Singalugcina Kanjani ‘Uthando Lwethu Lwakuqala’?
1. Phakathi nalezinsuku zokugcina, ingabe abantu bakaNkulunkulu bebonke baye balahlekelwa ‘uthando lwabo lwakuqala’?
“ABANTU bakho bayazinikela ngenjabulo ngosuku lwempi yakho.” (IHubo 110:3) Njengoba lesiprofetho sabikezela, izinceku zikaJehova namuhla ziye zashiseka ekwenzeni intando yakhe, zibambelela ngokuqinile othandweni lwazo lokuqala ngoJehova. Njengabantu abahlelekile, oFakazi BakaJehova baye bagcina inkuthalo nentshiseko yabo ngenkonzo yakhe njalo phakathi ‘nalesi siphelo sezwe’ esinzima.—Mathewu 24:3, 14.
2, 3. (a) Kungani umuntu engase alahlekelwe ‘uthando lwakhe lwakuqala’? (b) Uma sithola kuba nesimo esinjalo kithi, kumelwe senzeni?
2 Nakuba kunjalo, kungenzeka ngomuntu ongumKristu ukuba alahlekelwe uthando ayenalo kuqala. Izinkinga zansuku zonke zingamholela ukuba akhohlwe izinto ezinkulu uJehova aye wamenzela zona. Angakhathala ukulindela izinjongo zikaJehova ezizogcwaliseka futhi aqale ukukhangwa izinto ezibonakalayo izwe elizivezayo, noma mhlawumbe abe nomuzwa wesidingo sokuchitha isikhathi esengeziwe kunayesichitha ekuzilibaziseni. Imithwalo yemfanelo yomKristu, njengokuya ezifundweni noma emihlanganweni emikhulu, ukulungiselela izinkulumo nokuhlanganyela enkonzweni yasensimini kungaqala ukuzwakala kuwumthwalo.
3 Uma sizithola siba nombono onjalo, kumelwe silandele iseluleko sikaJesu ebandleni lase-Efesu, ukuze sithuthukise futhi ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala,’ silwele ‘ukwenza imisebenzi yakuqala.’ (IsAmbulo 2:4, 5) Kumelwe sibone ukuthi sidinga ukuthola futhi uthando lwethu olufudumele ngoJehova nentshiseko nenkuthalo ngenkonzo yakhe. Singakwenza kanjani lokho?
Hlakulela Uthando NgoJehova
4. Singasilingisa kanjani isimo esihle somhubi? (IHubo 119:97)
4 Umhubi ephefumlelwe wathi: “Ngiyawuthanda umthetho wakho kangaka. Usuku lonke ngizindla ngawo.” (IHubo 119:97) Yeka indlela enhle yokuzizwa ngomthetho kaNkulunkulu! Kuzuzisa kakhulu ukukhonza uJehova ngombono onjengalowo kunokuba silokhu siziphoqelela ukuba senze esikwaziyo ukuthi kulungile. Sidinga ukuthuthukisa isifiso sokwenza okulungile, sikwenze ngoba sifuna ukukwenza.—IHubo 25:4, 5.
5. (a) Yini uPawulu ayitusa ukuze sivikele ingokomoya lethu? (b) Singayigcina kanjani isebenza ngokuphumelelayo?
5 USathane angathanda ukusicindezela ukuba silahlekelwe ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala,’ ngoba uyisitha esikhulu sempilo yethu engokomoya. Ukuze bamelane naye, umphostoli uPawulu wakhuthaza abase-Efesu ukuba bahlome “izikhali zonke zikaNkulunkulu.” (Efesu 6:13) Okuhlanganisiwe kulezozikhali yizici ezine ezibalulekile zobuKristu: iqiniso, ukulunga, ukholo nethemba lokusindiswa. (Efesu 6:14-17; 1 Thesalonika 5:8) Eqinisweni, sifunda ngalezizici lapho siqala ukuza ebandleni. Kodwa isikhali sensimbi singagqwala uma singanakekelwa. Ngokufanayo, uma singazinakekeli lezizidingo, izikhali zethu ezingokomoya ziyowohloka futhi zihluleke ukusivikela ngokufanelekile. Ngazo zonke izindlela, kumelwe sikuvimbele ukwenzeka kwalokho.
