UMPHOSTOLI uPhawuli wabhala ngezimpawu ezingu-9 ezibakhona emuntwini ngenxa yokusebenza komoya ongcwele. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Izimpawu lezi zibizwa ngokuthi ‘yizithelo zomoya.’ * Kanti njalo ziyingxenye ‘yoqobo olutsha’ okumele silwembathe. (Kol. 3:10) Njengoba isihlahla sithela izithelo nxa sinakekelwa kuhle, lomuntu oqondiswa ngumoya ongcwele empilweni yakhe ukhanya ngokuba lezithelo zomoya.​—Hubo. 1:1-3.

Uphawu lokuqala uPhawuli akhuluma ngalo luthando. Luqakathekile uphawu lolu ngoba uPhawuli wathi ‘wayengasilutho’ nxa engelalo uthando. (1 Khor. 13:2) Kodwa luyini uthando? Singenzani ukuze sibe lalo njalo singatshengisa njani nsuku zonke ukuthi silothando?

Lanxa singeke sitsho ukuthi luyini uthando, iBhayibhili lisitshela okunengi okwenza sizwisise ukuthi lukhanya njani. Ngokwesibonelo lithi uthando ‘luyabekezela, lulomusa, luthokozela iqiniso, luhlezi luvikela, luhlezi lukholwa, luhlezi luthemba njalo luhlezi lubekezela.’ Umuntu olothando ulendaba labanye, uyabakhathalela futhi uqotho kubo. Kodwa umuntu ongelathando ukhanya ngokuba lomhawu, ukuzigqaja, ubuqholo, ukungabi lendaba labanye, ukuzonda abanye lokungaxoleli. Kulokuthi sibe njalo thina sifuna ukuba lothando oluqotho ‘olungazifuneli okwalo.’​—1 Khor. 13:4-8.

IBhayibhili lithi “uNkulunkulu uluthando.” (1 Joh. 4:8) Konke akwenzayo kutshengisa ukuthi ulothando olumangalisayo. Ngokwesibonelo wathumela uJesu ukuthi azosifela. Umphostoli uJohane wathi: “UNkulunkulu walubonakalisa kanje uthando lwakhe kithi: Wathumela emhlabeni iNdodana yakhe eyiyo yodwa ukuba siphile ngayo. Lolu luthando: Kungayisikuthi sasimthanda uNkulunkulu, kodwa ukuthi yena wasithanda wathumela iNdodana yakhe njengomhlatshelo wenhlawulo yezono zethu.” (1 Joh. 4:9, 10) Lokhu kwasivulela ithuba lokuthethelelwa njalo kwasinika lethemba lokuthola ukuphila okungapheliyo.

UJesu laye watshengisa ukuthi uyasithanda ngokuvuma ukwenza intando kaYise. UPhawuli wabhala wathi: “[UJesu] wathi: ‘Ngilapha, ngilande ukuzakwenza intando yakho.’ . . . Njalo ngaleyontando senziwe sabangcwele ngomhlatshelo womzimba kaJesu Khristu kanye kuphela.” (Heb. 10:9, 10) Akulamuntu ongenelisa ukutshengisa uthando olunjalo. UJesu wathi: “Kakho olothando kulaye onikela ukuphila kwakhe kubangane bakhe.” (Joh. 15:13) Kodwa kungenzakala yini ukuthi thina abantu abalesono sibe lothando njengoJehova loJesu? Ye kungenzakala. Ake sibone ukuthi singakwenza njani.

UPhawuli wathi: “Wobani ngabalingiseli bakaNkulunkulu, njengabantwana abathandwa kakhulu liphile impilo yothando,  njengalokho uKhristu wasithanda wazinikela ngenxa yethu.” (Efe. 5:1, 2) ‘Ukuphila impilo yothando’ kutsho ukuba lothando kukho konke esikwenzayo nsuku zonke. Uthando olunjalo lubonakala ngezenzo hatshi ngokutsho ngomlomo nje. UJohane wabhala wathi: “Bantwana abathandekayo, kasingathandi ngamazwi loba ulimi kuphela kodwa ngezenzo langeqiniso.” (1 Joh. 3:18) Ngokwesibonelo nxa silothando sizakhuthalela ukutshela abantu ‘ivangeli loMbuso.’ (Mat. 24:14; Luk. 10:27) Kanti njalo nxa siphila impilo yothando sizakuba ngabantu ababekezelayo, abalomusa njalo abathethelelayo. IBhayibhili lithi: “Thethelelani njengoba iNkosi yalithethelela.”​—Kol. 3:13.

Ukuba lothando esikhuluma ngalo akutsho ukuthi akusamelanga sikhuze loba siqondise abanye nxa bephambanisa. Ngokwesibonelo umzali ototoza umntwana umnika loba yini ayifunayo nxa engakhala. Kodwa umzali omthandayo umntanakhe kasoze enze njalo. Lanxa uNkulunkulu eluthando ‘uyabalaya bonke abathandayo.’ (Heb. 12:6) Ngakho nxa siphila impilo yothando sizabanika iseluleko abanye nxa kufanele. (Zaga. 3:11, 12) Kodwa kumele sikhumbule ukuthi lathi silesono futhi siyaphambanisa lokuthi kungaba khona lapho okudingakala ukuthi sithuthukise indlela esitshengisa ngayo uthando. Singakwenza njani lokhu? Ake sibone.

