“Isikhathi Sokuthanda Nesikhathi Sokuhloya”

“UZIMU ulithando.” Kezinye iinarha abantu bafremela amezwi layo bese bawaphanyeka ebodeni ngeendlini zabo. Kwamambala, mamezwi amahle ahlathulula lokho uZimu angikho—isenzasamuntu sethando.

Nokho, abantu abanengi abazi bona amezwi layo abuya eBhayibhilini. Ngumpostoli uJwanisi owatlola wathi: “Loyo onganathando akamazi uZimu, ngombana uZimu ulithando.” (1 KaJwanisi 4:8) Godu uJwanisi watlola ngethando lakaZimu ngephasi lesintu esingahlengwa: “Ngombana uZimu walithanda kangako iphasi, wabe wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ekukuphela kwayo, khona kuzakuthi kiloyo okholwa ngiyo angabhubhi, kodwana abe nobuphilo obungapheliko.”—Jwanisi 3:16.

Banalokho emkhumbulweni, abanye bacabanga bona uZimu uhlala akulungele ukutjhalazela nanyana yini esiyenzako. Indlela abantu abanengi abaphila ngayo itjengisa bona bacabanga bonyana ngitjho nanyana baziphatha njani, uZimu angekhe abenze balandise ngezenzo zabo. Kodwana lokho kwamambala kuliqiniso? UZimu uthanda boke abantu na, abalungileko nabambi? Kuyenzeka bona uZimu abe nesikhathi sokuhloya?

Ukumadanisa Ithando LakaZimu Nehloywakhe

IKosi ehlakaniphileko uSolomoni yathi: “Kunesikhathi esibekiweko sayo yoke into, isikhathi sazo zoke iindaba ngaphasi kwamazulu . . . isikhathi sokuthanda nesikhathi sokuhloya.” (UMtjhumayeli 3:1, 8) Ngokuya ngokwekambisolawulo le, nanyana uZimu anethando elikhulu nomusa, kuneenkhathi la ahloya khona.

Kokuthoma, kutjho ukuthini “ukuhloya” ngokwendlela ekusetjenziswe ngayo eBhayibhilini? Enye incwadi iyaphendula: “EMitlolweni ibizo elithi ‘hloya’ litjho izinto ezinengi. Lingatjho inzondo ekulu, ihloyo eragela phambili ngokuvamileko ekhambisana nelunya. Ihloyo enjalo ingabangela umuntu bona afune ukulimaza loyo amzondileko.” Yihlathululo esijayelene nayo khulu le, begodu sibona iimphumela yenzondo enjengale ephasini mazombe. Kodwana incwadi efanako neyiragela phambili ithi: Godu “‘Ihloyo’ ingatjho ukungathandi into ngokuzeleko kodwana ngaphandle komnqopho wokuyilimaza.”

Ihlathululo yesibili le, ngiyo esizokucoca ngayo la. Yihloyo ekulu, ukunyenya ngokupheleleko—ingasi ilunya, namtjhana isifiso sokufuna ukulimaza. UZimu angaba nayo inzondo enjengale? Tjheja lokho okutjhiwo kuZiyema 6:16-19: “Kunezinto ezisithandathu uJehova azizondako; iye, zilikhomba izinto azinyenyako emphefumulwenakhe: amehlo aziphakamisako, ilimu lamala, izandla eziphalaza iingazi ezimsulwa, ihliziyo eyakha amaqhinga alimazako, iinyawo ezirhaba ukugijimela ebumbini, ufakazi wamala oleya amala, nananyana ngubani obanga ukurarana hlangana nabafowabo.”