Tadisha Futhi Uzindle
6. Esinye isithunywa sevangeli sayixazulula kanjani inkinga yokulondoloza ingokomoya laso lapho sisejele?
6 Ngo-1958 isithunywa sevangeli uStanley Jones waqala ukudonsa iminyaka eyisikhombisa ehlaliswe yedwa ejele eChina. Walugcina kanjani uthando lwakhe ngoJehova luqinile lapho ehlukanisiwe nabafowabo abangamaKristu engenalo ngisho neBhayibheli? Ubika ukuthi wabhala phansi yonke imibhalo ayengayikhumbula futhi kuyona wanezela nanoma yiziphi izingcaphuno zeBhayibheli ayengazithola ezinhlwini “zezenkolo” zamaphephandaba ayethunyelelwa wona ngezinye izikhathi. Ngaleyondlela wakha inqolobane yemibhalo yeBhayibheli eyakha isisekelo sokutadisha komuntu siqu nesimiso sokuzindla. Ezungezwe abantu abaphikisana nezinkolelo zakhe, wayazi ukuthi uma ehluleka ukugcina inhliziyo yakhe nengqondo kugcwaliswe yimiqondo kaNkulunkulu, ukholo lwakhe ngokushesha lwaluyophola.
7. Yikuphi ukucindezela esibhekana nakho, futhi kumelwe sizivikele kanjani kukho?
7 Yiqiniso, abaningi bethu abekho ejele. Noma kunjalo, esikhathini esiningi sibekwe ekucabangeni kwalelizwe. Ukuzijabulisa lelizwe elikunikezayo, noma kungaphikisani ngokuqondile ngaso sonke isikhathi nezimiso zobuKristu, ngokuqinisekile akuthuthukisi izinto ezinjengeqiniso, ukulunga, ukholo nethemba lokusindiswa. Ngakho, uma singasebenzisi isikhathi sakha izinhliziyo nezingqondo zethu, cishe siyoba buthakathaka ngokomoya nothando lwethu luyophola.
8. Yisiphi isibusiso esiza kumuntu otadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu futhi azindle ngalo?
8 Uma sisebenzisa isikhathi sizakha ngokutadisha komuntu siqu nokuzindla, siyofana nomuntu “okuthokoza kwakhe kusemthethweni kaJehova” futhi ofunda kulowomthetho ngokuzindla imini nobusuku. Umhubi uthi ngomuntu onjalo: “Unjengomuthi otshaliwe ngasemifuleni yamanzi, othela isithelo sawo ngesikhathi sawo, oqabunga lawo lingabuni, nakho konke akwenzayo uyakuba-nenhlanhla kukho.”—IHubo 1:2, 3.
9. Singaluthuthukisa kanjani uthando lokutadisha iBhayibheli futhi sizindle ngalo? (IHubo 77:11, 12)
9 Eqinisweni, abaningi bethu abathambekele ngokwemvelo ekutadisheni. Nokho, uma sifuna, singaziqeqesha ukuba sikujabulele ukutadisha. Cabanga ngomuntu ozilibazisa ngokugijima. Okokuqala imisipha yakhe cishe iyoba buhlungu. Nokho, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi umzimba wakhe uyojwayela, futhi ngokushesha, uma ephikelela, lomgijimi uyojabulela ukuziqeqesha kwakhe. UPawulu watshela uThimothewu: “Kepha zijwayeze ekumesabeni uNkulunkulu.” (1 Thimothewu 4:7) Ukutadisha iBhayibheli kuyingxenye yokwesaba uNkulunkulu. (IzAga 2:1-6) Okokuqala kungase kudingeke ukuziqeqesha ukuze ukujwayele. Nokho, ngokushesha, siyokuthola kuthakazelisa ngempela ukufunda amaphuzu amasha noma ukuqonda ngokujulile izinto esizaziyo kakade. Khona-ke ukutadisha kwethu kuyosinika injabulo yoqobo.—IHubo 119:103, 104.
