Ingabe Uye Wasithola Isihluthelelo?

KUNGANI uthando lubaluleke kangaka ngamaKristu? Kungenxa yohlobo lukaNkulunkulu amkhulekelayo. Umphostoli uJohane wamchaza ngalamazwi: “UNkulunkulu uluthando.” (1 Johane 4:8) Njengoba nje abazali abaningi bethemba ukuthi izingane zabo ziyolandela ezinyathelweni zabo, ngokufanayo noJehova uNkulunkulu ufuna ukuba amaKristu azame ukuba njengaye. Ngakho umphostoli uPawulu wanxusa: “Yibani ngabalingisa uNkulunkulu njengabantwana abathandekayo, nihambe othandweni.”—Efesu 5:1, 2.

Uthando futhi luveza ezinye izimfanelo zobuKristu. Ezinsukwini zikaJesu, amaJuda—ikakhulukazi abaholi bawo—ayengabafundi abakhuthele beBhayibheli. Kodwa cabanga lokho uJesu akusho kuwo: “Nihlola imibhalo, ngokuba nithi ninokuphila okuphakade kuyo; . . . kepha ngiyanazi nina ukuthi aninalo uthando lukaNkulunkulu phakathi kwenu.” (Johane 5:39, 42; Luka 11:42) Ukuba ayenothando nolwazi, ayeyomqaphela uJesu njengoMesiya. Njengoba kwenzeka, amaningi awo alahlekelwa yithuba lokuba phakathi kwamalungu okuqala ebandla lobuKristu.

Khumbula, futhi, abanqobi abangamaRoma Katolika abadlulisela inkolo yabo emazweni aseNtshonalanga. Kumelwe ukuba babenokholo oluqinile nentshiseko enamandla yokufeza lokho abakwenza. Kodwa ngokuqinisekile kwakungashukunyiswa uthando. Ngaphandle kwalokho, babengeke baphange, bahluphe, badlwengule, futhi babulale izakhamuzi zamazwekazi aseMelika.

Ngakho, uthando luyimfanelo eyisihluthulelo yobuKristu. Kufanele luboniswe bani loluthando? UJesu uyasitshela: “Woyithanda iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, nangayo yonke ingqondo yakho. Yilowo umyalo wokuqala. Owesibili ofana nawo uthi: “Wothanda umakhelwane wakho njengalokhu uzithanda wena.”—Mathewu 22:37-39.

Eqinisweni, uthando lomKristu luyadlula ngisho nakulokho. UJesu futhi wathi: “Thandani izitha zenu, nibabusise abaniqalekisayo, nibaphathe kahle abanizondayo, nibakhulekele abanizingelayo ukuba nibe-ngabantwana bakaYihlo osezulwini; ngokuba yena uphumisa ilanga lakhe phezu kwabalungileyo nabangalungile.” (Mathewu 5:44, 45) Ngamanye amazwi, cishe uthando lomKristu luhlanganisa wonke umuntu! Kodwa lungaboniswa kanjani ngezenzo?

Uma Simthanda Ngempela UNkulunkulu

Phakathi kokunye, uma sifuna ngempela ukuthanda uNkulunkulu, kuyodingeka ukuba simazi kangcono. UNkulunkulu ngokwakhe wenza lokho kwaba nokwenzeka ngokusinika iBhayibheli, empeleni, eliyincwadi asibhalele yona. Lapho sithola incwadi evela kothile esimthandayo, abaningi bethu bayifunda ngokushesha kungakhathaliseki ukuthi simatasatasa kangakanani. Ingabe kufanele kube nomehluko ekufundeni iBhayibheli? Lutho neze. Yiqiniso, ngabaningi, ukuphila namuhla kugcwele iziphazamiso, futhi abaningi babonakala bekhetha ukubukela ithelevishini kunokufunda ngokugxilisa ingqondo. Kodwa amaKristu eqiniso awakuvumeli lokho ukuba kuwavimbele ekufundeni iZwi likaNkulunkulu. Ngakho, afana nomhubi owabhala: “Umphefumulo wami uyagcina ubufakazi [“izikhumbuzo,” NW] bakho [namuhla ezitholakala eBhayibhelini]; ngiyabuthanda kakhulu.”—IHubo 119:167.

