Intsha Iyabuza . .  .

Ngingaba Kanjani Umngane KaNkulunkulu?

“UKWETHEMBEKA.” “Ukuzinikela.” Lawa amagama abantu abavame ukuwasebenzisa lapho bechaza ubuhlobo babo nabangane babo abakhulu. Ingabe bewazi ukuthi lamagama futhi angachaza ubuhlobo noMdali Omkhulu wendawo yonke esabekayo—ukuthi uNkulunkulu ngokwakhe angaba umngane wakho siqu? Yebo, iBhayibheli likhuluma ngokuba nokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu, futhi leyo nkulumo ayihileli nje kuphela ukulalela kodwa futhi nobuhlobo bomuntu siqu noNkulunkulu, ukusondelana okusuka enhliziyweni enokwazisa.

Izihloko ezedlule kulolu chungechunge ziye zabonisa ukuthi ubuhlobo obunjalo bungenzeka futhi bunenzuzo.a Kodwa ubufinyelela kanjani lobu bungane bomuntu siqu noNkulunkulu? Abuyona into ozalwa nayo noma into omane uyizuze njengefa kubazali abahlonipha uNkulunkulu. Kunalokho, buyinto eba khona kuphela ngomzamo oqotho. Umphostoli uPawulu watshela insizwa uThimothewu ukuba ‘iziqeqeshe inokuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu njengomgomo wayo.’ Yebo, kwakudingeka yenze umzamo ofana nowomsubathi lapho eziqeqesha! (1 Thimothewu 4:7, 8, 10) Kumelwe wenze ngendlela efanayo uma ufuna uNkulunkulu abe umngane wakho. Kodwa ungaqala kanjani ukuziqeqesha kulesi sici?

Ukwazi UNkulunkulu Ngokomuntu Siqu

Njengoba ukuzinikela kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu kusuka enhliziyweni, kumelwe ugcwalise inhliziyo yakho ngolwazi ngoNkulunkulu. Ngokudabukisayo, lapho intsha engaphezu kuka-500 ibuzwa, “Ulifunda kangaki iBhayibheli lapho uwedwa?” amaphesenti angu-87 athi “ngezikhathi ezithile,” “kancane,” noma “angilifundi nhlobo.” Ngokusobala intsha eningi icabanga ukuthi ukufunda iBhayibheli kuwubuwula futhi kubangela isithukuthezi. Kodwa akumelwe kube njalo! Cabanga: Kungani enye intsha ibamba ngekhanda yonke imininingwane yezemidlalo noma ifunde amazwi eculo elithandayo? Ngoba inesithakazelo kulezo zinto. Ngokufanayo, ukufunda iBhayibheli kuba okuthakazelisayo uma ugxila kukho. (1 Thimothewu 4:15) Umphostoli uPetru wanxusa: “Yakhani ukulangazelela ubisi olungonakalisiwe olungolwezwi.” (1 Petru 2:2) Yebo, kumelwe wakhe, noma uhlakulele isithakazelo esinjalo emiBhalweni. Lokhu kungase kudinge umzamo, kodwa imivuzo iwufanele.b

Phakathi kokunye, ukufunda nokutadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu nezincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini kuyokwembula “ubuhle bukaJehova.” (IHubo 27:4) Omunye umKristu osemusha okuthiwa u-Amber wakwenza umgomo wakhe ukufunda lonke iBhayibheli. Lokhu kwathatha cishe unyaka. “Angiboni ukuthi ziyoba khona izinto eziningi ekuphileni kwami ezidinga isikhathi esiningi kangaka nomzamo kodwa eziletha imivuzo eminingi kanje,” kuchaza u-Amber. “Lapho ngilifunda, ngangizwa sengathi uJehova ungigonile njengobaba futhi uyangifundisa. Ngafunda okuningi kakhulu ngoJehova—izinto ezangidonsela kuye futhi zenza ukuba ngifune ukumesaba kukho konke ukuphila kwami.”

