UMPOSTILE UPAWULOS waphefumlelwa ukuba abhale ngeempawu ezisithoba eziveliswa ngumoya oyingcwele. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Uthi ezi mpawu xa zizonke zenza “isiqhamo somoya.” * Esi siqhamo sibonisa “ubuntu obutsha.” (Kol. 3:10) Kanye njengokuba umthi uye uvelise isiqhamo xa uhoyiwe, nomntu ke xa umoya oyingcwele usebenza kuye uvelisa isiqhamo sawo.—INdu. 1:1-3.

Inxalenye yokuqala yesiqhamo somoya athetha ngaso uPawulos luthando. Luxabiseke kangakanani? UPawulos wathi ngaphandle kothando, akayonto. (1 Kor. 13:2) Kodwa luyintoni uthando, ibe singenza njani ukuze sibe nalo size silubonise yonke imihla?

Nangona amazwi engenakuluchaza kakuhle uthando, iBhayibhile iyasichazela indlela esinokulubonakalisa ngayo. Ngokomzekelo, ithi uthando “luzeka kade umsindo yaye lunobubele.” Iphinda ithi “luvuyisana nenyaniso,” kwaye “luthwala izinto zonke, lukholelwa izinto zonke, luthemba izinto zonke, lunyamezela izinto zonke.” Umntu onothando uba nomsa ebantwini, abaxhalabele kwaye azive esondele kubo. Kanti umntu ongabathandiyo abantu uba nomona, ikratshi, wenza izinto eziphantsi, uzicingela yedwa, unenzondo kwaye akaxoleli. Ngokwahlukileyo kwezi mpawu zityhila inkohlakalo nokuzicingela, uthando esinqwenela ukuba nalo thina “alufuni ezalo izilangazelelo.”—1 Kor. 13:4-8.

“UThixo uluthando.” UYehova ungumthombo wothando. (1 Yoh. 4:8) Yonke imisebenzi nezenzo zakhe zingqina uthando analo. Eyona ndlela igqwesileyo awabathanda ngayo abantu kukuthumela kwakhe uYesu ukuza kusifela. Umpostile uYohane wathi: “Kwabonakaliswa ngale [nto] ukusithanda kukaThixo, ngokuthi uThixo athumele uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo ehlabathini ukuze sizuze ubomi ngaye. Ngoko ayisithi esamthandayo uThixo, koko nguye owasithandayo waza wathumela uNyana wakhe njengombingelelo wokucamagushela izono zethu.” (1 Yoh. 4:9, 10) Ngenxa yokuba uThixo esithanda, siyakwazi ukuxolelwa, ukuba nethemba nokufumana ubomi.

UYesu wayingqina into yokuba uyabathanda abantu ngokuthi enze ukuthanda kukaThixo. UPawulos wabhala amazwi awathethwa nguYesu athi: “Khangela! Ndiyeza ukuza kwenza intando yakho . . . Kungenxa yale ‘ntando’ yakhe le nto siye sangcwaliswa ngokunikelwa komzimba kaYesu Kristu kwaba kanye.” (Heb. 10:9, 10) Alukho uthando olugqitha olu. UYesu wathi: “Akukho bani unothando olukhulu kunolu, lokuba uthile anikezele umphefumlo wakhe ngenxa yabahlobo bakhe.” (Yoh. 15:13) Ngaba thina bantu bangafezekanga singakwazi ukuba nothando njengoYehova noYesu?  Ewe! Makhe sibone ukuba singayenza njani loo nto.

UPawulos usibongoza esithi: “Yibani ngabaxelisa uThixo, njengabantwana abaziintanda, nize niqhubeke nihamba eluthandweni, kanye njengokuba noKristu wanithandayo waza wazinikela ngenxa yenu.” (Efe. 5:1, 2) ‘Sihamba eluthandweni’ xa sisoloko sinolu phawu kuzo zonke izinto esizenzayo. Uthando silubonisa ngezenzo, hayi ngamazwi kuphela. UYohane wabhala wathi: “Bantwana abancinane, masingathandi ngazwi nangamlomo, kodwa ngezenzo nangenyaniso.” (1 Yoh. 3:18) Ngokomzekelo, xa sithanda uThixo nommelwane, siya kushumayela ‘iindaba ezilungileyo zobukumkani’ ebantwini. (Mat. 24:14; Luka 10:27) Kanti enye indlela esihamba eluthandweni ngayo kukuba nomonde, ububele nokuxolela. Yiloo nto iBhayibhile isithi: “Njengoko uYehova wanixolela ngesisa, yenzani njalo nani.”—Kol. 3:13.

Umntu onothando akuthethwa kuthi uthambile. Ngokomzekelo, umzali othambileyo uya kusoloko etatazela emva komntwana otefayo. Kodwa umzali omthanda nyhani umntwana wakhe uyamohlwaya xa kuyimfuneko. Ngokufanayo, uThixo uluthando, kodwa “lowo uYehova amthandayo uyamqeqesha.” (Heb. 12:6) Xa sihamba eluthandweni, nathi siya kubaqeqesha ngendlela efanelekileyo abantu xa kuyimfuneko. (IMize. 3:11, 12) Ewe kona, simele sikhumbule ukuba nathi singaboni ibe sidla ngokwenza izinto ezikhubekisayo. Ngenxa yoko, sonke sineendawana ekufuneka silungise kuzo ukuze sibonise uthando. Singayenza njani loo nto? Makhe sifunde ngezi ndlela zintathu.

