USara * uthi: “Ndingumntu oneentloni, futhi andizithembanga. Andikhululeki xa ndikunye nabantu abazithembe kakhulu nabathanda ukulwa. Ndiyakhululeka xa ndihleli nomntu olulamileyo nothobekileyo. Kuba lula ukuba ndincokole naye, ndimxelele indlela endiziva ngayo neengxaki zam. Nabahlobo bam banje.”

Le nto ithethwa nguSara ibonisa ukuba ukululama kusenza sithandwe ngabantu. NoYehova uyamthanda umntu olulamileyo. ILizwi lakhe lithi: “Nxibani umoya ozolileyo [okanye ukululama].” (Kol. 3:12) Yintoni ukululama? UYesu wakubonisa njani? Kungasinceda njani?

Ukuze ululame, kufuneka uqale ngokuba ngumntu onoxolo. Umntu olulamileyo, ubaphatha kakuhle abantu, unobubele ibe uhlala ezolile nokuba kukho into emcaphukisayo.

Umntu xa elulamile, akuthethi kuthi uligwala. Igama lesiGrike elithetha ukululama lalidla ngokusetyenziswa xa kuthethwa ngehashe ebelizihlalela endle, lathathwa, laza laqeqeshwa. Ihashe lona lisenawo amandla, kodwa liye laqeqeshelwa ukuba likwazi ukuwasebenzisa kakuhle. Nakuthi, ukululama kuthetha ukuba siyakwazi ukuzibamba size sihlalisane ngoxolo nabanye.

Unokuthi: ‘Mna andingomntu ululamileyo.’ Kusenokuba nzima ukuba silulame kuba siphila nabantu abathanda ukulwa nabangenamonde. (Roma 7:19) Kufuneka sisebenze nyhani ukuze silulame, ibe noYehova uza kusinceda ngomoya wakhe oyingcwele ukuze sikwazi ukululama. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Kutheni kufuneka sisebenze kakhulu ukuze silulame?

Umntu olulamileyo uyathandwa ngabantu. Nathi, njengoSara ekuthethwe ngaye ekuqaleni, siyakuthanda ukuba kunye nabantu abalulamileyo. Oyena mntu wayelulamile nowayenobubele esimele sifunde kuye nguYesu. (2 Kor. 10:1) Nabantwana ababengamqhelanga babefuna ukuhlala naye.​—Marko 10:13-16.

Ukululama kunceda thina nabo bakunye nathi. Xa silulamile, asikhawulezi ukucaphuka  okanye senze izinto ngomsindo. (IMize. 16:32) Loo nto iza kwenza ukuba singabakhathazi abantu esibathandayo, size emva koko sizisole. Ukululama kuza kunceda nabantu esikunye nabo, kuba siza kukwazi ukuzibamba size singabakhathazi.

UYesu wayexakeke zizinto ezininzi, kodwa wahlala elulamile. Abantu abaninzi ngexesha lakhe babesokola benazo neengxaki ezinkulu, ngoko babedinga into eza kubahlaziya. Inoba yabathuthuzela nyhani into eyathethwa nguYesu esithi: “Yizani kum . . . kuba ndizolile, ndithobekile.”​—Mat. 11:28, 29.

Singalulama njani njengoYesu? KwiLizwi LikaThixo, sifunda indlela uYesu awabaphatha ngayo abanye abantu nezinto awayezenza xa kunzima. Ngoko nathi, xa iimeko zinzima, siye sizame ukululama njengaye. (1 Pet. 2:21) Nazi izinto ezintathu ezanceda uYesu walulama.

UYesu wayethobekile. Wathi “uzolile kwaye uthobekile.” (Mat. 11:29) IBhayibhile ithetha ngazo zombini ezi mpawu kuba zibufana.​—Efe. 4:1-3.

Ukuthobeka kusinceda singakhutyekiswa yiyo yonk’ into le. Wathini uYesu xa abantu babexoka ngaye besithi ‘unyolukile ibe usoloko esela iwayini?’ Wabonisa ukuba bayaxoka, ngendlela awayezenza ngayo izinto, kuba “ubulumko bubonakala ngezenzo.”​—Mat. 11:19.

Ukuba umntu uthetha into ongayithandiyo ngebala lakho, ngokuba uyindoda okanye ulibhinqa, okanye ngendawo osuka kuyo, zama ukumphendula uzolile. UPeter, umdala waseMzantsi Afrika uthi: “Xa ndicatshukiswe yinto ethethwa ngumntu, ndiye ndizibuze, ‘ebeza kuthini yena uYesu?’” Uphind’ athi: “Ndiyekile ukukhutyekiswa yiyo yonk’ into le.”

UYesu wayesazi ukuba abantu abafezekanga. Abafundi bakaYesu babefuna ukwenza izinto ezintle, kodwa ngenxa yokuba babengafezekanga, babekhe benze iimpazamo. Ngokomzekelo, ngobusuku bangaphambi kokuba uYesu afe, wacela uPetros, uYakobi noYohane ukuba bangalali, kodwa bona balala. UYesu wayeqonda ukuba “intliziyo iyafuna ukwenza okulungileyo, kodwa wona umzimba ubuthathaka.” (Mat. 26:40, 41) Loo nto yamenza ukuba angacaphuki.