EBhayibhelini, uNkulunkulu usitshela indlela afuna senze ngayo. Njengoba nje abazali bebekela izingane zabo izindinganiso zokuziphatha. uJehova uye wabeka izindinganiso alindele ukuba sizigcine—izindinganiso ezingeke ziguqulwe. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibheli liyasitshela: “Nazifebe, nabakhonza isithombe, naziphingi, nazihlobongi, nabesilisa abalalanayo, namasela, nabahahayo, nazidakwa, nazithuki, nabaphangi abayikulidla ifa lombuso kaNkulunkulu.” (1 Korinte 6:9, 10) Kuwuhlu olude ngempela! Kodwa noma yimuphi umuntu omthanda ngempela uNkulunkulu uyokujabulela ukuluqaphela. Ngani? Ngoba njengoba umphostoli uJohane aphawula: “Ukuthanda uNkulunkulu yilokhu ukuba sigcine imiyalo yakhe.”—1 Johane 3:3.

Ngeshwa, izenzo eziningi iBhayibheli elizilahlayo ziyamukeleka namuhla, ngisho naphakathi kwabantu “abangamaKristu.” Umbiko owakhishwa yihlelo lamaProthestani eCanada watusa ukucatshangelwa kokuvunyelwa kongqingili ukuba bamiswe njengabafundisi, bavumelane nokuthi ubulili ngaphandle komshado bungavumeleka ngaphansi kwezimo ezithile, futhi wasikisela ukuthi ukwethembeka emshadweni kumelwe kuhlanganise ukuphinga. Akungabazeki ukuthi abalobi balowo mbiko babefuna ukubonakala benombono obanzi futhi bekhathalela. Kodwa ingabe babebonisa uthando, kuNkulunkulu noma kulabo ababebakhuthazela ezindleleni ezinjalo zokuziphatha okubi? Phinde, ngoba uPawulu wathi abenza lezozinto abayikulidla ifa loMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Yeka indlela okuwuthando ngayo ngokwengeziwe ukubambelela ngokungesabi ezindinganisweni zikaNkulunkulu, usiza ababuthakathaka ukuba benze okufanayo, kunokubakhuthaza ngokomzwelo ukuba balandele inkambo elula leyo ekugcineni eyobaholela enhlekeleleni!

Ukushukunyiselwa Ukuhlanganyela Nabanye

Lapho sifunda iBhayibheli, sithola futhi izinto ezimangalisayo uNkulunkulu azihlosele isintu. Sithola ukuthi “uNkulunkulu walithanda izwe kangaka, waze wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba yilowo nalowo okholwa yiyo angabhubhi, kodwa abenokuphila okuphakade.” (Johane 3:16) Sithola futhi nenjongo kaNkulunkulu yokususa ububi emhlabeni alethe isimiso sezinto esinokuthula esiyipharadesi ngoMbuso wakhe ngaphansi kwaloJesu. (Mathewu 6:9, 10; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4) Njengoba iBhayibheli lithembisa: “Kusengumzuzwana, omubi angabe esabakho . . . Kepha abathobekileyo bazakudla ifa lomhlaba, bathokoze ngokuthula okukhulu.”—IHubo 37:10, 11.

Eqinisweni, isigijimi seBhayibheli siyilokho kanye isintu esikudingayo. Kungakho kudumaza ukufunda ngezithunywa zevangeli zeLobukholwa ezikhathazeke kakhulu ngobumpofu nokwahlulela ngokungalungi ezakubona emazweni ampofu kangangokuba zize zihileleke kwezombangazwe ngisho nasekugumbuqeleni isimiso. Ukugumbuqelwa kwemibuso ngeke kuzixazulule izinkinga zalawomazwe. Ingabe izithunywa zevangeli ezinjalo zimthanda ngempela uNkulunkulu? Uma kunjalo, azinakubonisa yini ukholo ezithembisweni zakhe futhi ziqondise imihlambi yazo eMbusweni wakhe? Abelusi abayithanda ngempela imihlambi yabo ngokuqinisekile bayoyibonisa indlela ukulalela umthetho kaNkulunkulu okungasiza ngayo ngisho kwamanje, kunokuyenza ihileleke emacebweni ezombangazwe angaphelela ekukhungathekeni kuphela.

Iqiniso liwukuthi, isigijimi seBhayibheli simangalisa kangangokuthi akekho umuntu onothando okungenzeka asigodle. Kungakho uthando lushukumisela amaKristu eqiniso ukuba ahlanganyele nabanye lokho akwaziyo. Kwelobukholwa umsebenzi wekukhuluma nabanye ngeBhayibheli ngokuvamile ushiyelwa eqenjini elincane, elikhokhelwayo, elineziqu—abefundisi. Lokhu kuye kwaba nemiphumela emibi. Njengoba umfundisi waseLuthela kumagazini iChristianity Today avuma: “Namuhla iSonto libuthakathaka ngoba abaholi abangokomoya behlulekile ukuqeqesha indikimba yamakholwa ukuba yenze uhlobo lomsebenzi elulana nalolo abalwenzayo. Noma ngenxa yokuthi amakholwa aye ehluleka ukuqaphela nokwamukela inkonzo enjalo.”

