphela uYehova ngokuthi senze izinto ngendlela yakhe nangokuzibeka kwindawo yesibini ebomini bethu ezinye izinto, size ‘sifune kuqala ubukumkani nobulungisa bakhe.’ (Mateyu 6:33) Ukunqula ngomphefumlo uphela kukwathetha ukuba nenzondelelo. Simbonisa uYehova ukuba siyamthanda ngokuthi sisishumayele ngenzondelelo isigidimi soBukumkani, sinikele iimpendulo ezakhayo kwiintlanganiso, okanye sincede abazalwana noodadewethu abangamaKristu. Kuyo yonke into, siqhubeka ‘sisenza ukuthanda kukaThixo ngomphefumlo uphela.’—Efese 6:6.
UYesu wabonisa ukumthanda kwakhe ngomphefumlo uphela uThixo ngokuthi azincame. Wakubeka kwindawo yokuqala ukuthanda kukaThixo waza iintswelo zakhe zobuqu wazibeka kwindawo yesibini. UYesu uyasimema ukuba silandele umzekelo wakhe. Uthi: “Ukuba nabani na ufuna ukundilandela, makazincame, athabathe isibonda sakhe sentuthumbo aze aqhubeke endilandela.” (Mateyu 16:24, 25) Ukuzincama kuthetha ukuzahlulela. Oko kuthetha ukuba simthanda uThixo kakhulu kangangokuba sizinikela ezandleni zakhe, njengaxa umSirayeli ngamaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile wayeyithanda inkosi yakhe kakhulu kangangokuba azinikele kuyo njengekhoboka layo ngokusisigxina. (Duteronomi 15:16, 17) Ukwahlulela ubomi bethu kuYehova kububungqina bokuba siyamthanda.
Ukuthanda UYehova Ngengqondo Yethu Iphela
Ukumthanda uYehova ngengqondo yethu iphela kuthetha ukuba siya kwenza konke okusemandleni ethu ukuze siqonde ubuntu, iinjongo, nemilinganiselo yakhe. (Yohane 17:3; IZenzo 17:11) Sibonisa ukumthanda kwethu uYehova ngokuthi sisebenzise ingqondo yethu iphela ekuncedeni abanye ukuba nabo bamthande uYehova, nangokuthi siphucule ubuchule bethu bokufundisa. Umpostile uPetros wasibongoza esithi: “Iingqondo zenu ziqiniseleni umsebenzi.” (1 Petros 1:13) Kwakhona, sizabalazela ukubonisa umdla kwabanye, ingakumbi abo sikhonza nabo uThixo. Siyaziqonda iimeko zabo, ngoko siyazi xa kufuneka benconyiwe naxa kufuneka bethuthuzelwe.
Sibonisa ukuba simthanda uYehova ngengqondo yethu iphela ngokuthi simthobele. Sizabalazela ukujonga izinto ngendlela azijonga ngayo, sikholose ngaye xa sisenza izigqibo, siqinisekile ukuba ukwenza izinto ngendlela yakhe kokona kulungileyo. (IMizekeliso 3:5, 6; Isaya 55:9; Filipi 2:3-7) Kodwa njengoko siqhubeka sibonisa uthando lwethu ngoThixo, sinokuwasebenzisa njani amandla ethu?
Ukuthanda UYehova Ngamandla Ethu Ephela
Ulutsha oluninzi kwibandla lamaKristu lusebenzisa amandla alo ekudumiseni uYehova. (IMizekeliso 20:29; INtshumayeli 12:1) Enye indlela amaKristu amaninzi aselula abonisa ngayo ukuba amthanda uYehova ngamandla awo ephela kungokungenela inkonzo yobuvulindlela, ubulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo. Oomama abaninzi baba nesabelo kule nkonzo ngethuba abantwana babo besesikolweni. Abadala abathembekileyo abenza utyelelo lokwalusa nakuba benembopheleleko yokunyamekela iintsapho zabo, babonisa ukuba bamthanda uYehova ngamandla abo ephela. (2 Korinte 12:15) UYehova uyabomeleza abo bathembela kuye, ukuze baqhubeke bebonisa ukumthanda kwabo ngokusebenzisa onke amandla abo ekumdumiseni.—Isaya 40:29; Hebhere 6:11, 12.
Uthando luyakhula xa luhlakulelwa ngokufanelekileyo. Ngoko, masiqhubeke sizipha ixesha lokucamngca. Masikhumbule oko uYehova asenzele kona nesizathu sokuba kufuneka sizinikele kuye. Njengenzala ka-Adam engafezekanga, asizifanelekelanga “izinto uThixo azilungisele abo bamthandayo,” kodwa sinokubonisa ukuba simthanda ngokupheleleyo uYehova. Masiqhubeke sisenjenjalo!—1 Korinte 2:9.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 20]
Uthando lwethu ngoThixo silubonisa ngezenzo