1, 2. Yintoni ekwenza umthande uYehova uThixo?

NGABA uyamthanda uThixo? Ukuba sele uzahlulele kuYehova uThixo, ngokuqinisekileyo impendulo yakho iya kuba nguewe—kufanelekile ke phofu! Kusegazini kuthi ukuthanda uYehova. Kaloku simthanda kuba esithandile naye. IBhayibhile iyichaza ngolu hlobo le nto: “Thina ke, sinalo uthando, kuba [uYehova] wasithanda kuqala.”—1 Yohane 4:19.

² NguYehova oqale wasibonisa ukuba uyasithanda. Usakhele ikhaya elihle elingumhlaba. Uzihoyile iintswelo zethu zomzimba nezezinto eziphathekayo. (Mateyu 5:43-48) Okubaluleke nangakumbi kukuba uzihoyile iintswelo zethu zokomoya. Usinika iLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile. Ukongezelela koko, uthi masithandaze kuye siqinisekile ukuba uza kusiphulaphula aze asincede ngomoya wakhe oyingcwele. (INdumiso 65:2; Luka 11:13) Okubaluleke nangakumbi kukuba wathumela uNyana wakhe oyinceke yakhe ukuba abe yiNtlawulelo yethu, ukuze sihlangulwe esonweni nasekufeni. Ngokwenene uYehova usithandile!—Funda uYohane 3:16; Roma 5:8.

3. (a) Yintoni ekufuneka siyenze ukuze sizigcine eluthandweni lukaThixo? (b) Nguwuphi umbuzo obalulekileyo esifanele sizibuze wona, kwaye impendulo yawo ifumaneka phi?

³ UYehova ufuna sizuze ngonaphakade kuthando  lwakhe. Kodwa ke yonke loo nto ixhomekeke kuthi. ILizwi likaThixo liyasibongoza lisithi: “Zigcineni kuthando lukaThixo . . . nikhangele kubomi obungunaphakade.” (Yude 21) Igama elithi “zigcineni” libonisa ukuba asinakuhlala nje sisonge izandla xa sifuna ukuhlala eluthandweni lukaThixo. Sifanele sisabele kuthando lwakhe ngeendlela ezicacileyo. Ngoko ke, nanku umbuzo obalulekileyo esimele sizibuze wona, ‘Ndinokuyenza njani icace into yokuba ndiyamthanda uThixo?’ Impendulo yalo mbuzo ifumaneka kumazwi aphefumlelweyo kampostile uYohane, athi: “Ukumthanda uThixo kuko ukuthi, siyigcine imiyalelo yakhe; kwaye ayinzima imiyalelo yakhe.” (1 Yohane 5:3)  Siyatyapha xa siwacingisisa kakuhle la mazwi, kuba sifuna ukumbonisa uThixo wethu indlela esimthanda ngayo.

4, 5. Chaza indlela oye waya umthanda ngayo uYehova.

⁴ “Ukumthanda uThixo”—wayecinga ntoni umpostile uYohane xa wayebhala la mazwi? Ngaba usayikhumbula phofu indlela owaqalisa ngayo ukumthanda uYehova?

⁵ Usakhumbula xa wawuqala ukufunda inyaniso ngoYehova nangeenjongo zakhe waza waqalisa ukuba nokholo kuye? Waye waqonda ukuba nangona uzelwe ungumoni owayengenanto yakwenza noThixo, uYehova wayesebenzise uKristu ukuze akuhlahlel’ indlela yokubuyela kwimfezeko eyayilahlwe nguAdam uze ufumane nobomi obungunaphakade. (Mateyu 20:28; Roma 5:12, 18) Waqalisa ukuqonda indlela uYehova aye wazincama ngayo ngokuthumela oyena Nyana wakhe uyinceke ukuba eze kukufela. Waye wachukumiseka entliziyweni, waza waqalisa ukuziva umthanda lo Thixo ukuthande kangaka.—Funda eyoku-1 kaYohane 4:9, 10.