UMandy ngudade owayethanda ukugxeka abantu. Kodwa ngoku usebenza nzima ukuze alulame njengoYesu. Uthi: “Ngoku ndiyazi ukuba abantu abafezekanga, ibe njengoYehova, ndijonga izinto ezintle kubo.” Ucinga ukuba indlela uYesu awayebacingela ngayo abantu abangafezekanga, ingakunceda ubaphathe kakuhle abanye abantu?

UYesu wayemthembile uThixo. Xa wayelapha emhlabeni, uYesu wayenyamezela ukuphathwa kakubi. Abantu babengamqondi kakuhle, bemcaphukela kwaye bemenza izinto ezibuhlungu. Wahlala ezolile, kuba ‘wayethembele kuLowo ugweba ngobulungisa.’ (1 Pet. 2:23) UYesu wayesazi ukuba uTata wakhe wayeza kumnceda anyamezele, ibe ngexesha lakhe, wayeza kubaphendulisa abantu ababemphethe kakubi.

Ukuba siphathwa kakubi size sibe nomsindo, sisenokwenza izinto zibe mbi kakhulu. Yiloo nto iZibhalo zisithi: “Ukucaphuka akumenzi umntu abe lilungisa emehlweni kaThixo.” (Yak. 1:20) Nokuba sinesizathu sokucaphuka, ukungafezeki kunokusenza senze into engathandekiyo.

Udade waseJamani onguCathy wayedla ngokuthi: “Ukuba akuzilweli, uza kulwelwa ngubani?” Kodwa emva kokuba ethembele ngoYehova, wayeka ukucinga ngolo hlobo. Uthi: “Ndayeka ukuhlala ndicinga ngokuzilwela. Ngoku ndivele ndizole, kuba ndiyazi ukuba uYehova uza kuyilungisa yonk’ into.” Ukuba uye waphathwa kakubi, linganisa uYesu, uthembele ngoThixo, loo nto iza kukunceda uzole.

UYesu wayenza yacaca into yokuba, ukuba sifuna ukonwaba, kufuneka silulame. Wathi: “Bonwabile abo balulamileyo.” (Mat. 5:5) Khawufunde ngezinye iindlela okusinceda ngazo ukululama.

Ukululama kuyawehlisa umsindo emtshatweni. Umzalwana waseOstreliya, uRobert, uthi: “Zininzi izinto endazithetha ndingacinganga kumkam. Kodwa awunakuphinda uwaginye amazwi owathethe unomsindo. Ndakhathazeka kakhulu ndakubona indlela endimkhathaze ngayo.”

“Sonke sihlala sizenza iimpazamo” xa sithetha. Amazwi esiwathetha singacinganga, anokuzisa iingxaki emtshatweni. (Yak. 3:2) Ukululama kunokusinceda sizole, size sicinge ngaphambi kokuba sithethe.​—IMize. 17:27.

URobert wasebenza nzima ukuze akwazi ukuzola nokuzibamba. Imncede njani loo nto? Uthi: “Ngoku, xa singaboni ngasonye nomkam, ndiye ndimamele kakuhle, ndithethe ndizolile, ndize ndingacaphuki. Ngoku emtshatweni wethu kumnandi kakhulu.”

Xa silulamile, siba nabahlobo. Abantu abanochuku, ababi nabahlobo baninzi. Kodwa ukululama kusenza “sihlale siseluxolweni.” (Efe. 4:2, 3) UCathy ekuthethwe ngaye uthi: “Ngenxa yokululama, ndiyonwaba xa ndihleli nabanye abantu, ngoxa kunzima ukuhlala nabanye.”

Xa silulamile, siba noxolo. IBhayibhile idibanisa “ubulumko obuvela phezulu” nokululama noxolo. (Yak. 3:13, 17) Umntu olulamileyo ‘unentliziyo ezolileyo.’ (IMize. 14:30) UMartin, oye wasebenza nzima ukuze alulame, uthi: “Ngoku andisafuni kuviwe ngam, ibe loo nto indenza ndonwabe ndize ndibe noxolo.”

Inyaniso kukuba, kusenokufuneka sisebenze nzima ukuze sikwazi ukululama. Omnye umzalwana uthi: “Nangoku, xa nditheth’ inyani, kusekho izinto ezindenza ndivuthe ngumsindo.” Kodwa uYehova osikhuthaza ukuba sizame ukululama, uza kusinceda. (Isa. 41:10; 1 Tim. 6:11) Uza ‘kusiqeqesha ngokupheleleyo aze asiqinise.’ (1 Pet. 5:10) Nathi sizode sifane nompostile uPawulos, ‘sithobeke size sibe nobubele obufana nobukaKristu.’​—2 Kor. 10:1.