1-3. (a) USolomoni wakubonisa kanjani ukuhlakanipha okungavamile endleleni axazulula ngayo umbango womama? (b) UJehova uthembisa ukuthi uzosinikani, futhi yimiphi imibuzo ephakamayo?

 KWAKUYICALA elinzima—abesifazane ababili babebanga umntwana. Laba besifazane babehlala ndawonye, futhi bobabili babebelethe abafana, beshiyana ngezinsuku ezimbalwa. Omunye umntwana wayesefile, manje bobabili laba besifazane babethi ngowabo lo mntwana ophilayo. a Babengekho abanye ababekubonile okwakwenzekile. Cishe leli cala lase liquliwe enkantolo encane kodwa alizange lixazululeke. Labe selidluliselwa kuSolomoni, inkosi yakwa-Israyeli. Wayezokwazi yini ukuthola iqiniso?

² Ngemva kwesikhashana uSolomoni elalele abesifazane bephikisana, wathi makulethwe inkemba. Engahleki, wakhipha umyalo wokuba lo mntwana ahlukaniswe kabili, owesifazane ngamunye athole ingxenye. Khona manjalo, unina wangempela wancenga inkosi ukuba ithathe umntwana—umntanakhe oyigugu—imnike lona omunye wesifazane. Kodwa lona omunye wesifazane waphikelela ethi ingane mayihlukaniswe phakathi. USolomoni wayeselazi-ke manje iqiniso. Wayazi ukuthi kuyasika kumama ngengane eyavundla kabili kuye, wayesesebenzisa lolo lwazi ukuze axazulule lo mbango. Kwathi gidi kumama lapho uSolomoni emnika umntwana, ethi: “Nguye ongunina.”—1 AmaKhosi 3:16-27.

 ³ Kwakuwukuhlakanipha okungavamile lokho, akunjalo? Lapho abantu bezwa indlela uSolomoni ayeliqule ngayo leli cala, bakhexa ‘ngoba babona ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu kwakukuye.’ Yebo, ukuhlakanipha kukaSolomoni kwakuyisipho esivela kuNkulunkulu. UJehova wayemnike “inhliziyo enokuhlakanipha nenokuqonda.” (1 AmaKhosi 3:12, 28) Kodwa kuthiwani ngathi? Ingabe nathi singakuthola ukuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu? Yebo, ngoba uSolomoni waphefumulelwa ukuba abhale: “UJehova unikeza ukuhlakanipha.” (IzAga 2:6) UJehova uthembisa ukuthi labo abakufuna ngobuqotho ukuhlakanipha—ikhono lokusebenzisa kahle ulwazi, ukuqonda nokukwazi ukwahlukanisa—uyobanika kona. Thina singakuthola kanjani ukuhlakanipha okuvela phezulu? Futhi singakusebenzisa kanjani ekuphileni kwethu?

4-7. Yiziphi izimfuneko ezine zokuzuza ukuhlakanipha?

⁴ Ingabe kumele sibe abakhaliphe kakhulu noma abafunde kakhulu ukuze sithole ukuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu? Cha. UJehova uzimisele ukusinika ukuhlakanipha kwakhe kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sinjani isizinda nemfundo yethu. (1 Korinte 1:26-29) Kodwa yithina okumele sithathe isinyathelo kuqala, ngoba iBhayibheli lisinxusa ukuba ‘sizuze ukuhlakanipha.’ (IzAga 4:7) Singakwenza kanjani lokho?

⁵ Okokuqala, kudingeka sesabe uNkulunkulu. “Ukwesaba uJehova kungukuqala kokuhlakanipha [“isinyathelo sokuqala sokuthola ukuhlakanipha,” The New English Bible],” kusho izAga 9:10. Ukwesaba uNkulunkulu kuyisisekelo sokuhlakanipha kweqiniso. Kungani? Khumbula ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kuwukukwazi ukusebenzisa ulwazi ngendlela ephumelelayo. Ukwesaba uNkulunkulu akusho ukuthithibala phambi kwakhe ngenxa yovalo kodwa kusho ukukhothama phambi kwakhe ngenxa yenhlonipho nokumethemba. Ukwesaba okunjalo kuhle futhi kuyisisusa esinamandla. Kusenza sivumelanise ukuphila kwethu nalokho esikwaziyo ngentando kaNkulunkulu  nezindlela zakhe. Ayikho inkambo ehlakaniphe ukwedlula le esingayithatha ngoba imithetho kaJehova iveza imiphumela emihle kakhulu kulabo abayilandelayo.