6. Umntu ubonakala njani xa emthanda ngokwenene omnye, ibe yintoni oye wayenza wena uqhutywa kukumthanda uThixo?

⁶ Kodwa ke kuyo yonke loo nto wawusanyel’ intambo, usaqala ukumthanda ngokwenene uYehova. Uthando asiyomvakalelo nje oba nayo; ingeyiyo kananjalo into ethethwa nje ngomlomo. Ukumthanda ngokwenene uThixo yinto engaphaya kokuthi nje, “Ndiyamthanda uYehova.” Uthando lubufana nokholo, kuba luchazwa luze luvezwe zizenzo oluzibangelayo. (Yakobi 2:26) Uthando luziveza kakhulu kwizinto ezenzelwa loo mntu uthandwayo. Ngenxa yoko, xa wawuqalisa ukumthanda uYehova, wafuna ukuphila ngendlela ekholekileyo emehlweni kaYihlo osezulwini. Ngaba sele uliNgqina elibhaptiziweyo? Ukuba ubhaptiziwe, yile mvakalelo inzulu ekhatshwa  kukuzinikela ekwenze wathatha esi sigqibo sibaluleke ukuzigqitha zonke owakha wazenza. Uye wazahlulela kuYehova ukuze wenze ukuthanda kwakhe, waza wakufuzisela oko ngokubhaptizwa. (Funda amaRoma 14:7, 8) Ukufeza esi sithembiso sisuka kumazantsi eentliziyo zethu esisenze kuYehova kubandakanya into eyathethwa nguYohane emva kokuba ethethe la mazwi angasentla.

7. Yiyiphi eminye yemiyalelo kaThixo, ibe kubandakanya ntoni ukuyithobela?

⁷ UYohane uthi ukuba siyamthanda uThixo, sifanele “siyigcine imiyalelo yakhe.” Yiyiphi loo miyalelo kaThixo? UYehova usinika imiyalelo ecacileyo eliqela esebenzisa iLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile. Ngokomzekelo, akabufuni ubunxila, ubuhenyu, unqulo-zithixo, ubusela, nokuxoka. (1 Korinte 5:11; 6:18; 10:14; Efese 4:28; Kolose 3:9) Ukugcina imiyalelo kaThixo kubandakanya ukuphila ngemilinganiselo yokuziphatha ecacileyo eseBhayibhileni.

8, 9. Sinokuyazi njani into emkholisayo uYehova kwanaxa kungekho mthetho weBhayibhile ucacileyo? Chaza umzekelo.

⁸ Noko ke, ukuze sikholise uYehova kufuneka senze okungaphaya kokuthobela nje imiyalelo yakhe ecacileyo. UYehova akasinkqangiyeli ngemithetho elawula yonk’ into le. Ngenxa yoko, suku ngalunye, sisenokujongana neemeko ezininzi ekungekho myalelo weBhayibhile ucacileyo uzilawulayo. Xa kunjalo, siza kuyazi njani into emkholisayo uYehova? IBhayibhile isibonisa ngokucacileyo indlela uThixo acinga ngayo. Xa siyifunda, sifumana izinto azithandayo nazithiyileyo. (Funda iNdumiso 97:10; IMizekeliso 6:16-19) Siye siziqonde izimo zengqondo nezenzo azithandayo. Okukhona sifunda ngobuntu nangeendlela zikaYehova, kokukhona siya kuvumela indlela acinga ngayo ukuba isikhokele xa sisenza izigqibo kwaye ibe nempembelelo nakwizenzo zethu. Ngaloo ndlela, kwanaxa kungekho  mthetho weBhayibhile ucacileyo, sinako ukubona “into okuyiyo ukuthanda kukaYehova.”—Efese 5:17.

⁹ Ngokomzekelo, iBhayibhile ayinamyalelo ungqalileyo uthi singayibukeli imifanekiso eshukumayo okanye iinkqubo zikamabonwakude ezibonisa ugonyamelo namanyala. Kodwa ke, ngaba kuyimfuneko na ukuba side sibe nomthetho ocacileyo othi singazibukeli ezi zinto? Siyayazi indlela uYehova azijonga ngayo. ILizwi lakhe aligwegwelezi kulo mba, lithi: “Umphefumlo [kaYehova] umthiyile ngokuqinisekileyo nabani na othanda ugonyamelo.” (INdumiso 11:5) Likwathi: “UThixo uya kubagweba abahenyuzi nabakrexezi.” (Hebhere 13:4) Xa siwacingisisa kakuhle la mazwi aphefumlelweyo, kuya kuthi thaa ezingqondweni zethu ukuthanda kukaYehova. Ngoko ke, sikhetha ukungazonwabisi ngokubukela imikhwa ethiyiweyo nguThixo wethu isenziwa ngokuphandle. Siyazi ukuba uYehova uyavuya xa siwabaleka amanyala eli hlabathi elizama ukuwenza into engeyongozi. *

10, 11. Kutheni sikhetha ukuthobela uYehova, yaye luhlobo olunjani lokuthobela esilunikela kuye?