Lapho ufunda iBhayibheli, ufunda ngezenzakalo eziningi lapho uNkulunkulu abasekela khona ngokwethembeka abangane bakhe. (IHubo 18:25; 27:10) Uthola ukuthi izindinganiso zakhe zingcono kakhulu ngaso sonke isikhathi futhi zisizuzisa njalo. (Isaya 48:17) Ukufunda ngezimfanelo zikaNkulunkulu ezingenakuqhathaniswa, njengothando nokuhlakanipha kwakhe, kukushukumisela ukuba ufune ukumlingisa. (Efesu 5:1) Kodwa ukuze ukwaziswa okunjalo kushukumise inhliziyo yakho, kumelwe futhi uzindle. Njengoba ufunda, zibuze: ‘Kungitshelani lokhu ngoJehova? Ngingakusebenzisa kanjani lokhu endleleni yami yokucabanga nasekuziphatheni kwami? Kubonisa kanjani lokhu ukuthi uNkulunkulu ungumngane ongcono kunabo bonke engingaba nabo?’

Ulwazi olutholayo ngoNkulunkulu ngesifundo somuntu siqu nasebandleni luyokusiza ukuba usondelane naye ngenye indlela. Isaga sesiFulentshi sithi: “Bangabangane beqiniso labo abacabanga ngendlela efanayo.” Kodwa ‘ungacabanga kanjani ngendlela efana’ nekaNkulunkulu? UDenise osemusha uyachaza: “Lapho uqhubeka ufunda futhi ucwaninga ngendaba ethile, kulapho uthola khona ngokwengeziwe umbono kaJehova ngayo. Kuyasiza lapho wazi ukuthi uzizwa kanjani ngento ethile.”

Ukuziphatha Okuqotho Kubalulekile

UNkulunkulu ubabheka njengabangane bakhe labo kuphela abahlonipha izindinganiso zakhe zokuziphatha. IzAga 3:32 zithi: “Abaqotho bayisifuba sakhe.” Osemusha olwela ukuba qotho ‘uyohamba emthethweni kaJehova.’ (2 AmaKhosi 10:31) Ukulalela ngaleyo ndlela kuyomsondeza kangakanani umuntu kuNkulunkulu? UJesu Kristu wathi: ‘UBaba uyomthanda, futhi siyoza kuye sihlale naye.’ (Johane 14:21-24) Yeka ukuthi lesi isimo esijabulisa kangakanani! Cabanga, abantu ababili abakhulu kunabo bonke endaweni yonke becabangela umuntu futhi bemkhathalela ngokuqhubekayo! Lokho kuyoba njalo kuwe uma uqikelela ukuthi uhamba ngomthetho kaJehova.

Ingabe ukuba qotho kusho ukuthi kumelwe ube ophelele? Lutho neze! Ukwenza iphutha ngenxa yobuthakathaka akusho ukuthi usuyishiyile ‘indlela yemiyalo kaNkulunkulu.’ (IHubo 119:35) Cabangela lokho iBhayibheli elisitshela khona ngeNkosi uDavide. Naphezu kokuba umngane othembekile kaNkulunkulu, wenza amaphutha angathi sína ngenxa yobuthakathaka. Noma kunjalo, uJehova wathi wayehambé “ngenhliziyo engenacala nangobuqotho.” (1 AmaKhosi 9:4) Ngaso sonke isikhathi iNkosi uDavide yayibonisa ukuphenduka okusuka enhliziyweni nganoma yibuphi ububi eyayibenzile futhi yayizama ukwenza okujabulisayo kuNkulunkulu.—IHubo 51:1-4.

Nakuba uDavide ayemthanda uNkulunkulu, wayazi ukuthi kungaba nzima kangakanani ngezinye izikhathi ukwenza into elungile. Yingakho anxusa uNkulunkulu: “Ngihambise eqinisweni lakho.” Yebo, ngobuqotho wahlakulela ukwesaba ukona kuNkulunkulu. Ngakho uDavide wayengathi: “Ubuhlobo bukaJehova bukubo abamesabayo.” (IHubo 25:5, 14) Lokhu akukhona ukwesaba okukhwantabalisayo kodwa ukuhlonipha uMdali okujulile nokwesaba ukumdumaza okunempilo. Lokhu kwesaba kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu kuyisisekelo sokuziphatha okufanele. Ukuze sikhanyise leli phuzu, cabangela isibonelo sosemusha ongumKristu okuthiwa uJoshua.