⁶ Okwesibili, kumele sithobeke futhi sibe nesizotha. Ngeke sibe nokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu uma singathobekile futhi singenaso isizotha. (IzAga 11:2) Kungani kunjalo? Uma sithobekile futhi sinesizotha, sivumela phezulu ukuthi asazi yonke into, ukuthi imibono yethu ayibi elungile ngaso sonke isikhathi nokuthi kudingeka sithole umqondo kaJehova ngezinto. UJehova “umelana nabaziphakamisayo,” kodwa uyakujabulela ukubanika ukuhlakanipha labo abanenhliziyo ethobekile.—Jakobe 4:6.

⁷ Okwesithathu okudingekayo ukutadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu elibhaliwe. Ukuhlakanipha kukaJehova kwembulwe eZwini lakhe. Ukuze sikuthole lokho kuhlakanipha, kudingeka senze umzamo wokukufuna njengokungathi siyamba. (IzAga 2:1-5) Imfuneko yesine umthandazo. Uma sikucela ngobuqotho ukuhlakanipha kuNkulunkulu, uyosipha kona ngesandla esivulekile. (Jakobe 1:5) Ngeke angayiphenduli imithandazo yethu yokucela usizo lomoya wakhe. Futhi umoya wakhe ungasenza sikwazi ukuthola ingcebo eseZwini lakhe engasisiza ekuxazululeni izinkinga, ekugwemeni izingozi nasekwenzeni izinqumo ezihlakaniphile.—Luka 11:13.

8. Kuyobonakala kanjani ukuthi sesikuzuzile ngempela ukuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu?

⁸ Njengoba sibonile eSahlukweni 17, ukuhlakanipha kukaJehova kuyazuzisa. Ngaleso sizathu, uma sesikuzuzile ngempela ukuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu kuyobonakala ngendlela esiziphatha ngayo. Umfundi uJakobe wachaza izithelo zokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu lapho ebhala: “Ukuhlakanipha kwaphezulu okokuqala kumsulwa, kunokuthula, kuyacabangela, kuyashesha ukulalela, kugcwele isihe nezithelo ezinhle, akukhethi, akuzenzisi.” (Jakobe 3:17) Njengoba sidingida ngasinye salezi zici zokuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu, singase sizibuze, ‘Ingabe ngiyakusebenzisa ukuhlakanipha okuvela phezulu ekuphileni kwami?’

9. Kusho ukuthini ukuba msulwa, futhi kungani kufaneleka ukuthi ubumsulwa bubalwe baba yisici sokuqala sokuhlakanipha?

⁹ “Okokuqala kumsulwa.” Ukuba msulwa kusho ukungabi nabala nokungangcoli ngaphakathi, hhayi nje ngaphandle kuphela. IBhayibheli lihlobanisa ukuhlakanipha nenhliziyo, nokho ukuhlakanipha kwasezulwini ngeke kungene enhliziyweni engcoliswe imicabango, izifiso nezisusa ezimbi. (IzAga 2:10; Mathewu 15:19, 20) Kodwa uma inhliziyo yethu imsulwa—ngezinga okungenzeka ngalo kubantu abanesono—‘siyosuka kokubi senze okuhle.’ (IHubo 37:27; IzAga 3:7) Akufaneleki yini ukuthi ubumsulwa bubalwe baba yisici sokuqala sokuhlakanipha? Phela, uma ukuziphatha kwethu nengokomoya lethu lingcolile, singazibonakalisa kanjani ngempela ezinye izici zokuhlakanipha okuvela phezulu?

10, 11. (a) Kungani kubalulekile ukuba sibe nokuthula? (b) Ungabonisa kanjani ukuthi ungumenzi wokuthula uma unomuzwa wokuthi uye wacasula omunye umkhulekeli? (Bheka nombhalo waphansi.)

