IBHAYIBHELI lisho ngokucacile: Indoda kufanele ‘ithande umkayo njengoba izithanda yona.’ Nomfazi ngokunjalo kufanele “abe nenhlonipho ejulile ngomyeni wakhe.” Bobabili kufanele bafeze izindima zabo njengabantu ‘abanyamanye.’ (Efe. 5:33; Gen. 2:23, 24) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, basondelana nakakhulu nothando lwabo luqine. Ungase ukufanise nezimpande zezihlahla ezimbili ezisondelene. Imizwa yendoda nomkayo abanomshado ojabulisayo iyahlangana ithandelane.

Kodwa kuthiwani-ke uma indoda noma umfazi efa? Kuleso simo, siyanqamuka isibopho okungafanele sinqanyulwe lapho besaphila. Umfelwa noma umfelokazi ngokuvamile usala nobuhlungu benhliziyo, isizungu, mhlawumbe nentukuthelo noma umuzwa wecala. Phakathi neminyaka engu-58 eshadile, uDaniella wayazi abantu abaningi abashonelwa abantu ababeshade nabo. * Kodwa ngemva kokushona komyeni wakhe, wathi: “Ngangingaqondi ukuthi umuntu obhekene nalesi simo uzizwa kanjani. Lesi simo ngeke usiqonde kuze kube yilapho usubhekene naso.”

Abacwaningi abathile bagomela ngokuthi akukho ukucindezeleka okwedlula okubangelwa ukufelwa othandekayo wakho. Abantu abaningi abafelwe bayavumelana nalokho. Umyeni kaMillie washona eminyakeni eminingi edlule. Uma echaza impilo yakhe ewumfelokazi, uthi: “Kunjengokungathi ngikhubazekile.” Wayebhekisele esimweni sakhe esingokomzwelo, esabangelwa  ukufelwa umyeni wakhe okwase kuphele iminyaka engu-25 beshadile.

USusan wayevame ukuba nomuzwa wokuthi abafelokazi abalilela abayeni babo iminyaka eminingi babebonisa ukudabuka ngokweqile. Kwabe sekushona umyeni wakhe ngemva kweminyaka engu-38 beshadile. Sekuphele iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-20 ashona, kodwa uthi, “Ngimcabanga nsuku zonke.” Uvame ukukhala izinyembezi ngenxa yokuthi umkhumbula kakhulu.

IBhayibheli liyakufakazela ukuthi ubuhlungu bokushonelwa umuntu oshade naye buyahlukumeza futhi abupheli. Ngesikhathi kushone uSara, u-Abrahama umyeni wakhe, ‘wamlilela futhi wamkhalela.’ (Gen. 23:1, 2) Nakuba ayenokholo ovukweni, u-Abrahama wezwa ubuhlungu obukhulu lapho othandekayo wakhe efa. (Heb. 11:17-19) Ngemva kokufa komkakhe othandekayo uRaheli, uJakobe akasheshanga ukumkhohlwa. Wakhuluma kahle ngaye emadodaneni akhe.—Gen. 44:27; 48:7.

Isiphi isifundo okufanele sisifunde kulezi zibonelo eziseBhayibhelini? Kuphela iminyaka abafelokazi nabafelwa bezwa ubuhlungu. Akufanele sibheke izinyembezi nezikhathi zabo zokudabuka njengobuthakathaka, kodwa njengesimo esiqondakalayo esibangelwa ukulahlekelwa kwabo okukhulu. Bangase badinge ukuba sibasekele futhi sibabonise uzwela isikhathi eside.

Akulula ngomfelwa noma ngomfelokazi ukubuyela ekuphileni kokuba ongashadile. Ngemva kweminyaka eshadile, ngokuvamile umyeni usuke eseyazi indlela yokududuza umkakhe uma edangele, ephansi noma ekhungathekile. Uma eseshonile umyeni, uthando nenduduzo umkakhe ayekuthola kuyaphela. Ngokufanayo, ngokuhamba kwesikhathi umfazi ufunda indlela yokwenza umyeni wakhe azizwe elondekile futhi ejabule. Umyeni wakhe akeve ekwazisa ukumthinta kwakhe ngothando, amazwi amnandi nokuzinaka kwakhe izinto azithandayo nazidingayo. Uma umkakhe efa, angase azizwe efelwe yizwe. Yingakho abanye abashonelwe ababeshade nabo bebheka ikusasa ngokungaqiniseki nangokwesaba. Isiphi isimiso seBhayibheli esingabasiza ukuba bathole ukulondeka nokuthula?

