Thandazelanani
“Sikhulekeleni.”—2 THESALONIKA 3:1.
1-3. (a) Kungani abantu bakaJehova ngethemba bengasondela kuye ngomthandazo? (b) Kungani oFakazi BakaJehova kumelwe babe abantu abathandazayo?
JEHOVA ‘unguMuzwi omkhulu wemikhuleko.’ (IHubo 65:2) Ngakho, izinceku zakhe ezithembekile zingaya kuye ngethemba nezicelo zazo zokuthobeka namazwi okubonga. Ngempela, oFakazi BakaJehova banezizathu eziningi zokuba abantu abathandazayo.
2 Ngokwesibonelo, uJesu Kristu wafundisa abalandeli bakhe ukuba bathandaze. Wabatshela: “Nxa nikhuleka, anothi: Baba wethu osezulwini, malingcweliswe igama lakho; mawufike umbuso wakho; mayenziwe intando yakho emhlabeni njengasezulwini; usiphe isinkwa sethu sezinsuku zonke imihla ngemihla; usithethelele izono zethu, ngokuba nathi sibathethelela bonke abanecala kithi; ungasingenisi ekulingweni, kodwa usikhulule kokubi.” (Luka 11:2-4) Lowomthandazo ngokufanelekile wabeka uNkulunkulu kuqala futhi wahlanganisa izicelo zomuntu siqu. LoMthandazo Oyisibonelo wabonisa futhi ukuthi imithandazo yethu akumelwe ingabanaki abanye abantu.
3 Abaphostoli bakaJesu banxusa futhi ababekholwa kanye nabo ukuba babe abantu abathandazayo. Ngokwesibonelo, umphostoli uPawulu wathi, “Ekukhulekeni niqinisele njalo,” wathi futhi “Khulekani ningaphezi.” (Roma 12:12; 1 Thesalonika 5:17) Futhi umphostoli uPetru wathi: “Kepha ukuphela kwezinto zonke sekusondele. Ngakho zikhuzeni, nizithibe, ukuze nikhuleke.” (1 Petru 4:7) Yeka iseluleko esihle!
Lokho Umthandazo Ongasenzela Khona
4. Yini edingekile ukuze imithandazo yabantu bakaNkulunkulu abazinikezele izwiwe?
4 Imbongi edumile uAlfred Tennyson wabhala: “Izinto eziningi zilethwa umthandazo kunalokho lelizwe elikucabangayo.” Yeka ukuthi kuyiqiniso kanjani! Kodwa ukuze izinceku zikaNkulunkulu ezizinikezele zizwiwe, imithandazo yazo kumelwe iqondiswe kuJehova ngoJesu Kristu ngokholo, kumelwe ivumelane nentando yaphezulu futhi kumelwe ishiwo ngendlela eqondile. (Johane 14:6; 1 Johane 5:13-15) Ngokuthakazelisayo, kuye kwathiwa: “UNkulunkulu akabheki ubuqaphuqaphu bemithandazo yakho, indlela engase ibe mihle ngayo; noma isilinganiso semithandazo yakho, indlela engase ibe mide ngayo; noma izibalo zemithandazo yakho, indlela engase ibe miningi ngayo; akabheki ukuhlakanipha kwemithandazo yakho, indlela engase ihleleke ngayo; kodwa ubheka ubuqotho bayo.”—Umfundisi oyiNgisi wamaProthestani wekhulu leminyaka le-17 uThomas Brooks.
5. (a) Yini umthandazo ongasenzela yona? (b) Ngokuqondene nomthandazo, yimuphi umbuzo esizowucabangela?