10. Kungani indaba efundwayo ihlanganiswa ngaphezu kwesikhathi esisodwa ezincwadini zokutadisha?
10 Abanye bangaba nomuzwa wokuthi njengoba bezazi izimfundiso eziyisisekelo zeBhayibheli abasadingi ukuchitha isikhathi ekutadisheni komuntu siqu. Bangase bakhononde nokukhononda uma indaba efanayo ihlanganiswa ngaphezu kwesikhathi esisodwa ezincwadini zokutadisha iBhayibheli. Nokho iBhayibheli likhuluma ngesidingo sezikhumbuzo. (IHubo 119:95, 99; 2 Petru 3:1; Juda 5) Uma singazikhumbuzi njalo ngeqiniso, ngezimiso zikaNkulunkulu ezilungileyo, ngokholo lwethu nangethemba lethu lokusindiswa, inhliziyo yethu iyothonywa ezinye izinto.
11. Yiziphi ezinye izinto uPawulu akhuluma ngazo encwadini yakhe kwabase-Efesu?
11 Cabangela incwadi kaPawulu kwabase-Efesu. Wabakhumbuza ukuthi isimo sabo sasiyini ngaphambi kokuba babe ngamaKristu, futhi wakhuluma ngenhlangano abase beyingxenye yayo manje. (Efesu 2:12; 4:4-6, 17, 18) Wakhuluma ngenjongo kaJehova enhle ngesintu nengxenye yomuntu maqondana naleyonjongo. (Efesu 1:8-12; 2:4-6) Futhi wabakhumbuza ngezimiso zobuKristu ezaziyobasiza ukuba baphumelele emkhayeni nasebandleni.—Efesu 4:1, 2; 5:21–6:4.
12. Kungani uPawulu atshela abase-Efesu izinto abase bezazi kakade?
12 Okunye kwalokho uPawulu akubhala kungenzeka kwakukusha kumaKristu ase-Efesu, kodwa okuningi kwakho kumelwe ukuba kwahlanganisa ababeye bakuzwa ngaphambili. Noma kunjalo, uPawulu wayefuna ukubakhumbuza ngalezizinto futhi mhlawumbe abanikeze ukuqonda okusha. Ngaleyondlela wasiza abase-Efesu ukuba bavuselele izikhali zabo ezingokomoya nokuba ‘babe namandla okuqonda kanye nabangcwele bonke okungububanzi, nobude, nokuphakama, nokujula.’—Efesu 1:15-17; 3:14-19.
13, 14. (a) Ukutadisha nokuzindla kuyosisiza kanjani? (b) Yiziphi ezinye izici ezihlanganisiwe ‘ezikhalini zikaNkulunkulu’?
13 Ukutadisha kwethu komuntu siqu, nakho, kuyosiqabula futhi kucebise ukuqonda kwethu amaphuzu amaningi ayisisekelo, kusisize futhi ukuba sibambe izinto ezijulile zeZwi likaNkulunkulu. (1 Korinte 2:10) Ngalendlela, ‘izikhali zethu zonke zikaNkulunkulu’ ziyovimbela uSathane ukuba asenze silahlekelwe uthando lwethu olushisayo ngoJehova neNdodana yakhe.
14 Phakathi kwezinye izinto, umphostoli uPawulu wathinta ezinye izici ezimbili zezikhali zethu ezingokomoya lezo esingakaxoxi ngazo. Wathi amaKristu kumelwe ‘izinyawo zawo zigqokiselwe ukulungela kukho ukushumayela ivangeli lokuthula’ nokuthi kumelwe amukele “nenkemba kaMoya eyizwi likaNkulunkulu.” (Efesu 6:11-17) Lezizici zisisiza kanjani ukuba sigcine ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala’?
