Ingabe ucabanga ukuthi ukuphila kunenjongo? Isazi sokuziphendukela kwemvelo uWilliam B. Provine sithi: “Esikufunde ekuziphendukeleni kwemvelo kusho lukhulu kithi, kuthinta injongo yethu yokuphila.” Saphetha ngokuthini? “Ayikho nhlobo injongo yokuphila.”³²

Cabanga ukuthi lawo mazwi asho ukuthini. Ukube ukuphila bekungenayo ngempela injongo, ubungeke ube namgomo ekuphileni ngaphandle nje kokuzama ukwenza okuhle, mhlawumbe udlulisele nofuzo esizukulwaneni esilandelayo. Lapho ufa, ubungeke uphinde ube khona. Bekungasho ukuthi ingqondo yakho, namandla ayo okucabanga nokuzindla ngenjongo yokuphila kwaba khona ngenhlanhla nje.

Akukhona lokho kuphela. Abaningi abakholelwa ekuziphendukeleni kwemvelo bagomela ngokuthi uNkulunkulu akekho noma ngeke azifake ezindabeni zesintu. Kunoma yikuphi, ikusasa lethu beliyoba sezandleni zabaholi bezombusazwe, bezemfundo nabenkolo. Uma sibheka umlando wabantu abanjalo, izinto ezihlupha umphakathi njengeziyaluyalu, ingxabano nenkohlakalo beziyoqhubeka. Ukube ukuziphendukela kwemvelo bekuyiqiniso ngempela, bekuyoba nezizathu zokuba siphile ngesiqubulo esingenangqondo esithi: “Masidle siphuze, ngoba kusasa sizokufa.”—1 Korinte 15:32.

Ngokuphambene, iBhayibheli lithi: “Ngoba ukuwe [Nkulunkulu] umthombo wokuphila.” (IHubo 36:9) La mazwi anencazelo ejulile.

Uma lokho okushiwo iBhayibheli kuyiqiniso, ukuphila kunayo injongo. UMdali wethu unenjongo yothando ethinta bonke abakhetha ukuphila ngentando yakhe. (UmShumayeli 12:13) Leyo njongo ihlanganisa nesithembiso sokuphila emhlabeni ongenazo iziyaluyalu, izingxabano, nenkohlakalo—ongenakho ngisho nokufa.—IHubo 37:10, 11; Isaya 25:6-8.

Izigidi zabantu emhlabeni zingakufakazela ukuthi ukufunda ngoNkulunkulu nokumlalela kwenza ukuphila kube nenjongo engenakuqhathaniswa! (Johane 17:3) Leyo nkolelo ayilona nje iphupho. Ubufakazi busobala—izinto eziphilayo zadalwa.