¹⁰ Sisiphi esona sizathu singundoqo sokugcina imiyalelo kaThixo? Kutheni kufuneka mihla le siphile ngendlela esimazi ecinga ngayo uThixo? Asikhethi kwenza izinto ngale ndlela kuba sibaleka isohlwayo okanye imiphumo ebuhlungu ehlela abo bangakunanziyo ukuthanda kukaThixo. (Galati 6:7) Kunoko, ukuthobela uYehova sikujonga njengethuba elihle lokubonisa indlela esimthanda ngayo. Kanye njengokuba umntwana ekulangazelela ukukholisa uyise, nathi ke siyakulangazelela ukukholisa uYehova. (INdumiso 5:12) UnguBawo wethu, ibe siyamthanda. Ayikho into esivuyisa nesanelisa ngaphezu  kokwazi ukuba siphila ngendlela ‘ezuza inkoliseko kaYehova.’—IMizekeliso 12:2.

¹¹ Ngenxa yoko asithobeli sikrikriza; kananjalo asizikhethi izinto esizithobelayo okanye sithobele kwiimeko ezithile kuphela. * Asithobeli kuphela xa izinto ziza kusilungela okanye xa singayi kusokola kangako ngokuthobela. Kunoko, ‘sithobela ngokusuka entliziyweni.’ (Roma 6:17) Iimvakalelo zethu zichazwa kakuhle ngumdumisi weBhayibhile xa esithi: “Ndiya kubonisa ukuyithanda imiyalelo yakho leyo ndiyithandayo.” (INdumiso 119:47) Ewe, siyakuthanda ukuthobela uYehova. Siyayamkela into yokuba ufuna—kwaye ufanelwe—kukuthotyelwa ngokupheleleyo naphantsi kwaziphi na iimeko. (Duteronomi 12:32) Sifuna uYehova athethe ngathi amazwi awawathetha ngoNowa, abhalwe kwiLizwi lakhe. Xa ithetha ngalo solusapho uthembekileyo, owamthandayo uThixo ngokumthobela kangangamashumi eminyaka, iBhayibhile ithi: “Wenza ke uNowa njengako konke oko uThixo abemyalele kona. Wenza kanye njengoko.”—Genesis 6:22.

12. Kuxa kutheni apho ukuthobela kwethu kusenza intliziyo kaYehova ibe nemihlali?

¹² Uye azive njani uYehova xa simthobela ngeentliziyo ezivumayo? ILizwi lakhe lithi xa sisenjenjalo senza ‘intliziyo yakhe ibe nemihlali.’ (IMizekeliso 27:11) Ngaba ngokwenene ukuthobela kwethu kuyenza ibe nemihlali intliziyo yeNkosi enguMongami wendalo iphela? Kunjalo kanye—kwaye unezizathu zokuba nemihlali! UYehova wasidala ngendlela yokuba sikwazi ukuzikhethela. Loo nto ithetha ukuba sikhululekile ukuba sikhethe ukuthobela uThixo, okanye sikhethe ukungamthobeli. (Duteronomi  30:15, 16, 19, 20) Xa sikhetha ukumthobela uYehova siqhutywa yintliziyo ezaliswe kukumthanda, simenza abe nemihlali novuyo uBawo osezulwini. (IMizekeliso 11:20) Nathi sukube sizikhethela eyona ndlela ifanelekileyo yokuphila.

13, 14. Kutheni kunokutshiwo ukuba ‘imiyalelo kaThixo ayinzima,’ kwaye sinokuyizekelisa njani loo nto?

¹³ Umpostile uYohane usichazela nto ithile esiqinisekisayo ngezinto ezifunwa nguYehova, xa esithi: “Ayinzima imiyalelo yakhe.” Igama lesiXhosa elithi “ayinzima” elikweyoku-1 kaYohane 5:3 liguqulelwe kwelesiGrike elithetha “uxanduva.” * Enye inguqulelo yeBhayibhile kule ndinyana ifundeka ngolu hlobo: “Imiyalelo yakhe ayisisindi.” (New English Translation) UYehova akathi masenze izinto ezingekho ngqiqweni okanye ezinzima. Imithetho yakhe inokuthotyelwa ngabantu abangafezekanga.

