Uyafuna Yini Ukuphila Phakade?

“ANGIKWESABI ukufa,” kusho isalukazi saseJapane. “Kodwa kungiphatha kabi ukuthi kuzomelwe ngihlukane nalezi zimbali.” Isikhonzi esingumKristu esasivakashele lesi salukazi ekhaya sayiqonda indlela esasizizwa ngayo, ngoba lesi salukazi sasinengadi enhle. Abaningi abathi abakwesabi ukufa empeleni bayazijabulela izimangaliso zendalo futhi eqinisweni bangathanda ukuphila phakade.

Ukuphila phakade? Abaningi bangawuchiliza umqondo onjalo. Abanye bangaze bathi abathandi ukuphila phakade. Kungabe kwenze njani nje umuntu azizwe kanjalo?

Ukuphila Okuphakade—Kuyoba Isicefe?

Abanye bacabanga ukuthi kungaba isicefe ukuphila phakade. Bangase bakhulume ngokuphila okuyisidina kwabantu abaningi asebathatha umhlala-phansi okungekho lutho abalwenzayo ngaphandle kokugqolozela ithelevishini. Uma uzizwa ngaleyo ndlela, cabanga ngalokho okwashiwo isazi sezinkanyezi, uRobert Jastrow, lapho sibuzwa ukuthi ukuphila phakade kungaba isibusiso yini noma isiqalekiso. UJastrow waphendula: “Kungaba isibusiso kulabo abanezingqondo ezithanda ukwazi nabanesifiso esingapheli sokufunda. Kubantu abanjalo, kungaba induduzo enkulu ukucabanga ukuthi banephakade lonke lokuthola ulwazi. Kodwa kulabo abanomuzwa wokuthi lokho asebekufundile kwanele, nabanezingqondo ezingathandi ukufunda, ukuphila phakade kungaba isiqalekiso sokuqala nesokugcina. Bangavele badinge nje ukuthi bazokwenzani ngaso sonke isikhathi sabo.”

Ukuthi ukuphila okuphakade ungakuthola kuyisicefe noma cha kuncike kakhulu esimweni sakho sengqondo. Uma ‘unengqondo ethanda ukwazi nesifiso esingapheli sokufunda,’ cabanga nje ukuthi kungakanani ongakufeza emkhakheni wezobuciko, wezomculo, wezokudweba izakhiwo, wezokunakekela izingadi, nakunoma iyiphi into oyithandayo. Ukuphila phakade emhlabeni kungakunikeza amathuba amangalisayo okuthuthukisa ikhono lakho emikhakheni ehlukahlukene oyithandayo.

Ukukwazi ukubonisa uthando nokuthandwa phakade kungenza ukuphila phakade kwanelise ngempela. Sidalwe sinekhono lokubonisa uthando, futhi siyaqhakaza lapho sizizwa sithandwa. Ukubathanda ngempela abanye nabo basithande kuletha ukwaneliseka okujulile, okungapheli ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Ukuphila phakade kungasinika amathuba angapheli okuhlakulela uthando, hhayi ngabantu esiphila nabo kuphela, kodwa ngoNkulunkulu ngokukhethekile. Umphostoli uPawulu wathi: “Uma umuntu emthanda uNkulunkulu, lowo uyaziwa nguye.” (1 Korinte 8:3) Yeka ilungelo elimangalisayo—ukwazi nokwaziwa uMbusi wendawo yonke! Ngaphezu kwalokho, akupheli ukufunda ngoMdali wethu onothando. Pho, kungaba yisicefe futhi kunganelisi kanjani ukuphila okuphakade?

Ukuphila—Kuyigugu Ngoba Kukufushane?

Abanye banomuzwa wokuthi okwenza ukuphila kube yigugu ukuthi kufushane. Bangase bafanise ukuphila negolide, into eyivelakancane. Bathi ukube igolide belixhaphakile, beliyoyeka ukuba yigugu. Kodwa igolide beliyoqhubeka lilihle. Ngokuqinisekile, kunjalo nangokuphila.

Singase sifanise ukujabulela ukuphila okuphakade nokuba nomoya omningi. Amatilosi asemkhunjini-ngwenya ohluleka ukuphumela ngaphandle angase awazise ngempela umoya. Ngemva kokuba ehlengiwe, ucabanga ukuthi angakhononda ngokuthi asenomoya omningi kakhulu? Phinde!

Njengalawo matilosi, singahlengwa, singaphili isikhashana nje kodwa sibe nethemba lokuphila phakade. Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Inkokhelo yesono ngukufa, kodwa isipho uNkulunkulu asinikezayo ngukuphila okuphakade ngoKristu Jesu iNkosi yethu.” (Roma 6:23) Ngomhlatshelo kaJesu wesihlengo, uNkulunkulu uyosusa ukungapheleli kobuntu nokufa, aphe abantu abalalelayo isipho sokuphila phakade. Yeka indlela okufanele sibonge ngayo ngelungiselelo eliwuthando kangaka!

Kuthiwani Ngabathandekayo Bakho?

Abanye abantu bangase bacabange: ‘Kuthiwani ngabathandekayo bami? Ukuphila phakade emhlabeni ngeke kube mnandi kimi uma bengekho.’ Mhlawumbe uye wangenisa ulwazi ngeBhayibheli futhi wafunda ukuthi ungakwazi ukujabulela ukuphila okuphakade epharadesi lasemhlabeni. (Luka 23:43; Johane 3:16; 17:3) Kungokwemvelo ukufuna ukuba amalungu aseduze omkhaya wakho, abanye abantu obathandayo, nabangane obakhonzile babe sepharadesi, bathole injabulo efanayo onethemba lokuyithola ezweni elisha lokulunga elithenjiswe uNkulunkulu.—2 Petru 3:13.

