Dlulela kokuphakathi

Dlulela ohlwini lokuphathi

Ubani Okufanele Uthembeke Kuye?

Ubani Okufanele Uthembeke Kuye?

Ubani Okufanele Uthembeke Kuye?

“Izwe lakithi: . . . Kwangathi lingahlala liqinisile; kodwa liyizwe lakithi, liqinisile noma linephutha.”—UStephen Decatur, isikhulu sebutho lasolwandle sase-United States sango-1779 kuya ku-1820.

ABANINGI babheka ukwethembeka okungenamibandela ezweni lakubo njengokuyisibopho esiyinhloko kubo. Abanye bangawabeka ngokuhlukile amazwi kaStephen Decatur bathi, ‘Inkolo yami, kwangathi ingahlala iqinisile; kodwa yinkolo yami, iqinisile noma inephutha.’

Uma sibhekana namaqiniso, ukuthi yiliphi izwe noma inkolo esethembeka kuyo ngokuvamile kunqunywa yindawo esizalelwe kuyo, kodwa isinqumo sokuthi sethembeke kubani sibaluleke kakhulu ukuba singacabanga ukuthi siyozenzakalela. Nokho, ukuhlaziya ukwethembeka kwethu ezintweni esakhuliswa ngazo kudinga isibindi futhi kuveza izinselele.

Isimo Esivivinya Ukwethembeka

Owesifazane owakhulela eZambia uthi: “Kusukela ngisemncane ngangiyithanda inkolo. Ngakhula sithandaza njalo egunjini lokukhulekela lasekhaya, sigcina izinsuku ezingokwenkolo, futhi siya njalo ethempelini. Inkolo nokukhulekela kwami kwakuhlobene eduze namasiko, umphakathi nomndeni wakithi.”

Kodwa lapho esesondele eminyakeni engu-20 ubudala, waqala ukutadisha iBhayibheli noFakazi BakaJehova futhi ngemva nje kwalokho wanquma ukuyishintsha inkolo yakhe. Ingabe lesi kwakuyisenzo sokungathembeki?

UZlatko wakhulela eBosnia, futhi kwaba nesikhathi lapho ayelwa empini eyayikhungethe izwe lakubo. Naye waqala ukutadisha iBhayibheli noFakazi BakaJehova. Manje useyenqaba ukuthatha izikhali ayolwa nanoma ubani. Ingabe akathembekile?

Indlela oyiphendula ngayo leyo mibuzo ixhomeke endleleni obheka ngayo izinto. Owesifazane esikhulume ngaye ngaphambili uthi: “Emphakathini wakithi, ukushintsha inkolo kwakuwububi obungenakuthethelelwa; kwakubhekwa njengesenzo sokungathembeki, ukulahla umndeni nomphakathi wakini.” Ngokufanayo, labo uZlatko ayekade esempini nabo babebabheka njengamambuka bonke abantu abenqaba ukulwa ngasohlangothini lwabo. Kodwa bobabili lona wesifazane noZlatko banomuzwa wokuthi izenzo zabo zishukunyiswa ukwethembeka okuphakeme nakakhulu—ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu. Okubaluleke nakakhulu, uNkulunkulu ubabheka kanjani labo abafuna ukwethembeka kuye?

Ukwethembeka Kweqiniso Kubonisa Uthando

INkosi uDavide yathi kuJehova uNkulunkulu: “Kothembekileyo uyazibonakalisa [uthembekile].” (2 Samuweli 22:26) Igama lesiHeberu elihunyushwe ngokuthi ‘ukwethembeka’ lapha linomqondo womusa ozihlanganisa nokuthile ngothando kuze kube yilapho injongo yawo ngokuqondene naleyo nto isifezekile. Enesimo sengqondo esifana nesikamama oncelisayo, uJehova unamathela ngothando kulabo abathembekile kuye. Ekhuluma nezinceku zakhe ezithembekile zakwa-Israyeli wasendulo, uJehova wathi: “Owesifazane angakhohlwa umntwana wakhe oncelayo ukuba angabi namusa kuyo indodana yesizalo sakhe na? Yebo, bona bangakhohlwa, kodwa mina anginakukukhohlwa wena.” (Isaya 49:15) Labo abazimisele ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu ngaphezu kwanoma yini enye bayaqinisekiswa ukuthi uyobanakekela ngothando.

