Hlakulela Uthando LukaNkulunkulu
KUYIQINISO ukuthi uthando lungolokuqala ohlwini lwezithelo zomoya kaNkulunkulu. (Galathiya 5:22, 23) Umuntu kufanele athande uNkulunkulu, iNdodana yakhe, nayo yonke inhlangano yabafowabo abangamaKristu emhlabeni wonke. (Duteronomi 6:5; Efesu 6:24; 1 Johane 2:10) Bonke abantu, ngisho nezitha zomuntu uqobo, kufanele bathandwe, futhi kufanele sibaphathe ngendlela ebonisa ukuthi singamaKristu. (Mathewu 5:44) Awukho umthetho ongavimba lolu thando. Lungaboniswa nganoma isiphi isikhathi nanoma kuphi, nganoma yiliphi izinga kulabo abalufanelekelayo.
Indlela Uthando LukaNkulunkulu Oluziphatha Ngayo
Uthando lukaNkulunkulu lumangalisa kangangokuba kunzima ukuluchaza. Kulula ukuchaza indlela oluziphatha ngayo. Umphostoli uPawulu wachaza izici ezihlukahlukene zothando kweyoku-1 Korinte 13:4-7: “Uthando luyabekezela futhi lunomusa. Uthando alunamhawu, aluzigabisi, aluzikhukhumezi, aluziphathi ngokuhlazisayo, aluzifuneli izinzuzo zalo siqu, alucasuki. Alunamagqubu. Alujabuli ngokungalungi, kodwa lujabulela iqiniso. Lubekezelela zonke izinto, lukholelwa yizo zonke izinto, luthemba zonke izinto, lukhuthazelela zonke izinto.” Sizohlaziya isici ngasinye ezigabeni ezilandelayo.
“Uthando luyabekezela futhi lunomusa.” Lubekezelela izimo ezingezinhle nezenzo ezimbi ezenziwa abanye. Umgomo uwukusindiswa kwalabo abenza okubi kanye nokulwelwa kobukhosi bukaJehova ekugcineni. (2 Petru 3:15) Uthando lunomusa, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lucasulwa kangakanani. Noma kunjalo, uthando lungaqina futhi lwenze ngobulungisa ngenxa yokulunga. Labo abanegunya ebandleni bangase basole abenzi bokubi, kodwa ngisho nalapho, kufanele babonise umusa.—Roma 2:4.
“Uthando alunamhawu.” Alunamhawu ngezinto ezinhle ezitholwa abanye. Luyajabula lapho lubona omunye umuntu ethola isikhundla somthwalo owengeziwe. Alukhonondi ngisho nalapho isitha sithola izinto ezinhle. Luyaphana. UNkulunkulu wenza ukuba imvula yakhe ine phezu kwabalungile nabangalungile. (Mathewu 5:45) Izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezinothando ziyaneliseka ngalokho ezinakho nesimo ezikuso, azishabashekeli ukufuna izikhundla zabanye ngobugovu.—1 Thimothewu 6:6-8.
Uthando “aluzigabisi, aluzikhukhumezi.” Aluzifuneli udumo nokuhlonishwa ezinye izidalwa. (IHubo 75:4-7) Umuntu onothando ngeke amlulaze omunye umuntu ukuze abonakale ephakeme kunaye. Kunalokho, uyophakamisa uNkulunkulu, akhuthaze abanye futhi abakhe ngobuqotho. (1 Thesalonika 1:2, 3) Ngeke aqhoshe ngalokho azokwenza. (IzAga 27:1) Uyoqonda ukuthi konke akwenzayo kungenxa yamandla avela kuJehova.—IHubo 34:2.
Uthando “aluziphathi ngokuhlazisayo.” Aluziphathi kabi. Aluhileleki ezenzweni ezihlazisayo, ezifana nokuhlukumeza ngokobulili noma ukuziphatha okwethusayo. Aludeleli, alunayo inhlamba, aluziphathi ngokungafanele, aluqhoshi, noma luphathe noma ubani ngendlela engenanhlonipho. Umuntu onothando uyozigwema izinto noma izenzo ezibonakala zibaphazamisa abafowabo abangamaKristu. UPawulu weluleka ibandla laseKorinte: “Zonke izinto mazenzeke ngokufaneleyo nangohlelo.” (1 Korinte 14:40) Uthando futhi luyoshukumisela umuntu ukuba ahambe ngenhlonipho ngenxa yalabo abangewona amakholwa angamaKristu.—Roma 13:13.
Uthando “aluzifuneli izinzuzo zalo siqu.” Lulandela lesi simiso: “Yilowo nalowo makangazifuneli inzuzo yakhe siqu, kodwa eyomunye umuntu.” (1 Korinte 10:24) Lokhu kukhathalela abanye ngobuqotho kungesinye sezisusa ezinamandla zothando futhi esisebenzayo nesiletha imiphumela ezuzisayo. Umuntu onothando akaphoqeleli ukuba yonke into yenziwe ngendlela yakhe. (1 Korinte 9:22, 23) Uthando aluwalweli “namalungelo” alo; lukhathalela kakhulu inhlalakahle engokomoya yomunye umuntu.—Roma 14:13, 15.
