1, 2. Yiyiphi ingxaki abakuyo abantu bakaThixo kule mihla? (Jonga imifanekiso esekuqaleni.)

ABANTU abaphangela ezibhedlele basebenza ngabantu abanezifo ezosulelayo. Bayabakhathalela kuba befuna ukubanceda. Kodwa bayazikhusela ukuze bangosulelwa zizifo zabo. Kunjalo ke nakuthi, sihlala kwaye sisebenza nabantu abacinga nabanobuntu obungqubanayo neempawu zikaThixo. Iyingxaki le nto kuthi.

² Kule mihla yokugqibela, indlela abantu abaziphethe ngayo ixakile. Kwincwadi yesibini eya kuTimoti, umpostile uPawulos uchaza iimpawu zabantu abangenaxesha likaThixo eziza kuya zibonakala kwimihla ezayo. (Funda eyesi-2 kuTimoti 3:1-5, 13.) Nangona bengasothusa aba bantu, ingenzeka into yokuba sizibone sele sicinga yaye sisenza ngendlela abenza ngayo. (IMize. 13:20) Kweli nqaku, siza kuthetha ngomahluko okhoyo phakathi kwabantu bemihla yokugqibela nabantu bakaThixo. Siza kubona nendlela esingazikhusela ngayo ukuze singosulelwa bubuntu babo obungathandekiyo, ngoxa kwangaxeshanye sinceda abantu basondele kuYehova.

3. Ngoobani ekuthethwa ngabo kweyesi-2 kuTimoti 3:2-5?

³ Umpostile uPawulos wabhala wathi “ngemihla yokugqibela” kwakuya kufika “amaxesha amanqam ekunzima  ukujamelana nawo.” Emva koko, wadwelisa iimpawu ezingathandekiyo eziyi-19, ezaziza kuxhaphaka ngeli xesha. Ezi mpawu ziyafana nezikweyabaseRoma 1:29-31, kodwa ezinye kwezikuTimoti ayikho enye indawo ezivela kuyo kwiZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike. UPawulos utshayelela olu ludwe lweempawu angazifuniyo uThixo ngamazwi athi “abantu baya kuba . . . ” Kodwa ke abanjalo bonke abantu. AmaKristu wona ahluke kakhulu.—Funda uMalaki 3:18.

4. Kuthiwa unjani umntu onekratshi?

⁴ Emva kokuba uPawulos ethe abantu abaninzi babeza kuzithanda kwaye bathande imali, wathi kwakuza kubakho nabantu abazidlayo okanye abathanda ukuqhayisa, abaphakamileyo nabakhukhumele likratshi, bazibone bebhetele kunabanye abantu ngenxa yobuchule abanabo, inkangeleko, ubutyebi okanye isikhundla. Abantu abanje bathanda ukutatazelelwa nokunqulwa. Omnye umphengululi wathi xa echaza umntu onekratshi: “Phaya entliziyweni yakhe kukho isibingelelwana aman’ ukuguqa kuso aze azinqule.” Abanye abantu bathi ikratshi lenyanyeka kakhulu kangangokuba nabantu abanalo bayalenyanya xa belibona komnye umntu.

5. Ngaba nabakhonzi abathembekileyo bakaThixo bakhe babe nalo ikratshi?

⁵ Asiyithandabuzi into yokuba uYehova uyalicaphukela ikratshi. Uyawacaphukela ‘amehlo aziphakamisayo.’ (IMize. 6:16, 17) Ikratshi lenza umntu angakwazi ukusondela kuThixo. (INdu. 10:4) Umntu onalo ufuze uMtyholi. (1 Tim. 3:6) Kodwa ke, into ebuhlungu kukuba nabanye abakhonzi bakaYehova baye bosulelwa likratshi. U-Uziya, owayengukumkani wakwaYuda, wathembeka kuYehova kangangeminyaka. IBhayibhile ithi: “Noko ke, wathi kamsinya nje akomelela, intliziyo yakhe yaba nekratshi ukusa kwinqanaba lokonakala, kangangokuba wenza ngokungathembeki kuYehova uThixo wakhe wangena etempileni kaYehova ukuba atshise isiqhumiso esibingelelweni sesiqhumiso.” Kamva, noKumkani uHezekiya waba nekratshi, kodwa ke lakhawuleza laphela.—2 Kron. 26:16; 32:25, 26.

6. Yintoni engeyayimenze wanekratshi uDavide, kodwa kutheni engazange abe nalo?

⁶ Abanye abantu baba nekratshi ngenxa yokuba bebahle, bedumile, becula kamnandi, bakhekile okanye benesikhundla esiphezulu. UDavide wayenazo zonke ezi zinto, kodwa wahlala ethobekile ubomi bakhe bonke. Emva kokuba ebulele uGoliyati waza uKumkani uSawule wathi angatshata nentombi yakhe, uDavide wathi: “Ndingubani na mna nezizalwana zam, intsapho kabawo, zingoobani na kwaSirayeli, ukuba ndingade ndibe ngumkhwenyana kakumkani?” (1 Sam. 18:18) Yintoni eyenza uDavide wahlala ethobekile? Waqonda ukuba iimpawu, ubuchule newonga awayenalo wayelifumene kuba uThixo eye ‘wazithoba,’ okanye wazehlisa, ukuze amhoye. (INdu. 113:5-8) Wayesazi ukuba zonke izinto ezintle awayenazo wayezifumene kuYehova.—Thelekisa neyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 4:7.