“Ningalokothi nikhathazeke ngosuku olulandelayo, ngoba usuku olulandelayo luyoba nezalo izinkathazo. Ububi bosuku ngalunye banele lona.” (Math. 6:34) Nakuba la mazwi kaJesu esebenza ngokukhethekile ezidingweni zenyama, aye asiza abaningi ukuba babhekane nosizi lokufelwa othandekayo. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezithile eshonelwe umkakhe, uCharles wabhala: “Ngisamkhumbula kakhulu uMonique, ngezinye izikhathi kuba kubi kakhulu. Nokho, ngiyaqonda ukuthi lokhu kungokwemvelo futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi buyogcina budambile ubuhlungu.”

Yebo, uCharles kwakumelwe akhuthazelele ‘ukuhamba kwesikhathi.’ Wakwazi kanjani ukukhuthazela? Wathi: “Ngosizo lukaJehova ngangibhekana nosuku ngalunye ngesikhathi.” UCharles akazange akhungathekiswe usizi. Ubuhlungu bakhe abuzange buphele ngosuku olulodwa, kodwa futhi abumnqobanga. Uma ushonelwe oshade naye, lwela ukubhekana nosizi lwakho usuku ngalunye ngesikhathi. Awazi ukuthi usuku ngalunye lungakulethela siphi isikhuthazo noma inzuzo.

 Ukufa kwakungeyona ingxenye yenjongo kaJehova yokuqala. Ngokuphambene nalokho, kuyingxenye ‘yemisebenzi kaDeveli.’ (1 Joh. 3:8; Roma 6:23) USathane usebenzisa ukufa nokwesaba okulethwa yikho ukuze agcine abaningi besebugqilini futhi bengenathemba. (Heb. 2:14, 15) USathane ujabula afe lapho umuntu ephelelwa yithemba lokuthi uyoke athole injabulo yangempela nokwaneliseka, ngisho nasezweni elisha likaNkulunkulu. Ngakho, ukucindezeleka okuzwiwa oshonelwe kubangelwa isono sika-Adamu namaqhinga kaSathane. (Roma 5:12) UJehova uyowulungisa ngokuphelele umonakalo owabangelwa uSathane, ngokunqoba isikhali sakhe esinesihluku esiwukufa. Labo abakhululiwe ekwesabeni okubangelwa uSathane bahlanganisa nabaningi abaye bashonelwa abashade nabo, okungenzeka ukuthi ungomunye wabo.

Ngokusobala kuyoba nezinguquko eziningi ebuhlotsheni babantu ngokuphathelene nalabo abayovuselwa ekuphileni kwasemhlabeni. Cabanga ngabazali, omkhulu nogogo, nabanye okhokho abazovuka futhi bathuthukele ekubeni abantu abaphelele kanye nezingane zabo nabazukulu babo. Imiphumela yokuguga iyoqedwa. Kungenzeka yini kudingeke ukuba izingane zifunde ukubheka okhokho bazo ngendlela ehluke kakhulu kuleyo ezibabheka ngayo namuhla? Ingabe asikholelwa yini ukuthi izinguquko ezinjalo ziyoba ingxenye yokuthuthukiswa komkhaya wesintu?

Kunemibuzo eminingi engase icatshangwe ngalabo abazovuswa, njengephathelene nalabo abaye  bashonelwa kabili noma ngaphezulu abantu ababeshade nabo. AbaSadusi babuza umbuzo ngowesifazane owashonelwa umyeni wakhe wokuqala nowesibili nabanye abayeni abalandela. (Luka 20:27-33) Bayohlobana kanjani abantu abanjalo lapho sebevusiwe? Asazi, futhi asikho isidingo sokuqagela noma sokuphazamiseka ngezinto esingazazi. Okwamanje, kumelwe sithembele kuNkulunkulu. Iyodwa into esiqiniseka ngayo—noma yini uJehova ayoyenza esikhathini esizayo iyoba yinhle, iyoba yinto esingayilangazelela, hhayi eyesatshwayo.