Okokuqala, thandaza kuNkulunkulu ucele umoya wakhe ukuze wenelise ukuba lothando. UJesu wathi uJehova uyabapha ‘umoya ongcwele labo abawucelayo.’ (Luk. 11:13) Nxa singathandazela umoya ongcwele futhi sizimisele ‘ukuphila impilo yothando,’ esikwenzayo kuzatshengisa ukuthi silothando. (Gal. 5:16) Ngokwesibonelo nxa ungumdala webandla thandaza ucele umoya ongcwele ukuze ukusize ube lothando nxa unika abanye iseluleko esivela eMibhalweni. Ikanti nxa ungumzali cela uNkulunkulu akusize ngomoya wakhe ongcwele ukuze ulaye abantwabakho ngothando hatshi ngolaka.

Okwesibili, cabangisisa ngalokho okwenziwa nguJesu lanxa wayephathwa kubi. (1 Phet. 2:21, 23) Ukulingisela isibonelo sakhe kungakunceda ikakhulu nxa abanye bekuphathe kubi. Ngezikhathi ezinjalo kungaba kuhle ukuzibuza umbuzo lo, ‘Aluba bekunguJesu ubezakwenzani?’ Omunye udadewethu okuthiwa nguLeigh ubika ukuthi ukuzibuza umbuzo lo kwamnceda kakhulu. Uthi: “Ngelinye ilanga omunye umama engangisebenza laye wathumeza umlayezo kwabanye esasisebenza labo engichothoza futhi ekhuluma kubi ngomsebenzi engangiwenza. Ngezwa ubuhlungu. Loba kunjalo ngazibuza ukuthi, ‘Ngingamlingisela njani uJesu esimeni lesi?’ Sengihlolisisile ukuthi uJesu wayezakwenzani ngabona kungcono ukuthi ngiyekele indaba idlule. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ngezwa ukuthi umama lo wayehlutshwa ngumkhuhlane othile owawumenza ahlale ekhathazekile kakhulu. Ngakho ngaphetha ngokuthi lokhu ayengenze khona kwakungabe kubangelwe yibunzima ayephakathi kwabo. Ukucabanga ngesibonelo sikaJesu kwangisiza ukuthi ngimtshengise uthando owesifazana lo engangisebenza laye.” Nxa lathi singalingisela isibonelo sikaJesu sizahlala silothando ngazo zonke izikhathi.

Okwesithathu, woba ngumuntu ozimisele ukwenza loba yini ukuze usize abanye. Ukuba lothando olunjalo kuzatshengisa ukuthi ungumlandeli kaKhristu weqiniso. (Joh. 13:34, 35) IMibhalo isikhuthaza ukuthi sibe ‘lesimo sengqondo esifana lesikaJesu.’ Ngokwesibonelo “wazenza ize” wavuma ukubuya emhlabeni futhi wahlupheka ngenxa yethu “kwaze kwaba sekufeni.” (Flp. 2:5-8) Nxa lathi singaba lothando olunjengolukaJesu sizamlingisela kukho konke esikwenzayo futhi  sizimisele ukuqakathekisa izidingo zabanye ukwedlula ezethu.

Zinengi izibusiso esizitholayo nxa silothando. Ake sibone ezinye zakhona.

• UKUMANYANA: Ngenxa yokuthi silothando siyakwazi ukuthi loba singaze siye kuliphi ibandla emhlabeni wonke abafowethu labodadewethu bazasamukela ngazo zombili. Kuyisibusiso sibili ukuba phakathi kwenhlanganiso elabazalwane abalothando olungaka. (1 Phet. 5:9) Ayikho enye indawo ongaluthola khona!

• UKUTHULA: ‘Ukubekezelelana ethandweni’ kuyasisiza ukuthi ‘sigcine ukumanyana ngesibopho sokuthula.’ (Efe. 4:2, 3) Lokhu yikho kanye esikubona nxa sisemihlanganweni yebandla leyesiqinti leyezabelo. Ukuthula okunjalo akwandanga emhlabeni lo esiphila kuwo ogcwele ukungazwanani. (Hubo. 119:165; Isaya. 54:13) Nxa sihlalisana kuhle labanye siyabe sitshengisa ukuthi siyabathanda kakhulu futhi lokhu kuyamthokozisa uBaba wethu osezulwini.​—Hubo. 133:1-3; Mat. 5:9.

UPhawuli wabhala wathi: “Uthando luyakha.” (1 Khor. 8:1) Kwenzakala njani lokhu? Kusahluko 13 sencwadi yokuqala uPhawuli ayibhalela abaseKhorinte wachaza ukuthi uthando lukwenza njani lokhu. Abanengi babiza isahluko lesi ngokuthi “Ihubo Lothando.” UPhawuli wathi uthando kaluzifuneli okwalo. (1 Khor. 10:24; 13:5) Waphinda wathi luyabekezela, lulomusa, luyakhathalela futhi luqotho. Ngakho nxa singaba lothando sizathokoza ezimulini zethu futhi simanyane emabandleni esikuwo.​—Kol. 3:14.

Ukuthanda uNkulunkulu kwenza sithande abafowethu labodadewethu kungelani lokuthi badabuka ngaphi, bakhuluma limi bani loba ukuthi bangumhlobo bani futhi kwenza senelise ‘ukukhonza simanyene.’ (Zef. 3:9) Ngakho kasizimiseleni ukuba lothando nsuku zonke.