7. Yintoni eza kusinceda sithobeke?

⁷ Abantu bakaYehova bale mihla bazama ngamandla ukuthobeka njengoDavide. Iyasimangalisa into yokuba uYehova, athi engoyena Thixo uphakamileyo, abe nolu phawu luthandekayo lukukuthobeka. (INdu. 18:35) Sizama ukwenza le nto ithethwa ngala mazwi: “Yambathani  umsa wemfesane, ububele, ukuthobeka kwengqondo, ubulali, nokuzeka kade umsindo.” (Kol. 3:12) Siyazi nokuba uthando “alugwagwisi [okanye aluqhayisi], alukhukhumali.” (1 Kor. 13:4) Xa sithobekile, abantu baya kutsaleleka kuYehova. Kanye njengokuba amadoda ekwazi ukufumana inyaniso ngokubona indlela amakhosikazi awo aziphethe ngayo, nabanye abantu banokusondela kuThixo xa besibona sithobekile.—1 Pet. 3:1.

8. (a) Abanye abantu bakujonga njani ukuthobela abazali kule mihla? (b) IZibhalo zithi abantwana bamele benze ntoni?

⁸ UPawulos wachaza indlela ababeza kuphathana ngayo abantu ngemihla yokugqibela. Wathi abantwana babengayi kuthobela abazali. Nangona le nto namhlanje isamkelwa de ikhuthazwe kwiincwadi, kwiimuvi nakwiinkqubo zeTV, iyaziphazamisa iintsapho. Kudala abantu bayazi le nto. Kaloku, kudala eGrisi, xa indoda ibethe abazali bayo, yayithathelwa onke amalungelo okuba ngummi walapho; kanti kumthetho wamaRoma, ukubetha utata wakho kwakulityala elilingana nelokubulala. IZibhalo ZesiHebhere nezesiGrike zithi abantwana bamele bathobele abazali babo.—Eks. 20:12; Efe. 6:1-3.

9. Yintoni eza kunceda abantwana bathobele abazali babo?

⁹ Abantwana banokuzikhusela kulo moya wemvukelo ngokucinga ngezinto abazenzelwe ngabazali babo. Baya kuba nombulelo nangakumbi xa beqonda ukuba nguThixo, onguBawo wethu sonke, ofuna babathobele. Xa abantwana bethetha kakuhle ngabazali babo, baya kunceda nabanye ukuba nabo bangabadeleli abazali babo. Kodwa ke, xa abazali bengenawo umsa wemvelo kubantwana babo, kuya kuba nzima ukuba abantwana babathobele nyhani. Kanti xa umntwana eziva ethandwa nyhani ngabazali bakhe, uza kufuna ukubavuyisa kwanaxa kunzima ukuba athobele. UAustin uthi: “Nangona ndandikhe ndizame amaqhinga, abazali bam babendibekela imithetho endikwaziyo ukuyithobela, bandicacisele isizathu sokuyibeka, ibe kwakusoloko kulula ukuthetha nabo. Loo nto yandinceda ndakwazi ukuthobela. Ndabona ukuba bandikhathalele, ndaza ndafuna ukubavuyisa.”

10, 11. (a) Ziziphi iimpawu ezibonisa indlela abantu abacaphukelana ngayo? (b) AmaKristu enene abathanda kangakanani abantu?

¹⁰ UPawulos uchaza ezinye iimpawu ezingathandekiyo ezibonisa indlela abantu abacaphukelana ngayo. Kufanelekile ukuba, emva kokuba ethethe ‘ngabangathobeli bazali,’ alandelise ngabangenambulelo, kuba kaloku banjalo abantu abangabuleliyo xa benzelwe into entle. Uphinda athi abantu babengayi kunyaniseka, okanye babeya kuba ngamawexu-wexu. Babengayi kuyifuna kwaphela imvisiswano, bangafuni tu ukuxolelana nabanye abantu. Babeza kuba ngabanyelisi nabangcatshi, bathuke, bathethe amazwi ahlabayo ebantwini nakuThixo ngokwakhe. Babeza kunyelisa abantu, bathethe izinto ngabo ngenjongo yokungcolisa amagama abo. *

¹¹ Abantu abanqula uYehova bahlukile kubantu abaninzi kule mihla, bona babathanda nyhani abantu. Abaqali namhlanje. UYesu wathi ukuthanda ummelwane, okuluhlobo oluthile luka-a·ga’pe,  kungumthetho wesibini ngokubaluleka kuMthetho KaMoses. (Mat. 22:38, 39) Waphinda wathi amaKristu enene ayeza kubonakala ngokuthi athandane. (Funda uYohane 13:34, 35.) Kwakuza kufuneka ade athande neentshaba zawo.—Mat. 5:43, 44.