¹⁴ Masenze umzekeliso. Masithi umhlobo wakho uyakucela ukuba umncedise xa efudukela kwenye indlu. Uneebhokisi ezininzi ekufuneka zithuthwe. Ezinye zilula kangangokuba zinokuphathwa ngumntu omnye, kodwa ezinye zinzima kwaye zifuna abantu ababini ukuze ziphakanyiswe. Masithi ke ngumhlobo wakho okukhethela ibhokisi afuna umthwalele yona. Ngaba ebeya kukukhethela iibhokisi aziyo ukuba zinzima kakhulu ukuba ungazithwala? Nakanye. Kaloku akangethandi ukuba uzenzakalise ngokuzama ukuzithwala wedwa. Ngendlela efanayo ke, uThixo wethu onothando nonobubele akasiceli ukuba  sithobele imiyalelo ekunzima kakhulu ukuyithobela. (Duteronomi 30:11-14) Soze asicele ukuba simthwalele umthwalo onzima. UYehova uyazazi iintsilelo zethu, kuba “uyakwazi ukuyilwa kwethu, ekhumbula ukuba siluthuli.”—INdumiso 103:14.

15. Kutheni sinokuqiniseka ukuba imiyalelo kaYehova yenzelwe ukuba kulungelwe thina?

¹⁵ Ngokuqinisekileyo imiyalelo kaYehova ayinzimanga; yenzelwe ukunceda kwathina. (Funda uIsaya 48:17) Ngenxa yoko, uMoses wachazela amaSirayeli amandulo la mazwi: “UYehova wasiyalela ukuba siyenze le miyalelo yonke, ukuba simoyike uYehova uThixo wethu ukuze kulunge kuthi ngamaxesha onke, size sihlale siphila njengokuba kunjalo namhla.” (Duteronomi 6:24) Nathi sinokuqiniseka ukuba, ngokusinika imithetho yakhe, uYehova ufuna kulungelwe thina—ngonaphakade. Phofu ke, ibinokuba yiyiphi enye injongo? UYehova nguThixo onobulumko obungaphele ndawo. (Roma 11:33) Ngoko uyazazi izinto ezisilungeleyo. UYehova ukwaluthando lumntwisiwe. (1 Yohane 4:8) Luthando, olona phawu abalasele ngalo, oluphembelela yonke into ayithethayo nayenzayo. Isekelwe phezu kwalo yonke imiyalelo ayinika abakhonzi bakhe.

16. Kutheni sinako ukuqhubeka sithobela nangona kukho impembelelo yehlabathi elonakeleyo kwaye singafezekanga?

¹⁶ Oku akuthethi kuthi ukuthobela uThixo kulula. Simele silwe nempembelelo yeli hlabathi lonakeleyo “lisemandleni ongendawo.” (1 Yohane 5:19) Simele kananjalo silwe nokungafezeki kwethu, okusenza sityekele ekwaphuleni imithetho kaThixo. (Roma 7:21-25) Kodwa ukuthanda kwethu uThixo kunokusenza siphumelele. UYehova uyabasikelela abo bafuna ukubonisa indlela abamthanda ngayo ngokumthobela. Ubanika umoya wakhe oyingcwele “abo bamthobelayo njengomlawuli.” (IZenzo 5:32) Lo moya usenza sivelise isiqhamo esihle—iimpawu  ezinqwenelekayo ezinokusinceda sihlale sithobela.—Galati 5:22, 23.

17, 18. (a) Yintoni esiza kuyixubusha kule ncwadi, kwaye yintoni esifanele siyikhumbule xa siyixubushayo? (b) Yintoni esiza kuyixubusha kwisahluko esilandelayo?

¹⁷ Kule ncwadi, siza kuxubusha imigaqo kaYehova nemilinganiselo yakhe yokuziphatha nazo zonke izinto ezisibonisa ukuthanda kwakhe. Xa sizixubusha, kufuneka sikhumbule izinto eziliqela ezibalulekileyo. Simele sikhumbule ukuba uYehova akasinyanzeli ukuba sithobele imithetho nemigaqo yakhe; ufuna ukuba abantu bamthobele ngokuzithandela. Singalibali ke nokuba uYehova ufuna siphile ngendlela eya kusizisela intabalala yeentsikelelo ngoku neya kusikhokelela kubomi obungunaphakade kwixesha elizayo. Masijonge ukuthobela kwethu ngokuzithandela njengethuba elihle lokubonisa uYehova indlela esimthanda ngayo.

¹⁸ UYehova usiphe izazela ukuze sikwazi ukuqonda okulungileyo kokubi. Kodwa ke, ukuze izazela zethu zisikhokelele kwicala elifanelekileyo, kufuneka siziqeqeshe, ibe isahluko esilandelayo siza kuwuxovula lo mba.