Ingabe Ngempela Ungamthanda UNkulunkulu?
“AKUKHO-MUNTU ongangibona, aphile,” kusho uNkulunkulu. (Eksodusi 33:20) Ngaphezu kwalokho, kusukela ngemva kwezikhathi zeBhayibheli akukho bufakazi bokuthi kukhona umuntu owake wakhulumisana naye ngokuqondile. Akubonakali yini kunzima—futhi kungenakwenzeka—ukuhlakulela uthando olujulile ngomuntu ongakaze umbone ngokuqondile noma umuzwe? Ingabe kungenzeka ngempela ukuba ube nobuhlobo bothando noMdali wendawo yonke?
Akufanele kungabazeke ukuthi kungenzeka ukuhlakulela ukusondelana okufudumele komuntu siqu noNkulunkulu. KuDuteronomi 6:5, sifunda ukuthi isizwe sakwa-Israyeli sayalwa: “Wothanda uJehova uNkulunkulu wakho ngayo yonke inhliziyo yakho, nangawo wonke umphefumulo wakho, nangawo onke amandla akho.” Kamuva uJesu Kristu waphinde wawugcizelela lomthetho kubalandeli bakhe wabe esenezela: “Lona umyalo omkhulu kunayo yonke nowokuqala.” (Mathewu 22:37, 38) Ingabe iBhayibheli belingasikhuthaza ukuba sithande uNkulunkulu uma ubuhlobo obunjalo bungenakufinyeleleka?
Kodwa ingabe uJehova ulindele ukuba simthande ngenxa nje yokuthi uyala kanjalo? Cha. UNkulunkulu wadala umbhangqwana wokuqala ongabantu unamandla okumthanda. U-Adamu no-Eva abaphoqwanga ukuba babe nobuhlobo bothando noMdali wabo. Kunalokho, uNkulunkulu wababeka esimweni esivumela ukuba bahlakulele uthando olujulile ngaye. Kwakufanele bazikhethele—ukusondela kuNkulunkulu noma ukudeda kuye.
U-Adamu no-Eva bakhetha ukuhlubuka. (Genesise 2:16, 17; 3:6, 7) Nokho, inzalo yabo yayiyokwazi ukuhlakulela ubuhlobo obunothando noMdali.
Ukuhamba NoNkulunkulu
Ngokwesibonelo, eBhayibhelini kukhulunywa ngo-Abrahama ‘njengomngane’ kaNkulunkulu. (Jakobe 2:23) Nokho ngokuqinisekile u-Abrahama wayengeyena ukuphela komuntu owajabulela ubuhlobo obuseduze noNkulunkulu. IBhayibheli likhuluma ngabaningi abanye abantu abangaphelele ababonisa uthando lweqiniso ngoJehova futhi ‘bahamba noNkulunkulu.’—Genesise 5:24; 6:9; Jobe 29:4; IHubo 25:14; IzAga 3:32.
Izinceku zikaNkulunkulu zasendulo azizalwanga zinothando ngoNkulunkulu. Kwadingeka ziluhlakulele. Kanjani? Ngokumazi ngegama lakhe, elithi Jehova. (Eksodusi 3:13-15; 6:2, 3) Ngokuqaphela ukuba khona nobuNkulunkulu bakhe. (Heberu 11:6) Ngokuzindla njalo ngezenzo zakhe zothando. (IHubo 63:6) Ngokuzwakalisa kuNkulunkulu imicabango yabo ejulile ngomthandazo. (IHubo 39:12) Ngokufunda ngobuhle bakhe. (Zakariya 9:17) Ngokuhlakulela ukwesaba okunempilo ukumona.—IzAga 16:6.
Ungaba yini umngane kaNkulunkulu futhi uhambe naye? Yiqiniso, awunakumbona uNkulunkulu noma uzwe izwi lakhe. Nakuba kunjalo, uJehova ukumema ukuba ‘uzohlala etendeni lakhe,’ ube umngane wakhe. (IHubo 15:1-5) Ngakho, kungenzeka ukuba uthande uNkulunkulu. Kodwa ungabuhlakulela kanjani ubuhlobo obuseduze nobunothando naye?