‘Gqokani Ukuthobeka’

LE NDODA yayivela emzini ovelele. Yayinamalungelo okuba isakhamuzi saseRoma ngokuzalwa futhi cishe yayizalelwe emkhayeni ohlonishwayo. Le ndoda, uSawulu, yayithole imfundo ephambili kakhulu eyayitholakala ekhulwini lokuqala C.E. Yayikhuluma izilimi ezimbili futhi iyilungu leqembu lenkolo lamaJuda elaziwayo—abaFarisi.

Kumelwe ukuba uSawulu wafunda ukubabukela phansi abantu abavamile nokuqhosha ngokulunga kwakhe. (Luka 18:11, 12; IzEnzo 26:5) AbaFarisi ababekanye noSawulu babezishaya abaphakeme futhi bethanda ukuvelela neziqu ezibakhulisayo. (Mathewu 23:6, 7; Luka 11:43) Ukuzihlanganisa nabantu abanjalo cishe kwenza uSawulu wazikhukhumeza. Siyazi ukuthi wayengumshushisi wamaKristu oshisekayo. Ngemva kweminyaka, esengumphostoli uPawulu, lapho ekhuluma ngaye eseyinsizwa wathi ‘wayengumhlambalazi nomshushisi nomuntu oweyisayo.’—1 Thimothewu 1:13.

Yebo, uSawulu waba umKristu, umphostoli uPawulu, futhi ubuntu bakhe bashintsha ngokuphelele. Lapho esengumphostoli ongumKristu, washo ngokuthobeka ukuthi ‘wayengumuntu omncane kunomncane kunabo bonke abangcwele.’ (Efesu 3:8) Wayengumshumayeli wevangeli ophumelelayo, kodwa akazange neze azidumise yena ngalokhu. Kunalokho, wayisa lonke udumo kuNkulunkulu. (1 Korinte 3:5-9; 2 Korinte 11:7) Nguye owayala amaKristu ayekanye nawo: “Gqokani uthando lomzwelo, umusa, ukuthobeka, ubumnene, nokubekezela.”—Kolose 3:12.

Ingabe leso seluleko siyasebenza ekhulwini lethu lama-21? Kuyazuzisa yini ukuba othobekile? Kungenzeka yini ukuba ukuthobeka kube imfanelo ebonisa amandla?

Ingabe UMdali OnguMninimandla Onke Uthobekile?

Noma nini lapho kuxoxwa ngokuthobeka kufanele kucatshangelwe nombono kaNkulunkulu. Ngani? Ngoba unguMbusi noMdali wethu. Ngokungafani naye, thina kudingeka sicabangele ukulinganiselwa kwethu. Sincike kuye. Indoda ehlakaniphile yasendulo egama layo lingu-Elihu yathi: “Kepha uMninimandla onke, asikamtholi; uphakeme ngamandla.” (Jobe 37:23) Ukucabanga nje ngendawo yonke enkulukazi esizungezile kusenza sibone ukuthi asilutho! Umprofethi u-Isaya uyasicela: “Phakamiselani amehlo enu phezulu nibone. Ngubani odale lezi zinto? YiLowo okhipha ibutho lazo ngisho nangesibalo, zonke azibize ngisho nangamagama. Ngenxa yobuningi bamandla ashukumisayo, kwazise futhi unamandla amakhulu, ayikho neyodwa kuzo entulekayo.”—Isaya 40:26.

Ngaphezu kokuba nguMninimandla onke, uJehova uNkulunkulu uthobekile. INkosi uDavide yathandaza kuye: “Uyonginika isihlangu sakho sensindiso, futhi ngukuthobeka kwakho okungenza ngibe mkhulu.” (2 Samuweli 22:36) UNkulunkulu uthobeke ngomqondo wokuthi uyabakhathalela abantu abaphansi abazama ukumjabulisa futhi ubabonisa isihe. Kunjengokungathi uJehova uyehla emazulwini ukuze asebenzelane ngomusa nabantu abamesabayo.—IHubo 113:5-7.

Ngaphezu kwalokho, uJehova uyakwazisa ukuthobeka kwezinceku zakhe. Umphostoli uPetru wabhala: “UNkulunkulu uyamelana nabazidlayo, kodwa abathobekile ubapha umusa ongafanelwe.” (1 Petru 5:5) Ngokuqondene nombono kaNkulunkulu ngokuziqhenya, umlobi weBhayibheli wathi: “Wonke umuntu oziqhenyayo enhliziyweni uyinto enengekayo kuJehova.” (IzAga 16:5) Nokho, kungenzeka kanjani ukuba ukuthobeka kube imfanelo ebonisa amandla?

Lokho Ukuthobeka Okungekhona

Ukuthobeka akufani nokululazeka. Ezizweni ezithile zasendulo, umuntu othobekile ovamile wayeyisigqila—umuntu oyisicashalala, ongenabani noyimpabanga. Ngokuphambene, iBhayibheli ligcizelela ukuthi ukuthobeka kuletha udumo. Ngokwesibonelo, indoda ehlakaniphile yabhala: “Umphumela wokuthobeka nokwesaba uJehova yingcebo nodumo nokuphila.” (IzAga 22:4) Futhi kumaHubo 138:6, siyafunda: “UJehova uphakeme, nokho uyambona othobekile; kodwa ophakeme umazela kude kuphela.”

Umuntu othobekile akusho ukuthi akanawo amakhono noma ukuthi azikho izinto azifezile. Ngokwesibonelo, uJesu Kristu akazange nanini athi akayona iNdodana kaJehova ezelwe yodwa, futhi akazange enze sengathi inkonzo yakhe emhlabeni yayingabalulekile. (Marku 14:61, 62; Johane 6:51) Noma kunjalo, uJesu wabonisa ukuthobeka ngokudumisa uYise ngemisebenzi yakhe nangokusebenzisa amandla akhe ukuze akhonze futhi asize abanye kunokuba abacindezele noma azenze ingqongqo kubo.