5 Ukuthandaza njalo, ngobuqotho benhliziyo, kusisondeza kuJehova. Umthandazo wokuthobeka, wobuqotho usisiza ukuba sifeze ukuthunywa kwethu kokushumayela. (Mathewu 24:14; 28:19, 20; 2 Korinte 2:17) Usisiza ekwenzeni izinqumo ezijabulisa uBaba wethu wasezulwini. Umthandazo futhi usisiza ukuba sibekezelele ukushushiswa sibe qotho kuNkulunkulu. (IHubo 109:3, 4; 119:86) Usinikeza ithuba lokubonisa ukubonga kwethu okuqotho kuJehova. Kukhona futhi nokuthandazelana. Kodwa maqondana nakho, imithandazo enjalo ingasizuzisa kanjani thina nesikholwa nabo?
Kungani Kumelwe Sithandazelane?
6. Obani uJesu abathandazela, ngakho-ke thina obani esingabathandazela?
6 UJesu iSibonelo sethu, wathandazela abafundi bakhe. Ngobuqotho, wanxusa uJehova: “Ngiyabakhulekela bona; angikhulekeli izwe kepha labo ongiphé bona, ngokuba bengabakho.” Nakuba uJesu afela izwe lesintu, akazange alithandazele “izwe” okungukuthi umphakathi wesintu ohlukanisiwe noNkulunkulu. Nokho, uJesu wabathandazela labo abaphuma kulelozwe futhi baba nokholo kuye. (Johane 3:16, 17; 17:8, 9; qhathanisa nowesi-2 Petru 2:5; 3:6.) Ngokucabangela isibonelo sikaJesu, khona-ke sibathandazela ngokufanelekile labobantu abesaba uNkulunkulu.
7. Isiphi isibonelo somphostoli esishukumisa abantu bakaJehova ukuba bathandazelane?
7 Umphostoli uPawulu wathandaza ngokuqondene nakholwa nabo. Ngokwesibonelo, watshela amaKristu e-Efesu: “Ngalokho nami, sengizwile ngokukholwa okukini eNkosini uJesu nothando kubo bonke abangcwele, angiyeki ukubonga ngenxa yenu, nginikhumbula emikhulekweni yami.” (Efesu 1:15, 16) Ngaphezu kwalokho, uPawulu akazange angabaze ukuzikhuthaza ngomthandazo yena nabanye. Ngemva kokunxusa abase-Efesu ukuba ‘bahlome izikhali zonke ezingokomoya’ futhi bamukele ‘inkemba kaMoya eyizwi likaNkulunkulu,’ wanezela: “Ngokukhuleka konke nokunxusa, nikhuleka ngezikhathi zonke ngoMoya; kulokho nilinde ngesineke sonke nangokunxusela abangcwele bonke, ninginxusele nami ukuba ngiphiwe izwi, nxa ngivula umlomo wami, ngize ngiyishumayele ngesibindi imfihlakalo yevangeli.” (Efesu 6:11-19) Lesibonelo somphostoli, naso sikhumbuza abantu bakaJehova ukuba bathandazelane.
8. Kungani kufanelekile ukuba amaKristu agcotshiwe nalawo ‘esixuku esikhulu’ athandazelane?
8 OFakazi BakaJehova bakha ubuzalwane bomhlaba wonke. Abalandeli bakaKristu abazelwe ngomoya phakathi kwabo ‘banenhlanganyelo,’ noma “ubungane,” noNkulunkulu, iNdodana yakhe namanye amaKristu agcotshiwe akanye nabo. (1 Johane 1:3, 7; qhathanisa neAn American Translation.) Nokho, uJesu wabonisa ukuthi bonke abafundi bakhe babeyoba nothando phakathi kwabo, futhi umphostoli uPetru wathi: “Nithande abazalwane.” (1 Petru 2:17; Johane 13:34, 35) Khona-ke, yeka ukuthi kufaneleke kanjani ukuba amaKristu agcotshiwe nabangane bawo, “isixuku esikhulu,” bathandazelane! (IsAmbulo 7:9) Kodwa yini ebingafakwa emithandazweni enjalo?