AmaKristu eqiniso “ayayiqaphela futhi ayemukele inkonzo enjalo.” Awathatha ngokungathi sina lamazwi kamphostoli uPawulu athi: “Masibambisise isivumo sethemba lethu singaxegi, ngokuba ukholekile lowo owethembisayo.” (Heberu 10:23) Siyini isisusa sawo? Singesifanayo naleso esashukumisa iqembu lamaKristu ekhulwini lokuqala umphostoli uPawulu alitusa ngokufudumele: “Laba bashumayela ngothando.”—Filipi 1:16.

Uthando NgamaKristu Esikanye Nawo

Yebo, uthando luyisihluthulelo sobuKristu beqiniso ngoba luthinta zonke izici zokuphila kwamaKristu eqiniso. Ngakho abangahluke kakhulu kubantu abawazungezile. Ngani? Umphostoli uJohane wathi ngalelizwe: “Izwe lonke lisemandleni omubi.” (1 Johane 5:19, NW) Omubi uSathane uDeveli, futhi izwe libonakalisa izimfanelo zakhe ezenzweni zalo eziningi. Ithonya likaSathane libonakala ekungathembekini okudlangile, ekuziphatheni okubi, ekwahluleleni ngokungalungi, ekukhungathekeni kwezizwe, ekwahlukahlukeni kwezinga lokuphila okukhona namuhla. UmKristu, okhulekela uNkulunkulu onothando futhi amlingise ngokuhlakulela imfanelo yothando, kufanele ahluke!

Nokho, lokhu akulula ukuba likwenze uwedwa. Ngakho-ke, iBhayibheli lisikhuthaza futhi ukuba sifune labo abanokwazisa okufanayo ngemfanelo yothando. Khona-ke, amaKristu angasizana. Kungakho umphostoli uPawulu abhala lamazwi akhuthazayo: “Masiqaphelane, ukuze kuvuswe uthando nemisebenzi emihle, singakuyeki ukuhlangana kwethu . . . masivuselelane.”—Heberu 10:23-25.

Uma ungathanda ukusabela kulesosikhuthazo, oFakazi BakaJehova bayokujabulela ukukuletha eqenjini labantu abazama ngamandla ukubonakalisa uthando lukaNkulunkulu ekuphileni kwabo. Ngokungangabazeki likhona iqembu elinjalo endaweni yakini, futhi umoya kaNkulunkulu uphezu kwalo ngoba, eqinisweni, uwumthombo wothando lweqiniso, lobuKristu. “Izithelo zikaMoya ziluthando.” (Galathiya 5:22) Ukuzihlanganisa nabo kuyokusiza ukuba ulalele isikhuthazo sikamphostoli uPetru sokuthi: “Nithande abazalwane.”—1 Petru 2:17.

Yeka indlela obekungadabukisa ngayo uma, ngemva kokuzama kanzima ukukhonza uNkulunkulu, umuntu ezithola ephakathi kwalabo abezwa amazwi kaJesu angumnqamulajuqu: “Angizange nginazi; sukani kimi nina-benzi bokubi.” (Mathewu 7:23) Uma sihlakulela uthando, isihluthulelo sobuKristu beqiniso, lokho ngeke kwenzeke kithi. Uthando luyosishukumisela ukuba sifunde iBhayibheli, siphile ngokwezindinganiso zalo, sifune amanye amaKristu esingahlanganyeli nawo, futhi sikhulume nabanye ngezinto ezinhle eziqukethwe yiBhayibheli. Yebo, uthando luyosishukumisela ekwenzeni lokho uNkulunkulu afuna sikwenze. Futhi, njengoba uJesu asho, ‘yilowo owenza intando kaBaba osezulwini’ oyodla ifa lezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu. Umphostoli uJohane wanezela: “Owenza intando kaNkulunkulu uhlala kuze kube-phakade.—Mathewu 7:21; 1 Johane 2:17.

Yebo, hlakulela uthando. Malukushukumisele ekwenzeni intando kaNkulunkulu. Kanjalo, uyozibonakalisa ungumKristu weqiniso, njengoba uJesu athi: “Ngalokho bonke bayakukwazi ukuthi ningabafundi bami, uma nithandana.” (Johane 13:35) Futhi ayojabulela imivuzo ehlala njalo uNkulunkulu ayethembise labo abamthandayo.

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Hlakulela Uthando