Ukwethembeka kuJehova kusekelwe othandweni. Kwenza umuntu athande lokho uJehova akuthandayo futhi azonde izinto ezimbi uJehova azizondayo. (IHubo 97:10) Njengoba imfanelo kaJehova evelele kuwuthando, ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu kuvimbela umuntu ukuba angaphathi abanye ngendlela engenaluthando. (1 Johane 4:8) Ngakho uma umuntu eshintsha izinkolelo zakhe ezingokwenkolo ngenxa yokwethembeka kuNkulunkulu, akusho ukuthi akasawuthandi umkhaya wakubo.

Ukwethembeka KuNkulunkulu Kuyazuzisa

Owesifazane okukhulunywe ngaye ngaphambili ukuchaza kanje lokho akwenza: “Ngokutadisha iBhayibheli, ngazi ukuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu weqiniso, futhi ngaba nobuhlobo bomuntu siqu naye. UJehova akafani nanoma yibaphi onkulunkulu engangibakhulekela ngaphambili; ulinganisela ngokuphelele othandweni, ubulungisa, ukuhlakanipha namandla. Njengoba uJehova efuna sizinikele kuye yedwa, kwadingeka ngibafulathele abanye onkulunkulu.

“Abazali bami babengitshela bephindelela ukuthi babengithukuthelele kakhulu futhi ngangibadumazile. Kwakunzima kakhulu lokhu kimi, ngoba ukwamukelwa abazali bami kusho lukhulu kimi. Kodwa njengoba ngangikhula kancane kancane olwazini lweqiniso leBhayibheli, kwangicacela ukuthi yikuphi okufanele ngikukhethe. Ngangingenakumfulathela uJehova.

“Ukukhetha kwami ukwethembeka kuJehova kunasezinkambisweni zenkolo akusho ukuthi angethembeki emndenini wakithi. Ngiyazama ukubabonisa ngamazwi nangezenzo ukuthi ngiyayiqonda indlela abazizwa ngayo. Kodwa uma ngingathembeki kuJehova, ngingase ngenze umndeni wakithi ungamazi, okungaba yisenzo sokungathembeki ngempela.”

Ngokufanayo, umuntu akalona imbuka uma ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu kudinga ukuba angathathi hlangothi kwezombusazwe futhi angayi ukuyolwa nabanye abantu. UZlatko ukuchaza kanje lokho akwenza: “Nakuba ngakhula ngingumKristu ngegama, ngashada nomuntu ongeyena. Lapho kuqubuka impi, zombili izinhlangothi zafuna ngithembeke kuzo. Ngaphoqeleka ukuba ngikhethe uhlangothi engizoba ngakulo. Ngalwa iminyaka emithathu nengxenye kuleyo mpi. Mina nomkami sagcina sibalekele eCroatia, lapho sahlangana khona noFakazi BakaJehova.

“Ekutadisheni kwethu iBhayibheli, saqonda ukuthi nguJehova ngokuyinhloko okufanele sethembeke kuye nokuthi ufuna sibathande omakhelwane bethu kungakhathaliseki ukuthi abayiphi inkolo noma uhlanga. Manje mina nomkami simunye ekukhulekeleni uJehova, futhi ngiye ngafunda ukuthi angikwazi ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu ngibe ngilwa nomakhelwane wami.”

Ukwethembeka Okulolongwa Ulwazi Olunembile

Njengoba uJehova enguMdali wethu, kuyafaneleka ukuba ukwethembeka kuye kuze kuqala kunanoma yini enye esethembeka kuyo. (IsAmbulo 4:11) Nokho, ukuze sivimbele ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu kungashintshi kube yithonya lokushiseka ngokweqile nelicekela phansi, kumelwe silolongwe ulwazi olunembile. IBhayibheli liyasinxusa: ‘Yenziwani nibe basha emandleni ashukumisa ingqondo yenu, futhi nigqoke ubuntu obusha obadalwa ngokwentando kaNkulunkulu ngokwethembeka kweqiniso.’ (Efesu 4:23, 24) Indoda edumile eyabhala lawo mazwi aphefumulelwe yaba nesibindi sokuhlaziya izinto eyakhula ithembeke kuzo. Ukuhlola kwayo kwayenza yashintsha ngendlela ezuzisayo.

Yebo, uSawulu wabhekana novivinyo lobuqotho, njengabaningi besikhathi sethu. USawulu wayekhuliswe ngezinkambiso eziqinile zakubo, futhi wathembeka ngendlela ephawulekayo enkolweni ayezalelwe kuyo. Ukwethembeka ezinkolelweni zakhe kwamenza waze waba nobudlova kulabo ababengavumelani nemibono yakhe. USawulu wayaziwa ngokuhlasela amakhaya amaKristu awahudule ukuze ayojeziswa noma abulawe imbala.—IzEnzo 22:3-5; Filipi 3:4-6.