¹⁰ “Kunokuthula.” Ukuhlakanipha kwasezulwini kusenza siphishekele ukuthula, okuyisithelo somoya kaNkulunkulu. (Galathiya 5:22) Silwela ukugwema ukubhidliza ‘isibopho sokuthula’ esihlanganisa abantu bakaJehova. (Efesu 4:3) Senza nokusemandleni ethu ukubuyisela ukuthula uma kuphazamisekile. Kungani kubalulekile lokhu? IBhayibheli lithi: “Qhubekani . . . niphila ngokuthula; khona-ke uNkulunkulu wothando nokuthula uyoba nani.” (2 Korinte 13:11) Ngakho uma nje siqhubeka siphila ngokuthula, uNkulunkulu wokuthula uyoba nathi. Indlela esiphatha ngayo abakhulekeli esikanye nabo ibuthinta ngokuqondile ubuhlobo bethu noJehova. Singabonisa kanjani ukuthi singabenzi bokuthula? Cabanga ngalesi sibonelo.

¹¹ Yini okufanele uyenze uma unomuzwa wokuthi uye wacasula omunye umkhulekeli? UJesu wathi: “Uma uletha isipho sakho e-altare bese ukhumbula usulapho ukuthi umfowenu unokuthile ngawe, shiya isipho sakho lapho phambi kwe-altare, uhambe. Qale wenze ukuthula nomfowenu bese uyabuya unikele isipho sakho.” (Mathewu 5:23, 24) Ungasisebenzisa leso seluleko ngokuba kube nguwe oya kuqala kumfowenu. Unamuphi  umgomo? ‘Wokwenza ukuthula’ naye. b Ukuze ukufeze lokho, kungase kudingeke uvume ukuthi umlimazile, ungaphiki. Uma uya kuye unomgomo wokubuyisela ukuthula futhi uqhubeke unaleso simo sengqondo, cishe noma yikuphi ukungaboni ngaso linye kungalungiswa, uxolise ngendlela efanele futhi akuxolele. Uma uzihlupha ngokwenza ukuthula, usuke ubonisa ukuthi uqondiswa ukuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu.

12, 13. (a) Lisho ukuthini igama elihunyushwe ngokuthi ‘ukucabangela’ kuJakobe 3:17? (b) Singabonisa kanjani ukuthi siyacabangela?

¹² “Kuyacabangela.” Kusho ukuthini ukucabangela? Izazi  zithi kunzima ukuhumusha igama lesiGreki lokuqala elihunyushwe ngokuthi “kuyacabangela” kuJakobe 3:17. Leli gama lidlulisela umqondo wokubonelela. Abahumushi baye basebenzisa amagama athi “ukuba mnene,” “ukuba nesineke,” “nokuba ocabangelayo.” Singabonisa kanjani ukuthi lesi sici sokuhlakanipha okuvela phezulu siyasebenza kithi?

¹³ EyabaseFilipi 4:5 ithi: “Ukucabangela kwenu makwaziwe yibo bonke abantu.” Enye inguqulo ithi: “Yibani nedumela lokuba abacabangelayo.” (The New Testament in Modern English, kaJ. B. Phillips) Phawula ukuthi okubalulekile akukhona ukuthi thina sizibona sinjani; kodwa ukuthi abanye basibona sinjani, sinedumela elinjani. Umuntu ocabangelayo akaphikeleli ukuba ngaso sonke isikhathi kugcinwe umthetho njengoba unjalo, noma aphikelele ukuba izinto zenziwe ngendlela yakhe. Kunalokho, uyashesha ukulalela abanye abese evumela izifiso zabo uma kufaneleka. Futhi umnene, akabaphathi abanye ngokhahlo noma ngendluzula. Nakuba kubalulekile ukuba wonke amaKristu abe njalo, kubaluleke nakakhulu kulabo abangabadala. Ubumnene buyabadonsa abanye, kwenza abadala bangeneke. (1 Thesalonika 2:7, 8) Kuhle ukuba sonke sizibuze, ‘Ingabe nginedumela lokuba ocabangelayo, obonelelayo nomnene?’