Hlala Ukhuthele Ekushumayeleni NgoMbuso
15. Iyiphi indlela ekhethekile esinye isithunywa sevangeli esasiyisiboshwa esayithola ukuze sibe ‘ngesivame njalo emsebenzini weNkosi’? (1 Korinte 15:58)
15 Ngo-1958, lapho isithunywa sevangeli uHarold King eqala ukudonsa iminyaka emine nengxenye ejele laseChina, wabhekana nenkinga efanayo nekaStanley Jones: ukuthi angalugcina kanjani ‘uthando lwakhe lwakuqala,’ ukuzinikela kwakhe okujulile kuJehova, kuphilile. Uyabika: “Ukuze ngigcine ukwazisa kwami izinto ezingokomoya kuphilile, ngahlela isimiso somsebenzi ‘wokushumayela.’” Wenza izintshumayelo ezithile zeBhayibheli ngemibhalo ayeyikhumbula futhi washumayela kubantu ayebabona ngamehlo engqondo. Ekugcineni, waqhuba isifundo seBhayibheli nomuntu ambona ngamehlo engqondo. Waba yini umphumela? Lapho ekhululwa, wayekulungele futhi enentshiseko yokuphinde ashumayele kubantu boqobo!
16. Yisiphi isizathu esisodwa esibalulekile sokuthi kungani kumelwe sibe matasa enkonzweni kaJehova?
16 Indlela yakhe yokusebenzisa iqiniso elibalulekile yayingekhethekile: Ukuze sihlale siphilile ngokomoya kumelwe sizigcine simatasatasa enkonzweni kaNkulunkulu. Umphostoli uPetru wathi: “Zibopheni izinkalo zengqondo yenu.” (1 Petru 1:13) Futhi umphostoli uPawulu wayala: “Yibani-ngabagxilile, abangaxegiyo, abavame njalo emsebenzini weNkosi, nazi ukuthi ukusebenza kwenu akusilo ize eNkosini.”—1 Korinte 15:58.
17. Yini eyayiphawuleka ngamaKristu athembekile ebandleni laseFiladelfiya?
17 Kungokuphawulekayo ukuthi nakuba amaKristu ase-Efesu ayeye avumela ‘uthando lwawo lwakuqala’ ukuba luphole, lawo akwelinye ibandla elingomakhelwane ayezigcine ematasatasa, futhi uthando lwawo lwalusaqinile. UJesu wathi ebandleni elithembekile laseFiladelfiya: “Ngiyayazi imisebenzi yakho; bheka, ngimisile phambi kwakho umnyango ovuliweyo, ongenakuvalwa-muntu.”—IsAmbulo 3:8.
18. Yimuphi umsebenzi oyosiza ekugcineni ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala’ luphila?
18 Yiziphi izenzo ezingasiza ufakazi kaJehova wosuku lwanamuhla ukuba agcine ‘uthando lwakhe lwakuqala’? Phakathi kwezinye, izenzo ezivumelana nomyalo kaJesu: “Ngalokho hambani nenze izizwe zonke abafundi.” (Mathewu 28:19) UHarold King wakubona ukubaluleka kwalokhu. Ngokufanayo nomphostoli uPawulu. Kungakho uPawulu aluleka abase-Efesu ukuba ‘izinyawo zabo zigqokiselwe ukulungela kukho ukushumayela ivangeli lokuthula’ futhi bahlome ‘ngenkemba kaMoya eyizwi likaNkulunkulu.’