Enye yezimfundiso ezicacile zeZwi likaNkulunkulu eyokuthi abantu abafile esibathandayo bayophinde baphile. Ukulandisa kweBhayibheli kokuvuswa kwabathile endulo kuqinisekisa ukuthi ‘bonke abasemathuneni bayokhunjulwa futhi bayolizwa izwi likaJesu baphume.’ (Joh. 5:28, 29) Abantu abayobe bephila ngaleso sikhathi bayothola injabulo lapho behlangana nalabo abayobe sebekhululiwe ekufeni. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, asikwazi ngisho nokuyicabanga injabulo eyozwiwa yilabo abavusiwe.

Njengoba beqhubeka bevuswa abafileyo, kuyochichima injabulo emhlabeni kunanini ngaphambili. Izigidigidi zabantu ababefile ziyophinde zibe phakathi kwabaphilayo. (Marku 5:39-42; IsAm. 20:13) Ukuzindla ngalesi simangaliso sesikhathi esizayo kufanele kubaduduze bonke abaye bafelwa abantu ababathandayo.

Ingabe ukhona umuntu oyoba nesizathu esizwakalayo ngempela sokungajabuli lapho kwenzeka lesi simangaliso sokubuyiselwa kwabantu ekuphileni? IBhayibheli liphendula ngocha. Ngokuka-Isaya 25:8, “empeleni [uJehova] uyokugwinya ukufa kuze kube phakade.” Lokho kuhlanganisa nokususwa ngokuphelele komphumela wokucindezeleka okubangelwa ukufa, ngoba lesi siprofetho siqhubeka sithi: “INkosi EnguMbusi uJehova ngokuqinisekile iyosula izinyembezi ebusweni bonke.” Uma udabukile ngenxa yokushonelwa umuntu owawushade naye, ngokuqinisekile uvuko luyisizathu sokuba ujabule.

Akekho umuntu okuqonda ngokuphelele lokho uNkulunkulu ayokwenza ezweni elisha. UJehova uthi: “Njengoba nje amazulu ephakeme kunomhlaba, kanjalo izindlela zami ziphakeme kunezindlela zenu, nemicabango yami kunemicabango yenu.”  (Isaya 55:9) Isithembiso sikaJesu ngovuko oluzayo sisinikeza ithuba lokuthemba uJehova njengoba kwenza u-Abrahama. Into esemqoka kumKristu ngamunye manje ukwenza lokho uNkulunkulu asicela ukuba sikwenze ukuze ‘sibalwe njengabakufanelekelayo ukuzuza leso simiso sezinto’ kanye nalabo abayobe bevusiwe.—Luka 20:35.

Kunokuba ube nexhala, hlakulela ukuba nethemba. Ngokombono womuntu, ikusasa lifiphele. Kodwa uJehova usinika ithemba lokuthile okungcono. Ngeke sazi ngokuqondile ukuthi uJehova uyozanelisa kanjani zonke izidingo nezifiso zethu, kodwa akufanele singabaze ukuthi uyozanelisa. Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Ithemba elibonwayo akulona ithemba, ngoba lapho umuntu eyibona into, usalokhu enethemba layo na? Kodwa uma sinethemba ngesingakuboni, siyaqhubeka sikulindela ngokukhuthazela.” (Roma 8:24, 25) Ithemba elinamandla ezithembisweni zikaNkulunkulu liyokusiza ukuba ukhuthazele. Ngokukhuthazela, uyozijabulela zonke lezi zinto ezinhle lapho uJehova ‘ekunika izicelo zenhliziyo yakho.’ Uyokwanelisa “isifiso sayo yonke into ephilayo.”—IHu. 37:4; 145:16; Luka 21:19.

Lapho sekusondele isikhathi sokuba uJesu afe, abaphostoli bakhe bakhathazeka kakhulu. UJesu wabaduduza ngala mazwi: “Ningazivumeli izinhliziyo zenu zikhathazeke. Bonisani ukholo kuNkulunkulu, nibonise ukholo nakimi.” Wabatshela: “Ngeke nginishiye nilahlekelwe. Ngiyeza kini.” (Joh. 14:1-4, 18, 27) Amazwi akhe ayeyonikeza abalandeli bakhe abagcotshiwe phakathi nawo wonke amakhulu eminyaka ayeyolandela isisekelo sethemba nokukhuthazela. Labo abalangazelela ukubona abathandekayo babo ovukweni, abanaso isizathu sokuphelelwa ithemba. UJehova neNdodana yakhe ngeke babashiye belahlekelwe. Qiniseka ngalokho!