Ukuthandazela Ubunye, Ukuqondiswa Nokuhlakanipha
9. Kungani kumelwe sithandazele ubunye bobuzalwane bethu bobuKristu?
9 Kumelwe sithandazele ubunye nothando ebuzalwaneni bethu bobuKristu. UJesu wathandazela ukuba abalandeli bakhe babe munye naye noYise, futhi uPawulu wanxusa izikhonzi zikaJehova ezikanye naye ukuba ‘zipheleliswe emqondweni munye nasekuboneni kunye.’ (1 Korinte 1:10; Johane 17:20, 21) Umoya weqiniso wobuzalwane njalo ubuwuphawu oluhlukanisayo lwalabo abazinikele kuJehova. ‘Kuhle ukuba abazalwane bahlalisane ndawonye bemunye.’ (IHubo 133:1-3) Futhi enye indlela yokunezela kulobobunye iwukubuthandazela.
10. Kungani kumelwe sithandazele ukuqondiswa nokusekelwa umoya ongcwele?
10 Kumelwe sithandazele ukuba uJehova ngomoya wakhe aqondise futhi asekele imisebenzi yabantu bakhe. Abanye bangase babe nezabelo ezinzima kakhulu enkonzweni kaJehova—izinto ezingenakufezwa neze ngamandla omuntu nje. Ngakho-ke lamaKristu athembekile, nathi ngokwethu, sidinga usizo lukaJehova ngomoya wakhe ongcwele.—Zakariya 4:6; qhathanisa noLuka 11:13; IzEnzo 8:14, 15.
11. Ngokuqondene nokuhlakanipha, singakuthandazela kanjani ngokufanelekile?
11 Singathandazela ukuba abazalwane bethu banikwe ukuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu. UPawulu wathandazela amaKristu eKolose ukuba ‘agcwaliswe ngokwazi intando [kaNkulunkulu] ngokuhlakanipha konke nokuqonda okungokomoya, ahambe ngokufanele iNkosi, ayithokozise.’ (Kolose 1:9, 10) Kufanelekile futhi ukuthandazela ukuba labo abaqondisa umsebenzi wokushumayela futhi balungiselele izincwadi zethu babe ‘nomoya wokuhlakanipha.’ (Efesu 1:15-17) Ingabe uyabathandazela labo abaqondisa umsebenzi wokushumayela ngoMbuso nokulungiselela izincwadi ezinikeza ‘ukudla okungokomoya ngesikhathi sakho’?—Mathewu 24:45-47.
Ukuthandazela Ukushumayela Ngempumelelo Naphezu Kokushushiswa
12. Eyesi-2 Thesalonika 3:1 ihlobene kanjani nokuthandazela abanye?
12 Kumelwe futhi sithandazele ukuba esikholwa nabo babe nempumelelo ekusakazeni isigijimi soMbuso. UPawulu wanxusa: “Bazalwane, sikhulekeleni ukuba izwi leNkosi likhawuleze, lidunyiswe, njengalokhu kunjalo nakini.” (2 Thesalonika 3:1; qhathanisa nabase-Efesu 6:18, 19.) Yebo, uPawulu wanxusa akholwa nabo ukuba bathandaze ukuze yena nabangane bakhe baphumelele ekumemezeleni “izwi leNkosi.” Nathi futhi, kumelwe sithandazele ukwanda okusheshayo kweZwi likaNkulunkulu nokuthuthuka kwezithakazelo zoMbuso. Yebo, imithandazo enjalo ihilela nabanye—bonke labo abenza intando kaJehova ngentshiseko ‘kulezinsuku zokugcina.’—2 Thimothewu 3:1-5.
13. (a) Eyoku-1 Thimothewu 2:1, 2 ibonisani ngokuqondene nokuthandazela iziphathimandla zezwe? (b) Yini esingayithandazela uma sishushiswa njengabamemezeli boMbuso?