Kodwa kuthiwani uma abangane nabathandekayo bakho bengabonisi isithakazelo ekuphileni phakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi? Ungakuvumeli lokho kukudumaze. Qhubeka ungenisa ulwazi olunembile lwemiBhalo, futhi wenze ngokuvumelana nalo. Umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Wena mfazi [ongumKristu], wazi ngani ukuthi ngeke umsindise umyeni wakho? Noma, wena ndoda [engumKristu], wazi ngani ukuthi ngeke umsindise umkakho?” (1 Korinte 7:16) Abantu bangashintsha. Ngokwesibonelo, enye indoda eyake yaphikisa ubuKristu yashintsha futhi kamuva yaba umdala ebandleni lobuKristu. Ithi: “Angive ngiwubonga umkhaya wami othandekayo ngokunamathela ngokwethembeka ezimisweni zeBhayibheli phakathi nako konke ukuphikisa kwami.”

UNkulunkulu uyakukhathalela kakhulu ukuphila kwakho nokuphila kwabathandekayo bakho. Ngempela, “uJehova . . . akafisi ukuba kubhubhe namunye kodwa ufisa ukuba bonke baphenduke.” (2 Petru 3:9) UJehova uNkulunkulu ufuna wena nabathandekayo bakho niphile phakade. Uthando lwakhe lukhulu kunolwabantu abangaphelele. (Isaya 49:15) Ngakho, kungani ungahlakuleli ubuhlobo obuhle noNkulunkulu? Khona-ke ungakwazi ukusiza abathandekayo bakho ukuba nabo benze okufanayo. Ngisho noma okwamanje bengenalo ithemba lokuphila phakade, isimo sabo sengqondo singase sishintshe lapho bekubona wenza izinto ngokuvumelana nolwazi olunembile lweBhayibheli.

Kuthiwani ngabathandekayo bakho asebashona? IBhayibheli linethemba elimangalisayo lovuko kubantu abaningi asebashona—ukuvuka ekufeni nokuphila ePharadesi emhlabeni. UJesu Kristu wathembisa: ‘Ihora liyeza lapho bonke abasemathuneni beyophuma.’ (Johane 5:28, 29) Ngisho nalabo abashona bengamazanga uNkulunkulu bayobuyiselwa ekuphileni, ngoba iBhayibheli lithi: “Kuyoba khona uvuko lwabalungile nabangalungile.” (IzEnzo 24:15) Yeka indlela okuyoba intokozo ngayo ukwamukela abanjalo ekuphileni!

Ukuphila Okuphakade—Ithemba Elijabulisayo

Uma kumanje ukwazi ukuthola injabulo nokwaneliseka naphezu kwazo zonke izinkinga zaleli zwe, nakanjani uyokwazi ukujabulela ukuphila okuphakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi. Nokho, lapho omunye woFakazi BakaJehova ekhuluma ngezinzuzo eziyolethwa ukuphila phakade, omunye wesifazane wathi: “Angifuni ukuphila phakade. Ukuphila iminyaka engu-70 noma engu-80 kwanele kimi.” Umdala ongumKristu owayekhona lapho wabuza lona wesifazane: “Wake wakucabanga yini ukuthi zingazizwa kanjani izingane zakho uma ungashona?” Zageleza izinyembezi lapho ecabanga ngosizi ezingaba nalo ngokufelwa unina. Uyavuma: “Ngokokuqala ngqá, ngabona ukuthi ngangizicabangela mina kanjani, futhi ngabona ukuthi ukuphila okuphakade akulona ithemba elijatshulelwa umuntu eyedwa, kodwa lihlanganisa nobuhlobo bethu nabanye.”

Abanye bangase babe nomuzwa wokuthi akekho onendaba nokuthi bayaphila noma bayafa. Nokho, uMniki-kuphila wethu unendaba, futhi uthi: “Kuphila kwami, . . . angijabuli ngokufa komubi kodwa ngokuba omubi abuye endleleni yakhe futhi empeleni aqhubeke ephila.” (Hezekeli 33:11) Njengoba uNkulunkulu ekhathalela ngisho nokuphila kwababi, nakanjani ubakhathalela ngokujulile abamthandayo.

INkosi uDavide yakwa-Israyeli wasendulo yayikwethemba ukunakekela kukaJehova kothando. UDavide wake wathi: “Noma kungenzeka ubaba nomama bangishiye, yebo uJehova yena ubeyongamukela.” (IHubo 27:10) Kufanele ukuba uDavide wayeqiniseka ukuthi abazali bakhe bayamthanda. Kodwa ngisho noma abazali bakhe—abantu asondelene kakhulu nabo—babengamshiya, wayazi ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayengeke amshiye. Ngenxa yokuthi uyasithanda futhi uyasikhathalela, uJehova uthi ufuna siphile phakade futhi sibe nobungane obungapheli naye. (Jakobe 2:23) Akufanele yini sizamukele ngezandla zombili lezi zipho ezimangalisayo?

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Ukuthanda uNkulunkulu nomakhelwane kuyokwenza ukuphila phakade kujabulise