Uthando “alucasuki.” Alufuni izaba zokucasuka noma zokususa ingxabano. Alushukunyiselwa ukuba luqhume ngentukuthelo, okuwumsebenzi wenyama. (Galathiya 5:19, 20) Umuntu onothando akasheshi akhutshwe okushiwo noma kwenziwe abanye. Akesabi ukuthi “isithunzi” sakhe singase sithunazeke.
Uthando “alunamagqubu.” Alubheki ukukhutshwa njengento ‘yokugcinwa encwadini,’ okufanele ikhokhwe ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, kodwa lapho kusagciniwe kungabi nabudlelwano phakathi kolimele nolinyaziwe. Lokho kungaba umoya wokuphindisela, iBhayibheli eliwulahlayo. (Levitikusi 19:18) Uthando ngeke luzisole izisusa zabanye kodwa luyothambekela ekubaboneleleni abanye futhi lungabehluleli.—Roma 14:1, 5.
Uthando “alujabuli ngokungalungi, kodwa lujabulela iqiniso.” Uthando lujabulela iqiniso ngisho nalapho liphikisana nobekukholelwa ngaphambili. Lunamathela eZwini likaNkulunkulu leqiniso. Njalo lunamathela kokulungile, alujabuli neze ngokubi, ngamanga, nanganoma yiluphi uhlobo lokungalungi, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ngubani oyisisulu, ngisho noma eyisitha. Uma into ethile ingalungile noma idukisa, uthando alwesabi ukukhuluma lumelele iqiniso nabanye. (Galathiya 2:11-14) Futhi, lukhetha ukuhlupheka kunokwenza okunye ukungalungi ekuzameni ukulungisa indaba.—Roma 12:17, 20.
Uthando “lubekezelela zonke izinto.” Lukulungele ukubekezela nokuhlupheka ngenxa yokulunga. Umuntu onothando ngeke asheshe ukufuna ukudalula umuntu omonile. Uma ukoniwa kukuncane, uyokushalazela. Uma kungenjalo, lapho inkambo eyasikiselwa uJesu kuMathewu 18:15-17 isebenza, uyoyilandela. Ezimweni ezinjalo, uma owonile ecela intethelelo ngemva kokuba eboniswe iphutha lakhe ngasese, futhi wawulungisa umonakalo eliwubangele, lowo onothando uyobonisa ukuthi ukuthethelela kwakhe kungokweqiniso.—IzAga 17:9.
Uthando “lukholelwa yizo zonke izinto.” Uthando lunokholo ezintweni uNkulunkulu azishilo eZwini lakhe leqiniso, ngisho noma izinto ezenzekayo zibonakala ziphikisana nalo, nabantu abangakholwa bezihleka usulu. Uthando luyasethemba nesiqondiso uNkulunkulu asinika ibandla lobuKristu nezinceku zakhe azimisile futhi luyazisekela izinqumo ezisekelwe eZwini likaNkulunkulu. (Hebheru 13:17) Kodwa, uthando alukhohliseki kalula, futhi luhlola zonke izinto lusebenzisa iBhayibheli. (1 Johane 4:1) Uthando lubonisa ukubethemba abanye abazalwane abangamaKristu aqotho; umKristu ngeke abasole noma abangabaze ngaphandle kwalapho kunobufakazi obugcwele bokuthi benze iphutha.—2 Korinte 2:3.
Uthando “luthemba zonke izinto.” Lunethemba ngazo zonke izinto uJehova azithembisile. (Roma 12:12) Luyaqhubeka lusebenza, lulindele ngokubekezela ukuba uJehova aveze izithelo, ukuba enze izinto zikhule. (1 Korinte 3:7) Umuntu onothando uyolindela okungcono kubafowabo abangamaKristu ngaphansi kwanoma yiziphi izimo abangase babe kuzo, ngisho noma abanye bebuthaka okholweni.—2 Petru 3:15.
Uthando “lukhuthazelela zonke izinto.” Uthando luyadingeka ukuze umKristu agcine ubuqotho bakhe kuJehova uNkulunkulu. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yini uDeveli angase ayenze ukuvivinya ubuqotho bokuzinikela komKristu nokuthembeka kwakhe kuNkulunkulu, uthando luyokhuthazela ngendlela eyenza umKristu abe qotho kuye.—Roma 5:3-5.
“Uthando alusoze lwaphela nanini.” Alusoze lwaphela noma lungabe lusaba khona. Ulwazi nokuqonda okusha kungase kulungise izinto esasizikholelwa; ithemba liyashintsha njengoba izinto ezilindelwe zibonakala futhi kulindelwa izinto ezintsha, kodwa uthando luhlala lukhona, luqhubeke lukhula futhi luqina ngokwengeziwe.—1 Korinte 13:8-13.