13 Abantu bakaJehova bangazithandazela ngokufanelekile iziphathimandla zezwe. UPawulu wathi: “Ngakho-ke kuqala kukho konke ngiyala ukuba ukunxusa, nokukhuleka, nokucela, nokubonga kwenzelwe abantu bonke, amakhosi nabo bonke abakhulu.” Amazwi kaPawulu aqhubekayo abonisa ukuthi lemithandazo ekugcineni yenziwa ngenxa yabantu bakaNkulunkulu, okuwukuthi, “ukuze sihlale kahle nangokuthula, ngokumesaba uNkulunkulu nangesizotha esipheleleyo.” (1 Thimothewu 2:1, 2) Ngokuthakazelisayo, amaJuda ayethunjelwe eBabiloni atshelwa ukuba athandazele ukuthula kwalowomuzi, ‘ngokuba ekuthuleni kwawo babeyokuba-nokuthula.’ (Jeremiya 29:7) Ngakho-ke, njengoFakazi BakaJehova, ngokufanelekile sithandazela iziphathimandla zezwe ukuze thina nabafowethu abangokomoya sihlale kahle nangokuthula, okusenza sikwazi ukufeza umsebenzi wokuthunywa kwethu njengabamemezeli boMbuso. Kodwa uma sishushiswa, singathandaza ngesibindi ukuba thina noFakazi esikanye nabo sinikezwe usizo lwaphezulu oludingekile ekukhulumeni izwi likaNkulunkulu ngesibindi ngaphansi kwezimo ezinjalo. Futhi singaqiniseka ukuthi leyomithandazo iyophendulwa.—IzEnzo 4:29-31; 5:29.
14. Isiphi isisekelo esingokomBhalo esinaso sokuthandazela ukuba abazalwane bethu abashushiswayo bathole usizo lukaNkulunkulu nenduduzo?
14 Ngokuqinisekile kufanelekile ukuba sithandazele ukuba abafowethu abashushiswayo bathole induduzo kaJehova nosizo. Esifundeni saseAsia, lapho umuzi wase-Efesu wawukhona, umphostoli uPawulu ‘wasindwa kakhulu impela, waze walahlekelwa ngisho nayithemba lokuphila.’ Phela, kungenzeka walwa nezilo eshashalazini e-Efesu! Nokho, uPawulu watshela amaKristu eKorinte: “Nani nisizana nathi ngokusinxusela, ukuze umusa esiwuphiweyo ngokucela kwabaningi siwubongelwe ngabaningi.” (2 Korinte 1:8-11; IzEnzo 19:23-41; 1 Korinte 15:32) Khona-ke, ngokusobala, kumelwe sithandazele ukuba abazalwane bethu nodade abahluphekayo bathole usizo lukaJehova nenduduzo namuhla.—2 Korinte 1:3-7.
15. Yini esingayenzela esikholwa nabo abashushiswayo ngisho nalapho thina ngokwethu siboshiwe?
15 Izinceku zikaJehova esikanye nazo ngokuqinisekile ziyayidinga imithandazo yethu lapho zibhekene nokushushiswa, ukuhlupheka noma izingozi. Ngezikhathi ezinjalo, singase sihlukaniswe nazo futhi singase singakwazi ukuzisiza nganoma iyiphi enye indlela. Phela, nathi ngokwethu singase siboshwe! Nokho, singenza okuhle kakhulu ngokuthandazela esikholwa nabo. Uma nje sisaphila, izitha zethu azinakuwuvimbela umthandazo onjalo. Ungase ngisho ungaphinyiselwa, kodwa ngokuqinisekile uyasebenza.—Qhathanisa noNehemiya 2:4-6.