14. Singabonisa kanjani ukuthi ‘siyashesha ukulalela’?

¹⁴ “Kuyashesha ukulalela.” Igama lesiGreki elihunyushwe ngokuthi “kuyashesha ukulalela” alitholakali kwenye indawo emiBhalweni yamaKristu yesiGreki. Esinye isazi sithi leli gama “livame ukusetshenziswa emkhakheni wokuqeqeshelwa impi.” Linomqondo wokuba “okholiseka kalula” nokuba “ozithobayo.” Umuntu obuswa ukuhlakanipha okuvela phezulu uyashesha ukuthobela izinto ezishiwo imiBhalo. Akaziwa ngokuthi ungumuntu othi uma esenze isinqumo, enqabe noma yimaphi amaqiniso amphikisayo. Kodwa uyashesha ukushintsha uma enikezwa ubufakazi obucacile obusemiBhalweni bokuthi wenze into engalungile noma ufinyelele eziphethweni eziyiphutha. Ingabe wena waziwa kanjalo?

15. Siyini isihe, futhi kungani kufaneleka ukuba “isihe nezithelo ezinhle” kubalwe ndawonye kuJakobe 3:17?

¹⁵ “Kugcwele isihe nezithelo ezinhle.” c Isihe siyisici esibalulekile sokuhlakanipha okuvela phezulu, ngoba kuthiwa lokho kuhlakanipha “kugcwele isihe.” Phawula ukuthi “isihe nezithelo ezinhle” kubalwe ndawonye. Kuyafaneleka lokhu ngoba eBhayibhelini isihe ngokuvamile sibhekisela ekukhathaleleni abanye okubonakala ngezenzo, uzwela oluveza izenzo eziningi ezinhle. Enye incwadi ichaza isihe ngokuthi “ukuzwela umuntu obhekene nesimo esibi bese uzama ukumsiza.” Ngakho ukuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu akukhona okungenamizwa, okungenaluthando, noma okugcina ngokuba sengqondweni kuphela. Kunalokho kunemizwa, kuthinta inhliziyo futhi kuyacabangela. Singabonisa kanjani ukuthi sigcwele isihe?

16, 17. (a) Ngaphandle kokuthanda uNkulunkulu, yini esishukumisela ukuba sishumayele, futhi kungani? (b) Yiziphi izindlela esingabonisa ngazo ukuthi sigcwele isihe?

¹⁶ Ngokuqinisekile indlela ebalulekile iwukutshela abanye izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Yini esishukumisela ukuba senze lo msebenzi? Ngokuyinhloko, ukuthanda uNkulunkulu. Kodwa sishukunyiswa nayisihe noma ukuzwela abanye. (Mathewu 22:37-39) Abaningi namuhla ‘bahlukumezekile futhi bahlakazekile njengezimvu ezingenamalusi.’ (Mathewu 9:36) Abelusi benkolo yamanga babashiye dengwane futhi babadukisa ngokomoya. Umphumela uwukuthi abasazi isiqondiso esihlakaniphile esiseZwini likaNkulunkulu noma izibusiso uMbuso ozoziletha ngokushesha kulo mhlaba. Ngakho uma sicabangisisa ngezidingo ezingokomoya zabantu esiphila nabo, uzwela lwethu olusuka enhliziyweni lusishukumisela ukuba senze konke okusemandleni ukuze sibatshele ngenjongo kaJehova yothando.

 ¹⁷ Yiziphi ezinye izindlela esingabonisa ngazo ukuthi sigcwele isihe? Khumbula umfanekiso kaJesu womSamariya owathola isihambi silele eceleni komgwaqo, siphangiwe sase sishaywa. UmSamariya washukunyiswa uzwela “wenza isenzo sesihe,” wabopha amanxeba aso futhi wasinakekela. (Luka 10:29-37) Lokho akubonisi yini ukuthi isihe sihilela nokunikeza usizo kulabo abaludingayo? IBhayibheli lithi “masenze okuhle kubo bonke, kodwa ikakhulukazi kulabo abahlobene nathi okholweni.” (Galathiya 6:10) Cabanga ngezinye zezinto ezingenzeka. Osekhulile enihlanganyela naye angase adinge into yokuhamba ezomyisa futhi imbuyise emihlanganweni yobuKristu. Umfelokazi ebandleni angase adinge ukulungiselwa izinto ezithile endlini. (Jakobe 1:27) Odangele angase adinge “izwi elihle” lokumjabulisa. (IzAga 12:25) Uma sibonisa isihe ngalezi zindlela, siyobe sinikeza ubufakazi bokuthi siyakusebenzisa ukuhlakanipha okuvela phezulu.