UJoshua wathola incwadi evela kothile afunda naye esikoleni ethi uyamthanda futhi ufuna babe “nobuhlobo.” Nakuba uJoshua ayekhangekile, waqaphela ukuthi ukuzihlanganisa nomuntu ongakholwa kungaholela ekuziphatheni okubi futhi kungalimaza ubungane bakhe noJehova. Ngakho wamtshela ngokungagunci ukuthi wayengenasithakazelo! Lapho kamuva etshela unina ukuthi wayesisingathe kanjani lesi simo, unina wababaza ngaphandle kokucabanga: “Hawu Joshua, kungenzeka uye wamphatha kabi!” UJoshua waphendula: “Kodwa, Mama, kungcono ukuphatha kabi yena kunokuphatha kabi uJehova.” Ukwesaba kwakhe kokuhlonipha uNkulunkulu, ukwesaba ukudumaza uMngane wakhe wasezulwini, kwamshukumisela ukuba alondoloze ukuziphatha okuqotho.

Funa Abangane Abahle

Nokho, osemusha okuthiwa uLynn wayevame ukungena enkathazweni. Yayiyini inkinga? Wayehamba neqembu elingalungile. (Eksodusi 23:2; 1 Korinte 15:33) Laba yini ikhambi? Ukuthola abangane abasha! “Uma unabangane abathanda uJehova,” kuphetha uLynn, “kuyakusiza ukuba uhlale unonembeza obukhali futhi ungangeni enkathazweni. Lapho bezwakalisa ukukuzonda okungalungile, kukwenza uzizwe ngendlela efanayo.”

Eqinisweni, ukukhetha kwakho abangane ababi kungaba isithiyo esikhulu ekubeni nobungane noNkulunkulu. U-Ann oneminyaka engu-18 ubudala wavuma: “Abangane bakho banethonya elikhulu. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uzofana nabo. Bayakulolonga ucabange njengabo. Izingxoxo zingase zigxile ebulilini. Kungase kukwenze ube nelukuluku lokufuna ukwazi. Uyazibuza ukuthi kazi bunjani.” U-Ann wakufunda kanzima lokhu. Uthi: “Ngiyazi ukuthi lokhu kuyiqiniso. Ngahileleka ekuziphatheni okubi futhi ngakhulelwa ngineminyaka engu-15.”

Ekugcineni u-Ann wabuqaphela ubuqiniso balamazwi eBhayibheli: “Ngakho-ke, noma ubani ofuna ukuba umngane wezwe uzenza isitha sikaNkulunkulu.” (Jakobe 4:4) Yebo, u-Ann wayefuna—futhi wayezimisele—ukuba umngane wezwe. Kodwa lokhu kwambangela usizi olukhulu. Ngokujabulisayo, u-Ann wasanguluka. Wazisola ngokujulile ngenkambo yakhe futhi wafuna usizo kubazali bakhe nakubadala ebandleni lakubo. Futhi wazitholela iqembu elisha labangane. (IHubo 111:1) Ngomzamo omkhulu, u-Ann waphinde wakwazi ukuba umngane kaNkulunkulu. Manje, eminyakeni eminingi kamuva, uthi: “Ubuhlobo bami noJehova sebuqine kakhulu.”

Ngesifundo somuntu siqu seBhayibheli, ukuzindla, ukuziphatha okuqotho, nabangane abakhayo, nawe ungahlakulela ubungane obuseduze noNkulunkulu. Nokho, ukulondoloza lobo bungane kungenye into. Ungabulondoloza kanjani naphezu kobunzima nobuthakathaka bomuntu siqu? Isihloko sesikhathi esizayo kulolu chungechunge siyodingida lendaba.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 13]

Ingabe abangane bami bayongisiza ukuba ngibe umngane kaNkulunkulu?