19. Ukushumayela, okuwubufakazi bentshiseko yethu, nakho kuyakha kanjani intshiseko yethu?
19 Kukhona ukuhlobana okuseduze phakathi kwentshiseko nomsebenzi wokushumayela nokwenza abafundi. Yiqiniso, intshiseko isenza sifune ukwenza lomsebenzi. Kodwa umsebenzi wokushumayela, nawo ushukumisa intshiseko yethu. Ngemva kokushumayeza owesifazane ongumSamariya, uJesu watshela abalandeli bakhe: “Ukudla kwami kungukwenza intando yongithumileyo.” (Johane 4:34) Ukufundisa iqiniso kwamondla, kwamakha. Ngokufanayo, lapho sikhuluma kwabanye ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu, lokhu kugcizelela amaphuzu abalulekile ezingqondweni zethu nasezinhliziyweni futhi kwakha amakhono ethu ekuvikeleni iqiniso. (1 Petru 3:15) Ngaphezu kwalokho, njengoba umoya kaNkulunkulu usisekela kulomsebenzi, ‘siyavutha emoyeni’ futhi siwubone usebenza kwabanye.—Roma 12:11.
20. Ukushumayela nokutadisha komuntu siqu kusebenza kanjani ndawonye ukuba kusigcine siqinile?
20 Ingabe ukushumayela kwabanye kuthatha isikhundla sokutadisha komuntu siqu? Cha. Ukulinganisela kuyadingeka phakathi kwalemisebenzi emibili. Uma sidla ukudla okuningi kwenyama kodwa singawuvivinyi umzimba, ekugcineni umzimba wethu uyalimala. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uma sizivivinya umzimba kakhulu ngaphandle kokudla ukudla okwanele, ekugcineni ‘siyalimala’ emzimbeni. Ngokufanayo, uma sikhuthalele ukutadisha komuntu siqu ngaphandle kokushumayeza abanye, kungenzeka sibe abangalinganiseli. Umphostoli uPetru wahlanganisa “umsebenzi” ‘nokuzithiba.’ (1 Petru 1:13) Uma sishumayeza abanye ngaphandle kokutadisha komuntu siqu—ikakhulu uma abantu esibashumayezayo bengasabeli kangako—khona-ke singase ‘silimale.’ Nokho, uma sitadisha ngokomuntu siqu futhi siphume siyotshela abanye lokho esikufundile, siyohlala siphilile ngokomoya.
Thengisisa Isikhathi
21, 22. (a) Yisiphi isithiyo esikhulu uSathane aye wasiphakamisa ekugcineni kwethu ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala’? (b) UPawulu watusa ukuba abase-Efesu basinqobe kanjani lesithiyo, futhi kungani kumelwe silandele iseluleko sakhe?
21 UStanley Jones, echaza enye yezinkinga ezinkulu kakhulu abhekana nazo ejele, wathi: “Nganginesikhathi esiningi.” Inkinga yakhe ngempela yayiphambene naleyo oFakazi BakaJehova abaningi abanayo. Abaningi bethu abanaso isikhathi. Kungani kunjalo? Umphostoli uJohane wathi: “Izwe lonke limi ebubini.” (1 Johane 5:19) Izwe likaSathane ligcina abantu bematasa njalo kangangokuba banethuba elincane lokucabanga, kungasaphathwa elokutadisha. Asiyona ingxenye yalelizwe, kodwa ngokuqinisekile siyayizwa imiphumela yendlela yokuphila kwalo. Esebenzisa ithonya lalo, ‘omubi’ uthanda ukusigcina simatasa kakhulu ukuze inkonzo yethu kuNkulunkulu icinaniswe.
22 UPawulu wayibona lenkinga futhi wanika abase-Efesu leseluleko esiyinzuzo: “Bhekisisani ukuthi nihamba kanjani, kungabi-njengabangahlakaniphile kepha njengabahlakaniphileyo, nithengisise isikhathi, ngokuba izinsuku zimbi. Ngakho-ke ningabi-yiziwula, kodwa qondani okuyintando yeNkosi.” (Efesu 5:15-17) Uma sihluleka ukuthengisisa isikhathi ukuze siqonde “okuyintando yeNkosi,” ukucindezela kokuphila ‘kulezinsuku ezimbi’ kungabangela ukuba uthando lwethu luphole.
23. Hlobo luni lokutadisha komuntu siqu nomsebenzi wokushumayela okuyosiza ekugcineni ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala’ luphilile?
