‘Yambathani Umsa Wemfesane’

YINDODA eyazalelwa kwisixeko esidumileyo. Iyindwalutho eyazalwa ingummi waseRoma, kuyabonakala ukuba yayizalwa yintsapho eyaziwayo. USawule lo wafumana eyona mfundo yayisemgangathweni ngenkulungwane yokuqala, wayethetha iilwimi ezimbini ubuncinane yaye elilungu leqela lonqulo lwamaYuda elibizwa ngokuba ngabaFarisi.

Umele ukuba wayefundiswe ukuziphakamisa nokubajongela phantsi abantu abangazelwento. (Luka 18:11, 12; IZenzo 26:5) Nabanye abaFarisi babezicingela gqitha bethanda ukubalasela nokubizwa ngamagama akhethekileyo. (Mateyu 23:6, 7; Luka 11:43) Ekubeni uSawule wayeqhogene nabantu abanjalo umele ukuba wafunda ukuba nekratshi. Siyazi ukuba wayengumtshutshisi wamaKristu onenzondelelo. Emva kweminyaka ethile sele engumpostile uPawulos ngoku, uchaza into awayeyiyo esithi “ngaphambili ndandingumnyelisi nomtshutshisi nomntu osileyo.”—1 Timoti 1:13.

Ewe, uSawule waba ngumKristu, owaba ngumpostile uPawulos, watshintsha waba ngomnye umntu ngokupheleleyo. Ekubeni ngoku wayengumpostile ongumKristu, ngokuthobeka wavuma ukuba ungoyena “ungaphantsi nakoyena mncinane kubo bonke abo bangcwele.” (Efese 3:8) Wayengumvangeli ophumelelayo, kodwa akazange azizukise ngalo mpumelelo. Kunoko lonke uzuko walusa kuThixo. (1 Korinte 3:5-9; 2 Korinte 11:7) NguPawulos kanye owabongoza amanye amaKristu esithi: “Yambathani umsa wemfesane, ububele, ukuthobeka kwengqondo, ubulali, nokuzeka kade umsindo.”—Kolose 3:12.

Ngaba elo cebiso lisasebenza kule nkulungwane yama-21? Ngaba kunomvuzo ukuthobeka? Ngaba ngokwenene ukuthobeka kubonisa ukomelela?

Ngaba UMdali OnguSomandla Uthobekile?

Nantoni na ethethwayo ephathelele ukuthobeka imele ivisisane nembono kaThixo. Ngoba kutheni? Isizathu sikukuba unguMongami noMdali wethu. Ngokwahlukileyo kuye, kufuneka sizazi izinto esingenakukwazi ukuzenza. Sixhomekeke kuye. Indoda yakudala esisilumko egama linguElihu yakhe yathi ngaye “ke yena uSomandla, asimfumananga; uphakamile ngamandla.” (Yobhi 37:23) Xa sondele indalo ayidalileyo siziva sithobekile! Umprofeti uIsaya usimema esithi: “Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu nize nibone. Ngubani na odale ezi zinto? NguLowo uzisa umkhosi wazo kanye ngokwenani, uzibiza nangegama xa zizonke. Ngenxa yamandla amakhulu, kanjalo womelele ngamandla, akukho nanye esalayo.”—Isaya 40:26.

Nangona engusomandla uYehova uThixo uthobekile. UKumkani uDavide wathandaza wathi: “Uya kundinika ikhaka lakho losindiso, yaye yintobeko yakho endenza ndibe mkhulu.” (2 Samuweli 22:36) UThixo uthobekile kuba ubaxhalabele abantu abathobekileyo abazama ukumkholisa, kwaye unenceba kubo. Ngokungathi kunjalo, uYehova esezulwini wondela phantsi emhlabeni, ukuze aqhubane ngobubele nabo bamoyikayo.—INdumiso 113:5-7.

Ukongezelela koko, uYehova uyakholwa xa abakhonzi bakhe bethobekile. Umpostile uPetros wabhala wathi: “UThixo ubachasile abo banekratshi, kodwa ubanika ububele obungasifanelanga abo bathobekileyo.” (1 Petros 5:5) Mayela nekratshi umbhali weBhayibhile uthi: “Wonk’ ubani onekratshi entliziyweni uyinto ecekisekayo kuYehova.” (IMizekeliso 16:5) Ukuthobeka kunokuba luphawu lokomelela njani?

Oko Kungekuko Ukuthobeka

Ukuthobeka asikokuba nguthobela sikutyele. Kwezinye iinkcubeko zamandulo, umntu othobekileyo wayelikhoboka—elinyabileyo, oludwayi nophantsi. Ngokwahlukileyo koko iBhayibhile ibonisa ukuba ukuthobeka kwengqondo kukhokelela kuzuko. Ngokomzekelo, indoda esisilumko yabhala yathi: “Umphumo wentobeko nokoyika uYehova bubutyebi, uzuko nobomi.” (IMizekeliso 22:4) KwiNdumiso 138:6 siyafunda: “UYehova uphakamile, ukanti uyambona othobekileyo; kodwa ophakamileyo umazela mgama kuphela.”

Ukuthobeka akuthethi ukuba umntu lityutyusi elingakwazi kwenza nto. Ngokomzekelo, uYesu Kristu akazange akhanyele ukuba wayekuphela koNyana kaYehova, engazange abusengele phantsi nobulungiseleli bakhe xa wayelapha emhlabeni. (Marko 14:61, 62; Yohane 6:51) Sekunjalo, uYesu wabonisa ukuthobeka ngokuphakamisa uYise nangokusebenzisa amandla akhe ukuze akhonze aze ancede abanye kunokuba abagagamele okanye abacinezele.