18. Uma siholwa ukuhlakanipha okuvela phezulu, yini okumele sizame ukuyisusa ezinhliziyweni zethu, futhi kungani?

¹⁸ “Akukhethi.” Ukuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu kunqoba ukubandlulula abantu ngezinhlanga nokuqhosha ngobuzwe. Uma siholwa ukuhlakanipha okunjalo, sizama ukususa noma yikuphi ukuthambekela kokukhetha ezinhliziyweni zethu. (Jakobe 2:9) Asibaphathi kangcono abanye ngenxa yokuthi bafundile, banemali noma banemithwalo ebandleni; futhi asibabukeli phansi abanye abakhulekeli esikanye nabo kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bampofu kangakanani. Uma uJehova ebanikeze uthando lwakhe, nakanjani nathi kufanele sibabone belufanelekela uthando lwethu.

19, 20. (a) Lisukaphi igama lesiGreki elisho “umzenzisi”? (b) Silubonisa kanjani “uthando lobuzalwane olungazenzisi,” futhi kungani kubalulekile lokhu?

¹⁹ “Akuzenzisi.” Igama lesiGreki elisho “umzenzisi” lingabhekisela “kumdlali wasesiteji odlala indima ethile.” Endulo, abadlali basesiteji abangamaGreki nabangamaRoma babefaka izifihla-buso.  Ngenxa yalokho, igama lesiGreki elisho “umzenzisi” labe selisebenza kumuntu ozenzisayo, ozenza lokho angekona. Lesi sici sokuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu kufanele singagcini ngokuthonya indlela esiphatha ngayo abanye abakhulekeli kodwa sithonye nendlela esizizwa ngayo ngabo.

²⁰ Umphostoli uPetru waphawula ukuthi ‘ukulalela kwethu iqiniso’ kufanele kusenze sibe ‘nothando lobuzalwane olungazenzisi.’ (1 Petru 1:22) Yebo, abafowethu akumele sibathande ngenjongo yokubukisa. Asizigqoki izifihla-buso noma sibe yilokho esingeyikho ngempela ukuze sikhohlise abanye. Uthando lwethu kufanele lube qotho, lusuke enhliziyweni. Uma lunjalo, labo esikholwa nabo bayosethemba ngoba bayokwazi ukuthi siyilokho esibonakala siyikho. Ukuba qotho okunjalo kuvula indlela yokuba amaKristu abe nobudlelwane obukhululekile nobubonisa ukwethembeka futhi kuyasiza ekwenzeni abantu bathembane ebandleni.

21, 22. (a) USolomoni wahluleka kanjani ukulonda ukuhlakanipha? (b) Singakulonda kanjani thina ukuhlakanipha, futhi siyozuza kanjani ngokwenza lokho?

²¹ Ukuhlakanipha kwaphezulu kuyisipho esivela kuJehova okufanele sisilonde. USolomoni wathi: “Ndodana yami, . . . londa ukuhlakanipha nekhono lokucabanga.” (IzAga 3:21) Kuyadabukisa ukuthi kwayena uSolomoni wahluleka ukwenza lokho. Wayenza ngokuhlakanipha kuphela uma nje ayesenenhliziyo elalelayo. Kodwa ekugcineni amakhosikazi akhe amaningi ezizwe ayichezukisa inhliziyo yakhe ekukhulekeleni uJehova. (1 AmaKhosi 11:1-8) Okwagcina kwenzeke kuSolomoni kubonisa ukuthi ulwazi alusizi ngalutho uma singalusebenzisi kahle.

²² Singakulonda kanjani ukuhlakanipha? Akumele nje sigcine ngokulifunda njalo iBhayibheli nezincwadi ezisekelwe kulo esizinikwa ‘inceku ethembekile neqondayo’ kodwa kumele sizame nokukusebenzisa esikufundayo. (Mathewu 24:45) Sinezizathu eziningi zokusebenzisa ukuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu. Kusenza siphile kangcono kwamanje. Kusenza sikwazi ‘ukubambisisa ukuphila kwangempela’—ukuphila ezweni elisha likaNkulunkulu. (1 Thimothewu 6:19) Okubaluleke kunakho konke, ukuhlakulela ukuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu kusisondeza eMthonjeni wakho konke ukuhlakanipha, uJehova uNkulunkulu.