Okokuqala, cela uThixo akuphe umoya wakhe ovelisa uthando. UYesu wathi uYehova uya kubanika “umoya oyingcwele abo bamcelayo.” (Luka 11:13) Ukuba siyawucela umoya oyingcwele ibe sizama ‘ukuqhubeka sihamba ngokomoya,’ iza kuya ibonakala loo nto kwizenzo zethu. (Gal. 5:16) Ngokomzekelo, ukuba ungumdala, unokucela umoya oyingcwele ukuncede ululeke abanye ebandleni ngeZibhalo kwaye uyenze loo nto ngothando. Okanye ukuba ungumzali, unokumcela uThixo akuphe umoya wakhe ukuze ukuncede ungabohlwayi unomsindo abantwana bakho, kodwa unothando.

Okwesibini, cinga ngendlela uYesu awabonisa ngayo uthando naxa wayecatshukiswa. (1 Pet. 2:21, 23) Kuya kufuneka nyhani sicinge ngomzekelo kaKristu xa sicatshukisiwe okanye sidlelw’ idlala. Xa kunjalo, nanku umbuzo obalulekileyo esimele sizibuze wona, ‘Ebeza kwenzani uYesu?’ Udade onguLeigh wabona ukuba ukuzibuza lo mbuzo ngaphambi kokwenza kuyamnceda. Uthi: “Ngenye imini omnye usisi endandisebenza naye wathumela i-imeyili kwabanye abasebenzi egxeka mna nomsebenzi wam. Ndaba buhlungu kakhulu yiloo nto. Kodwa ke ndazibuza, ‘Ndingamxelisa njani uYesu kule meko?’ Emva kokucinga ngento uYesu angewayeyenzile, ndagqiba ekubeni ndiyiyeke loo nto ndingazikhathazi ngayo. Kamva, ndeva ukuba lo sisi wayekhathazwa yimpilo kwaye eneengxaki ezinkulu ezimsindayo. Ndagqiba ekubeni ndimxolele ngento awayeyenzile. Ukucinga ngomzekelo kaYesu wokubonisa uthando naxa ecatshukiswa kwandinceda nam ndabonisa uthando kulo sisi ndandisebenza naye.” Ukuba siyamxelisa uYesu, izenzo zethu ziya kuqhubeka zibonisa ukuba siyabathanda abantu.

Okwesithathu, umKristu wenene ubonakala ngokuba nothando olumenza akulungele ukuncama izinto. (Yoh. 13:34, 35) Kulo mba, iZibhalo zisibongoza ukuba sizimisele ukuba “nesimo sengqondo” uYesu awayenaso. Ngokuza kwakhe emhlabeni, “waziqongqotha” esenzela thina, “kwada kwasa ekufeni.” (Fil. 2:5-8) Xa simxelisa ngokuba nothando olusenza sincame  izinto, siza kucinga size sivakalelwe njengoKristu, ibe abanye abantu baza kuza kuqala kunathi. Ziintoni ezinye esinokuzifumana xa sizama ukuba nothando?

Xa sibonisa uthando, sizuza lukhulu. Cinga ngale mizekelo mibini:

• ABAZALWANA ABASEHLABATHINI LONKE: Kuba sithandana, siyazi ukuba enoba siya kweliphi na ibandla emhlabeni wonke, abazalwana noodadewethu baya kusamkela ngezandla ezishushu. Kuyintsikelelo nyhani ukuthandwa ‘ngabazalwana bethu bonke ehlabathini’! (1 Pet. 5:9) Uya kulufumana kubantu bakaThixo kuphela olo thando!

• UXOLO: Xa ‘sinyamezelana ngothando’ loo nto isenza sikwazi ukuba ‘nomxokelelwane omanyanisayo woxolo.’ (Efe. 4:2, 3) Sizibonela ngokwethu olo xolo kwiintlanganiso nakwiindibano zethu. Awuvumi na ukuba olu xolo lufumaneka kubantu bakaThixo kuphela kweli hlabathi lahluleleneyo? (INdu. 119:165; Isa. 54:13) Xa sizama ukuba noxolo nabantu, sibonisa indlela esibathanda ngayo, ibe loo nto iyamvuyisa uBawo wethu osezulwini.—INdu. 133:1-3; Mat. 5:9.

UPawulos wathi: “Uthando luyakha.” (1 Kor. 8:1) Lwakha njani? Kwisahluko 13 sencwadi yokuqala uPawulos awayibhalela abaseKorinte, edla ngokubizwa ngokuthi “Yindumiso Yothando,” lo mpostile ucacisa indlela uthando olwakha ngayo. Phakathi kwezinye izinto, xa sinothando siye sifune kulungelwe abanye abantu. (1 Kor. 10:24; 13:5) Ukongezelela, kuba uthando lusenza sibavele abantu, sibacingele, sibe nomonde nobubele, lwakha iintsapho ezithandanayo namabandla amanyeneyo.—Kol. 3:14.

Simthanda sonke uThixo, ibe lolona thando luxabisekileyo nolwakhayo olo. Olu thando lwenza abantu abaneemvelaphi, ibala, nolwimi olungafaniyo, bakuvuyele ukukhonza kunye uYehova “ngaxhatha linye.” (Zef. 3:9) Masizimisele ukulubonisa yonke imihla olu phawu luxabisekileyo oluyinxalenye ebalulekileyo yesiqhamo somoya kaThixo.