Imfanelo Ebonisa Amandla

Ngokungangabazeki, abantu besikhathi sikaJesu Kristu bamazi “ngemisebenzi yamandla.” (IzEnzo 2:22) Nokho, kwabanye, ‘wayengophansi kunabo bonke besintu.’ (Daniyeli 4:17) Akazange agcine ngokuphila ukuphila okuphansi kodwa futhi ngokuphindaphindiwe wafundisa ngokubaluleka kokuthobeka. (Luka 9:48; Johane 13:2-16) Nokho, ukuthobeka kwakhe kwakungasho neze ukuthi ubuthaka. Ngesibindi wavikela igama likaYise futhi wafeza inkonzo yakhe. (Filipi 2:6-8) EBhayibhelini, uJesu uchazwa njengengonyama enesibindi. (IsAmbulo 5:5) Isibonelo sikaJesu sibonisa ukuthi ukuthobeka kuhambisana nokuqina kwangaphakathi namandla.

Njengoba sizama ukuhlakulela ukuthobeka kwangempela, siyaqaphela ukuthi kudingeka umzamo wangempela ukuze sibe abathobekile ekuphileni kwethu konke. Kuhilela ukuzithoba njalo entandweni kaNkulunkulu kunokumane silandele ukuthambekela kwenyama. Ukuhlakulela ukuthobeka kudinga amandla angaphakathi, ngoba kudingeka sibekele eceleni izithakazelo zethu ukuze sikhonze uJehova nezithakazelo zabanye ngokungenabugovu.

Izinzuzo Zokuthobeka

Ukuthobeka kuhilela ukungabi nomuzwa wokuziqhenya noma ukuzidla. ImiBhalo ikuchaza ngokuthi ‘ukuthobeka kwengqondo.’ (Efesu 4:2) Ukuze sibe nesimo sengqondo sokuthobeka kumelwe siqale ngokuba nombono oqotho ngathi ngokwethu—izici esimandla kuzo nesibuthaka kuzo, izinto esizifezile nesiye sahluleka kuzo. UPawulu wanikeza iseluleko esihle ngalokhu lapho ebhala: “Ngitshela wonke umuntu lapho phakathi kwenu ukuba angazicabangi emkhulu kunalokho okudingeke ukuba akucabange; kodwa acabange ukuze abe nengqondo ehluzekile.” (Roma 12:3) Noma ubani olalela leso seluleko ubonisa ukuthobeka.

Ukuthobeka sikubonisa nalapho sibeka ngobuqotho izithakazelo zabanye kuqala kunezethu. Ephefumulelwe, uPawulu wayala amaKristu: “Ningenzi lutho ngombango noma ngokuzazisa, kodwa ngokuthobeka kwengqondo [bhekani] abanye njengabakhulu kunani.” (Filipi 2:3) Lokhu kwakuvumelana nomyalo uJesu awunika abalandeli bakhe: “Omkhulu kakhulu phakathi kwenu kumelwe abe yisikhonzi senu. Noma ubani oziphakamisayo uyothotshiswa, futhi noma ubani ozithobayo uyophakanyiswa.”—Mathewu 23:11, 12.

Yebo, ukuthobeka kuholela ekuphakanyisweni uNkulunkulu. Umfundi uJakobe waligcizelela lelo phuzu lapho ebhala: “Zithobeni emehlweni kaJehova, khona-ke uyoniphakamisa.” (Jakobe 4:10) Ubani nje ongethande ukuphakanyiswa uNkulunkulu?

Ukuntula ukuthobeka kuye kwabangela izinxushunxushu eziningi nemibango emaqenjini abantu naphakathi kwabantu ngabanye. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ukuba othobekile kunemiphumela emihle. Singajabulela ubumnandi bokwamukelwa uNkulunkulu. (Mika 6:8) Singaba nokuthula kwengqondo ngoba umuntu othobekile ngokuvamile uba umuntu ojabulayo nowanelisekile kunomuntu ozidlayo. (IHubo 101:5) Ubudlelwane bethu namalungu omkhaya, abangane, esisebenza nabo nabanye buyoba buhle futhi bube mnandi ngokwengeziwe. Abantu abathobekile bayakugwema ukuba nochuku nokufuna izinto ngenkani, okungaholela kalula entukuthelweni, ekuxabaneni, ekucasukeni nasenzondweni.—Jakobe 3:14-16.

Yebo, ukuhlakulela ukuthobeka kuyindlela enhle yokulondoloza ubuhlobo obuhle nabanye. Kungasisiza sibhekane nezinselele zezwe elinobugovu nokuncintisana. Ngosizo lukaNkulunkulu, umphostoli uPawulu wakwazi ukunqoba ukuzikhukhumeza nokuqhosha ayekade enako. Ngokufanayo, senza kahle ngokulwa nanoma ikuphi ukuthambekela kokuzidla noma kokucabanga ukuthi singcono kunabanye. IBhayibheli liyaxwayisa: “Ukuziqhenya kwandulela ukuphahlazeka, nomoya ozidlayo wandulela ukukhubeka.” (IzAga 16:18) Uma silingisa isibonelo sikaPawulu futhi sisebenzisa iseluleko sakhe, siyokubona ukuhlakanipha ‘kokugqoka ukuthobeka.’—Kolose 3:12.

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UPawulu wakwazi ukunqoba ukuzikhukhumeza nokuqhosha

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Ukuba abathobekile kusisiza ukuba silondoloze ubuhlobo obuhle nabanye

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Anglo-Australian Observatory/David Malin Images