Uphawu Olubonisa Amandla

Abantu ababephila ngaxeshanye noYesu Kristu babesazi ukuba wayekwazi ukwenza ‘imisebenzi yamandla.’ (IZenzo 2:22) Kodwa kwabanye ‘wayengoyena uphantsi ebantwini.’ (Daniyeli 4:17) Akazange abe ngumntu othozamileyo kuphela kodwa wabafundisa ukuthobeka. (Luka 9:48; Yohane 13:2-16) Noko ke, ukuthobeka kwakhe akuzange kumenze abe ngumntu obuthathaka. Wayengenadyudyu njengoko wayekhusela igama likaYise ekwafeza nobulungiseleli bakhe. (Filipi 2:6-8) EBhayibhileni uYesu uchazwa njengengonyama ekhaliphileyo. (ISityhilelo 5:5) Umzekelo kaYesu ubonisa ukuba ukuthobeka, imilinganiselo egqwesileyo nenkalipho ngamaphuth’ ahlathinye.

Ekubeni sizimisele ukuhlakulela ukuthobeka kokwenene, siyaqonda ukuba kufuna umgudu onyanisekileyo ukuba nengqondo ethobekileyo. Kuthetha ukwenza ukuthanda kukaThixo kunokuthand’ indlela eyehlayo okanye utyekelo lwenyama. Ukuhlakulela ukuthobeka kufuna imilinganiselo ephakamileyo, kufuneka sizincame sibeke izilangazelelo zikaYehova nezabanye kuqala kunezethu.

Iingenelo Zokuthobeka

Ukuthobeka kuthetha ukungabi nekratshi okanye umoya wosukuzwano. IBhayibhile isebenzisa ibinzana elithi “ukuthobeka kwengqondo” xa ichaza olu phawu. (Efese 4:2) Sinokuhlakulela ukuthobeka ukuba sizibekela usukelo esinokulufikelela kuba sizazi izinto esikwaziyo ukuzenza, esibuthathaka kuzo nesisilelayo kuzo. UPawulos wanikela isiluleko esihle kule nkalo xa wabhala wathi: “Ndixelela wonk’ ubani apho phakathi kwenu ukuba angazicingeli ngaphezu koko amelwe kukuzicingela ngako; kodwa makacinge khon’ ukuze abe nengqondo ephilileyo, ngamnye njengoko uThixo amabele umlinganiselo wokholo.” (Roma 12:3) Nabani na othobela eso siluleko uthobekile.

Ukuthobeka kuphinda kubonakale xa sibeka izilangazelelo zabanye kuqala kunezethu. Ephefumlelwe, uPawulos wabongoza amaKristu wathi: “[Ningenzi] nanye into ngokusukuzana okanye ngokuzigwagwisa, kodwa ngokuthobeka kwengqondo, nibagqala abanye njengabongamileyo kunani.” (Filipi 2:3) Esi sibongozo sasivisisana nomyalelo uYesu awunika abalandeli bakhe othi: “Lowo ungoyena mkhulu phakathi kwenu makabe ngumlungiseleli wenu. Nabani na oziphakamisayo uya kuthotywa, yaye nabani na ozithobayo uya kuphakanyiswa.”—Mateyu 23:11, 12.

Ewe, ukuthobeka kwengqondo kukwenza uphakame emehlweni kaThixo. Umfundi uYakobi wayibethelela le ngongoma xa wabhala wathi: “Zithobeni emehlweni kaYehova, yaye uya kuniphakamisa.” (Yakobi 4:10) Ngubani ongakufuniyo ukuphakanyiswa nguThixo?

Xa abantu bengathobekanga kubakho umbhodamo neengxabano. Kwelinye icala, ukuthobeka kuzala amaduna namathokazi. Siyoliswa kukuba uThixo uyakholiswa sithi xa sithobekile. (Mika 6:8) Sinokuba noxolo lwengqondo kuba abantu abathobekileyo bonwaba ngakumbi baze baneliseke kunabantu abanekratshi. (INdumiso 101:5) Siya kuba nolwalamano oluhle namalungu entsapho, abahlobo, nabantu esisebenza nabo. Abantu abathobekileyo bayaziphepha iimbambaniso nokunyanzelisa xa befuna izinto kuba loo ndlela yokwenza izinto ibangela umsindo, ingqumbo nentiyo.—Yakobi 3:14-16.

Ewe, ukuhlakulela ukuthobeka kwengqondo yindlela entle yokulondoloza ulwalamano oluhle nabanye. Kunokusinceda sikwazi ukumelana nezimo zengqondo zehlabathi ezikhuthaza ukuzingca nomoya wokhuphiswano. Ngoncedo lukaThixo, umpostile uPawulos wakwazi ukoyisa ikratshi awayenalo ngaphambili. Ngendlela efanayo, sakuba senza kakuhle ukuba silubek’ esweni utyekelo lokuba nekratshi okanye ukucinga ukuba sibhetele kunabanye. IBhayibhile ilumkisa isithi: “Ikratshi liphambi kokuwa, yaye umoya wekratshi uphambi kokukhubeka.” (IMizekeliso 16:18) Ukuba silandela umzekelo necebiso likaPawulos, siya kububona ubulumko bokuba ‘sambathe ukuthobeka kwengqondo.’—Kolose 3:12.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 4]

UPawulos waloyisa ikratshi nokuzingca

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]

Isimo sengqondo sokuthobeka siyasinceda silondoloze ulwalamano oluhle nabanye

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 5]

Anglo-Australian Observatory/David Malin Images