Njengombana sibona, kunemikghwa ethileko uZimu ayizondako. Nanyana kunjalo,  akutjho bona uhloya umuntu owenza imikghwa enjalo. Ucabangela amabanga enza bona alibalele ebujamweni obunjalo, njengokuba buthakathaka kwenyama, ubujamo bendawo, indlela umuntu akhuliswe ngayo nokungabi nelwazi. (Genesisi 8:21; KwebeRoma 5:12) Umtloli weZiyema ukuhlathulula ngesibonelo esihle lokhu: “UJehova uyamkhalimela amthandako, njengombana nobaba ayikhalimela indodana ayithandako.” (Iziyema 3:12) Izenzo zomntwana ezingakalungi zingazondwa, kodwana umbelethi usamthanda umntwanakhe begodu wenza koke angakwenza ukumsiza bona alulame ebumbini abenzileko ngokumlaya. Ngethando lakhe, uJehova wenza okufanako nekunethemba lokusindisa umuntu owonileko.

Lapho Ihloyo Ivumeleke Khona

Kuthiwani-ke nengabe umuntu ufumana ilwazi ngentando kaZimu kodwana angafuni ukuyenza? Umuntu loyo akafumani ithando lakaZimu nokwamukeleka kuye. Nengabe ngabomu wenza izinto uJehova azizondako, uzibangela ukuhloywa Nguye. Ngokwesibonelo, iBhayibhili ithi: “UJehova uhlola olungileko nomumbi, nanyana ngubani othanda inturhu umphefumulwakhe uyamhloya.” (IRhalani 11:5) Akukho ukulitjalelwa komuntu onjalo ongatjhugulukiko, njengombana umpostoli uPowula akukhanyisa encwadinakhe eya kumaHebheru ethi: ‘Ngombana awusekho umhlabelo wokuhlawulela izono zethu, nengabe siyaraga ngokona ngabomu emva kobana silazi iqiniso. Kwaphela nje sesilindele ngevalo ukwahlulelwa ngomhla wokuphela, nesikhwele esinjengomlilo omkhulu oyorhayila boke labo abajamelene noZimu.’ (KumaHebheru 10:26, 27) Kubayini uZimu wethando enza njalo?

Nengabe umuntu wenza isono esikhulu ngabomu, ubumbi bungangenelela kangangobana umuntu loyo angasakwazi ukutjhentjha. Angaba mumbi ngokupheleleko, angasalunga, angasahlengeka. IBhayibhili ifanisa umuntu onjalo nengwe engekhe yatjhentjha amabalayo. (Jeremiya 13:23) Ngokungatjhugulukiko, umuntu loyo wenza lokho iBhayibhili ekubiza bona ‘mlandu wezono ongapheliko,’ ongekhe walitjalelwa.—Markosi 3:29.

Kwaba njalo ngo-Adamu, u-Efa nangoJuda Isikariyodi. Njengombana u-Adamu no-Efa badalwa banganasono begodu njengombana umthetho kaJehova bewukhanya bawuzwisisa bobabili, kuyakhanya-ke bona benza isono ngokuzithandela nangabomu, ngalokho bebanganamabanga wokusenza. Ngemva kwalokho uZimu nekakhuluma nabo, khenge abanikele ithuba lokuphenduka. (Genesisi 3:16-24) Namtjhana bekangakapheleli, uJuda waphila eduze neNdodana kaZimu kodwana waba mkghapheli.  UJesu ngokwakhe wambiza ‘njengendodana yokutjhabalala.’ (Jwanisi 17:12, NW) Godu iBhayibhili itjengisa bona uDeveli usisoni sokuzithandela esilindele ukutjhatjalaliswa kwaphela. (1 KaJwanisi 3:8; ISambulo 12:12) Abantwaba bavuse ihloyo kaZimu.

Nokho, kuyaqinisekisa ukwazi bona akusiwo woke umuntu owonileko ongekhe alitjalelwe. UJehova ubekezela kwamambala begodu akakuthabeli ukujezisa abone ngebanga lokungazi. (Ezekiyeli 33:11) Ubamema bona batjhuguluke balitjalelwe. Siyafunda: “Umuntu omumbi akatjhiye indlelakhe, nomuntu olimazako iimcabangwakhe, akabuyele kuJehova, ozokuba nomusa kuye, nakuZimethu, ngombana uzokulibalela ngendlela ekulu.”—Isaya 55:7.