Ukuthandazela Impilo Enhle Engokomoya
16. Ngokuvumelana neyesi-2 Korinte 13:7, singawathandazela kanjani amaKristu esikanye nawo?
16 Ngokufanelekile futhi singathandazela ukuba amaKristu esikanye nawo ‘angenzi lutho olubi, kodwa enze okuhle.’ (2 Korinte 13:7) Umthandazo onjalo wothando, ongenabugovu ubonisa ukuthi ngempela sifuna aqhubeke ephila ngokuvunyelwa kwaphezulu. Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Siyanikhulekela njalo, ukuze uNkulunkulu wethu anenze nibe-ngabafanele ukubizwa kwenu, agcwalise ngamandla konke okuhle enikuthandayo nomsebenzi wokukholwa.” (2 Thesalonika 1:11) UEphafra wathandazela ukuba amaKristu aseKolose ‘ame ephelele eqinisekile entandweni yonke kaNkulunkulu.’ (Kolose 4:12) Nakuba lamazwi ayeqondiswe kumaKristu agcotshiwe, imithandazo yethu namuhla ngokufanelekile ingabonisa imizwa efanayo ngenxa yabo bonke labo abazinikele kuJehova.
17. Imiphi imithandazo efanelekile maqondana nempilo engokomoya yabazalwane bethu?
17 Singathandazela impilo engokomoya yesikholwa kanye nabo. Uma abathile begula ngokomoya, kungokufanelekile ngabadala abamisiwe ukuba babathandazele futhi bathandaze benabo, befuna ukubalulamisa. Umfundi uJakobe wabhala: “Umkhuleko wokukholwa uyakumsindisa ogulayo, iNkosi imvuse.” (Jakobe 5:13-16; 1 Samuweli 12:18-25) Emithandazweni yethu yangasese singababiza ngamagama esikholwa nabo futhi sibonise isifiso sokuba bahlale ‘bephilile okholweni.’ (Thithu 1:13; 2:1, 2) Yebo, akulungile ukuthandazela labo abenqaba ngamabomu ilungiselelo likaNkulunkulu lesihlengo.—Heberu 10:26-29.
Izinzuzo Zokuthandazelana
18, 19. Iziphi ezinye zezinzuzo zomuntu siqu zokuthandazelana?
18 Singaqinisekiswa ukuthi kuyoba nezinzuzo eziningi uma sithandazelana. Ngokwesibonelo, imithandazo yethu ngaleyondlela iyoceba. Ukuthandazela esikholwa nabo ngokungangabazeki kuyothuthukisa isimo sethu ngakubo. Ngempela, imithandazo enjalo ingasenza sibekezele, singabi nabugovu, sibe nothando, sikhathalele abanye ngokwengeziwe. Ngokungaphezulu, ukuthandazela abazalwane bethu nodade abangokomoya kuyobonisa uJehova ukuthi sinesithakazelo enhlanganweni yakhe, imisebenzi yayo nenhlalakahle yayo.
19 Kududuza kakhulu ukwazi ukuthi abazalwane bethu nodade abangokomoya bayasithandazela, njengoba nathi sibathandazela. Yeka ukuthi kumnandi kanjani ukwazi ukuthi imithandazo yethu ngofakazi bakaJehova esikanye nabo iyezwiwa ‘nguMuzwi wemikhuleko’! Ngakho-ke, ukuze sithuthukise izithakazelo zoMbuso lapho sithuthukisa uthando nobunye phakathi kwethu, masithandazelane.
Iyini Impendulo Yakho?
□ Kungani oFakazi BakaJehova kumelwe babe abantu abathandazayo?
□ Yini umthandazo ongasenzela yona?
□ Kungani kumelwe sithandazelane?
□ Maqondana nesikholwa kanye nabo, ikuphi esingakuthandazela?
□ Ziyini ezinye zezinzuzo zokuthandazelana?
[Isithombe ekhasini 24]
Ingabe uyakuthandazela ukuba ofakazi bakaJehova okanye nabo babe nempumelelo ekusakazeni isigijimi soMbuso?
[Isithombe ekhasini 25]
Uvame kangakanani ukuthandazela amaKristu ashushiswayo?