Nokho, uSawulu wathi angaba nolwazi olunembile lweBhayibheli wenza into ontanga yakhe ababecabanga ukuthi ayinakwenzeka. Washintsha inkolo yakhe. USawulu, kamuva owaziwa ngokuthi umphostoli uPawulu, wakhetha ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu kunasezinkambisweni. Ukwethembeka kuNkulunkulu ngokusekelwe olwazini olunembile kwashukumisela uSawulu ukuba abekezelele abanye, abe nothando futhi abe yisikhuthazo, okuyinto ehlukile ekuziphatheni kwakhe kwangaphambili okwakucekela phansi futhi kunokushiseka okweqile.

Kungani Kufanele Sethembeke?

Ukuvumela ukwethembeka kwethu kulolongwe yizindinganiso zikaNkulunkulu kuletha izinzuzo ezisobala. Ngokwesibonelo, umbiko wango-1999 we-Australian Institute of Family Studies wathi enye yezinto eziyisisekelo zemishado ehlala njalo neyanelisayo “ukwethembana nokwethembeka . . . nokuba nengokomoya.” Lokhu kuhlola kwathola ukuthi “imishado ezinzile neyanelisayo” yenza abesilisa nabesifazane bajabule, babe nempilo engcono, futhi baphile isikhathi eside kakhudlwana nokuthi imishado inikeza izingane ithuba elingcono lokuba nokuphila okujabulisayo.

Ezweni lanamuhla elingaqinisekile, ukwethembeka kunjengentambo ebophele umuntu ominzayo esikebheni sokutakula. Uma lo muntu engathembele ndawo, uyozithola ephonseka ngapha nangapha njengokungathi uphonswa amagagasi nomoya. Kodwa uma ethembele kokungafanele, kunjengokungathi intambo yakhe iboshelwe emkhunjini ominzayo. NjengoSawulu, angazithola edonseleka ekwenzeni izinto ezicekela phansi. Nokho, ukwethembeka kuJehova, okusekelwe olwazini olunembile, kunjengentambo esenza sigxile futhi kusiholela ekusindisweni.—Efesu 4:13-15.

Nakhu uJehova akuthembisa labo abathembekile kuye: “UJehova uthanda ukulunga, akabashiyi abangcwele bakhe; bayalondolozwa kuze kube phakade.” (IHubo 37:28) Maduze nje, bonke abathembekile kuJehova bazongeniswa emhlabeni oyipharadesi, lapho bezohlukana khona nokudabuka nobuhlungu bajabulele ubuhlobo obuhlala njalo kungasekho ukuhlukana ngokwenkolo nangokwezombusazwe.—IsAmbulo 7:9, 14; 21:3, 4.

Kwamanje, izigidi zabantu emhlabeni wonke ziye zathola ukuthi injabulo yeqiniso ibangelwa kuphela ukwethembeka kuJehova. Kungani ungavumeli oFakazi BakaJehova bakusize uhlole indlela okubheka ngayo ukwethembeka ngokuvumelana neqiniso leBhayibheli? IBhayibheli liyasitshela: “Qhubekani nivivinya ukuthi nisokholweni yini, qhubekani nihlola lokho nina ngokwenu eniyikho.”—2 Korinte 13:5.

Ukuhlaziya inkolo yethu nezizathu zokwethembeka kwethu kuyo kudinga isibindi, kodwa imivuzo ingawenza ufaneleke umzamo lapho uphumela ekubeni sisondelane nakakhulu noJehova uNkulunkulu. Owesifazane okukhulunywe ngaye ngaphambili usho indlela abantu abaningi abazizwa ngayo lapho ethi: “Ngiye ngafunda ukuthi ukwethembeka kuJehova nasezindinganisweni zakhe kusisiza silinganisele endleleni esiyiphatha ngayo imikhaya yakithi futhi sibe amalungu angcono omphakathi. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi lunzima kangakanani uvivinyo, uma sithembekile kuJehova, uyohlala ethembekile kithi.”

[Izithombe ekhasini 6]

Ulwazi olunembile lwashukumisela uSawulu ukuba ashintshe lokho ayethembeke kukho

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Kungani ungakuhloli ngeqiniso leBhayibheli lokho othembeke kukho?

[Imithombo Yezithombe ekhasini 4]

Churchill, upper left: U.S. National Archives photo; Joseph Göbbels, far right: Library of Congress