Umbono Olinganiseleko Wethando Nehloyo

Kwamambala, njengabalingisi bakaZimu, amaKrestu weqiniso kufuze azwisise bona sinini “isikhathi sokuthanda” nokobana sinini “isikhathi sokuhloya.” Ithando eleqisako lingabangela umbono womuntu bona ube ngongalinganiseliko ngethando nangesirhawu. Kodwana amezwi womfundi uJuda angasisiza bona sibe nombono olinganiselako phakathi kokutjengisa umusa nokuzonda isono: ‘Nibarhawukele abanye nenza njalo ngokwesaba, nihloye ngitjho nesambatho esonwe ziinkanuko zabo ezimbi.’ (KaJuda 22, 23) Ngalokho kufuze sihloye okumbi kodwana ingasi umuntu owenza okumbi.

Godu amaKrestu alayelwa bona atjengise ithando emanabenawo ngokwenza okuhle kiwo. UJesu wathi: “Thandani amanaba wenu nithandazele labo abanizumako.” (Matewu 5:44) Ngikho aboFakazi BakaJehova bangalisi ukutjhumayela iindaba ezimnandi zoMbuso kaZimu ngokubuyelelweko kibomakhelwana babo, ngitjho nanyana abanye bangasabeli emlayezweni loyo. (Matewu 24:14) Ngebanga lokuqala izinto ngombono weBhayibhili, aboFakazi baqala woke umuntu njengongafumana ithando nesirhawu sakaJehova. Iimzamwabo yokusiza abantu neyingamukelwako, nebaqothwako namtjhana nebatjhutjhiswako, aboFakazi balandela isilayo sakaPowula esithi: ‘Busisani labo abanitshwenyako, nibakhumbulele okuhle, ningabathomekisi . . . Ningabuyiseli ubumbi ngobumbi.’ (KwebeRoma 12:14, 17) Bayakhumbula bona nguJehova ozokuqunta bonyana ngubani ofanelekela ithando namtjhana ihloywakhe. UnguMahluleli wamaswaphela eendabeni zokufa nokuphila.—KumaHebheru 10:30.

Kwamambala, “uZimu ulithando.” Thina-ke, kufuze sitjengise ukuthokoza ngethando lakhe begodu senze umzamo wokufumana bona iyini intandwakhe bese siyenze. AboFakazi BakaJehova abahlala endaweni yangekhenu bazokuthabela ukukusiza bona ufunde kweyakho ikhophi yeBhayibhili bonyana iyini intando kaZimu nokobana ungayenza njani ekuphileni kwakho. Ngokwenza njalo, uzokubalekela ukuzondwa nguZimu uthabele ithando lakhe.

[Umkhangiso osekhasini 13]

“Kunezinto ezisithandathu uJehova azizondako; iye, zilikhomba izinto azinyenyako emphefumulwenakhe: amehlo aziphakamisako, ilimu lamala, izandla eziphalaza iingazi ezimsulwa, ihliziyo eyakha amaqhinga alimazako, iinyawo ezirhaba ukugijimela ebumbini, ufakazi wamala oleya amala, nananyana ngubani obanga ukurarana hlangana nabafowabo.”—IZIYEMA 6:16-19

[Umkhangiso osekhasini 14]

‘Ngombana awusekho umhlabelo wokuhlawulela izono zethu, nengabe siyaraga ngokona ngabomu emva kobana silazi iqiniso. Kwaphela nje sesilindele ngevalo ukwahlulelwa ngomhla wokuphela, nesikhwele esinjengomlilo omkhulu oyorhayila boke labo abajamelene noZimu.’—KUMAHEBHERU 10:26, 27

[Umkhangiso osekhasini 15]

“Umuntu omumbi akatjhiye indlelakhe, nomuntu olimazako iimcabangwakhe; akabuyele kuJehova, ozokuba nomusa kuye . . . Uzokulibalela ngendlela ekulu.”—ISAYA 55:7

[Isithombe ekhasini 14]

Umbelethi onethando uyamlaya umntwanakhe ukwenzela bona amsize

[Isithombe ekhasini 15]

Iimbotjhwa ezinengi zizuzile ethandweni nemuseni kaZimu