23 Yiqiniso, amanye amaKristu anezibopho ezinzima noma ayagula futhi kanjalo alinganiselwe maqondana nalokho angakwenza enkonzweni kaNkulunkulu. (Luka 21:1-4) Kodwa ngokuvumelana neseluleko sikaPawulu ezincekwini ezingamaKristu, noma yini esingayenza kumelwe yenziwe “ngenhliziyo.” (Efesu 6:5, 6) Ukutadisha komuntu siqu ngeke kujabulise uma sikwenza ngemizuzwana emibalwa nje phakathi nezinhlelo zethelevishini. Ngokufanayo, inkonzo yethu yasensimini ayinakulugcina ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala’ nentshiseko kuphila uma sisebenza kuphela ihora noma amabili okugcina icala inyanga ngayinye phakathi nezikhathi zokuzilibazisa.—Qhathanisa no-1 Thimothewu 4:8.
Khulekela Usizo
24. Yiluphi olunye usizo olubalulekile ebumoyeni bethu uPawulu alusho kwabase-Efesu?
24 Ephetha ingxoxo yakhe “yezikhali zonke zikaNkulunkulu,” uPawulu wakhuthaza akholwa nabo ukuba bamukele “inkemba kaMoya eyizwi likaNkulunkulu, ngokukhuleka konke nokunxusa, nikhuleka ngezikhathi zonke ngoMoya.” (Efesu 6:17, 18) Uma sithintana njalo noJehova ngomkhuleko, ngeke silahlekelwe ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala,’ ngisho nakuba kumelwe sibekezelele ukucindezeleka okuningi noma, njengoJohane, siye sakhonza iminyaka eminingi kulesimiso sezinto. UPawulu wathi kwenye incwadi: “Nginamandla ukwenza konke ngaye ongiqinisayo.”—Filipi 4:13.
25. Ngamafuphi, yimaphi amalungiselelo uJehova aye wawenza ukuze asisize ukuba sigweme ukulahlekelwa ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala’?
25 Abaningi bethu bayakhathala ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Kodwa isigijimi sikaJesu ebandleni lase-Efesu sibonisa ukuthi singakugwema futhi kumelwe sikugweme ukulahlekelwa ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala.’ Njengoba uJehova asiza abase-Efesu ngoPawulu, uThimothewu nabanye, thina namuhla usisiza ngenhlangano yakhe. Uma, nathi siziqeqesha ukuba sijabulele ukutadisha nokuzindla futhi ‘sibopha izinkalo zengqondo yethu’ ngomsebenzi omuhle wokutshela abanye lokho esikufundayo, lapho sikhuleka kuJehova ukuba asisize siphikelele ekwenzeni intando yakhe, khona-ke senza umsebenzi omuhle. Ngokuvumelana nalokho umphostoli uPawulu akutshela abaseGalathiya, “masingakhathali ekwenzeni okuhle ngokuba siyakuvuna ngesikhathi esifaneleyo, uma singadangali.”—Galathiya 6:9.
Ungaphendula Kanjani?
□ Uma singahleli isikhathi sokutadisha nokuzindla ngeZwi likaNkulunkulu, yini engenzeka othandweni lwethu ngoJehova?
□ Kungani kuyinzuzo ngathi ukuba sitadishe hhayi kuphela amaqiniso amasha kodwa namaqiniso nezimiso esake sakuzwa ngaphambili?
□ Kungani ukushumayela kwabanye kubalulekile ekugcineni kwethu ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala’?
□ Ukutadisha nomsebenzi wokushumayela kusebenza kanjani ndawonye ekusigcineni siphilile ngokomoya?
□ Kungani kungamelwe sidebeselele umthandazo njengoba silwela ukugcina ‘uthando lwethu lwakuqala’?
[Isithombe ekhasini 17]
Ukutadisha kungajabulisa, futhi kugcina uthando lwethu ngoNkulunkulu lulusha
[Isithombe ekhasini 19]
Ukukhuluma kwabanye ngeqiniso kuqinisa uthando lwethu ngoJehova