12. UYesu wabonisa njani ukuba uyabathanda abantu?

¹² UYesu wayebathanda kakhulu abantu. Wayesiya kwizixeko ngezixeko, exelela abantu iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani BukaThixo. Waphilisa iimfama, iziqhwala, abaneqhenqa nabangevayo ngeendlebe. Wavusa nabantu abaswelekileyo. (Luka 7:22) UYesu wasifela sonke, nangona abaninzi babemzonda. Indlela uYesu asithanda ngayo isibonisa indlela uYise asithanda ngayo. Ehlabathini lonke, amaNgqina KaYehova axelisa uYesu ngokuthi abathande abantu.

13. Ukubathanda abantu kubanceda njani bafune ukusondela kuYehova?

¹³ Xa sibathanda abantu, batsho bafune ukusondela kuYise osezulwini. Ngokomzekelo, enye indoda yaseThailand yaphawula indlela ababethandana ngayo abazalwana kwindibano yengingqi. Yathi yakugoduka, yacela ukufundelwa kabini ngeveki. Yashumayeza zonke izihlobo zayo, ibe kwiinyanga ezintandathu emva kwaloo ndibano, yanikela intetho yayo yokuqala yofundo lweBhayibhile. Ukuze sizihlole ukuba sibathanda kangakanani abantu, makhe sizibuze: ‘Ngaba ndenza konke endinako ukuze ndincede intsapho yam, ibandla endikulo, nabantu endidibana nabo entsimini? Ngaba ndizama ukujonga abantu ngendlela uYehova abajonga ngayo?’

14, 15. Ziziphi iimpawu ezibulwanyanarha abanazo abantu abaninzi? Baye batshintsha njani abanye babo?

¹⁴ Ezinye iimpawu abanazo abantu kule mihla yokugqibela zisinika isizathu sokuba sihambele kude kubo thina maKristu. Abantu abangamhloneliyo uThixo babengayi kukuthanda ukulunga, okanye njengokuba ezinye iinguqulelo zisitsho, “bayithiye into elungileyo” okanye “balwe nayo yonke into elungileyo.” Babengayi kukwazi ukuzeyisa okanye ukuzibamba,  babe ziindlobongela. Abanye babeza kuba neentloko ezilukhuni, okanye bafane benze, bangakhathali.

¹⁵ Baninzi abantu ababenezi mpawu ezibulwanyanarha, kodwa batshintsha. Le nto yachazwa kakuhle sisiprofeto seBhayibhile. (Funda uIsaya 11:6, 7.) Kwesi sibhalo sifunda ngezilwanyana zasendle, ezinjengeengcuka neengonyama, ezihleli ngoxolo nezilwanyana zasekhaya, ezinjengamatakane namathole eenkomo. Phawula ukuba le nzolo iza kubangelwa kukuba “umhlaba ngokuqinisekileyo uya kuzaliswa kukwazi uYehova njengamanzi egubungele ulwandle.” (Isa. 11:9) Ngenxa yokuba izilwanyana zingakwazi ukufunda ngoYehova, esi siprofeto sibonisa ukuba ngabantu abaza kutshintsha ubuntu babo.

16. IBhayibhile ibancede njani abantu batshintsha ubuntu babo?

¹⁶ Baninzi apha kuthi ababekade befana neengcuka, kodwa ngoku bahleli ngoxolo nabanye abantu. Unokufunda ngabanye babo kumanqaku athi “IBhayibhile Iyabutshintsha Ubomi Babantu,” aku-jw.org/xh. Abantu abamaziyo nabamkhonzayo uYehova abafani nabanembonakalo yozinikelo lobuthixo kodwa bengaphili ngokuvisisana nalo, abazenza ngathi bayamnqula kodwa izenzo zibe zingatsho. Kunoko, abantu ababefana neengcuka baye ‘bambatha ubuntu obutsha obadalwa ngokokuthanda kukaThixo ngobulungisa bokwenyaniso nokunyaniseka.’ (Efe. 4:23, 24) Xa abantu befunda ngoThixo, baye bayibone into yokuba kufuneka baphile ngemithetho yakhe. Emva koko baye batshintshe izinto abazikholelwayo, indlela abacinga ngayo nabaziphethe ngayo. Akululanga ukwenza le nto, kodwa umoya kaThixo uyabanceda abantu abafuna nyhani ukwenza ukuthanda kwakhe.

17. Singenza njani ukuze singafani nabantu abaneempawu angazifuniyo uThixo?

¹⁷ Uya ubonakala umahluko phakathi kwabantu abakhonza uThixo nabangamkhonziyo. Masilumke ke thina bakhonzi bakaThixo, singaziboni sele sicinga okanye sisenza njengabantu abangamkhonziyo. Simele siyenze into ethethwa yeyesi-2 kuTimoti 3:2-5, ethi masizikhwebule kwaba bantu, okanye sibabaleke. Ewe kona, asinakukwazi ukubabaleka kuphele abantu abaneempawu ezingafunwa nguThixo. Abanye babo sisebenza nabo, sifunda nabo, okanye sihlala nabo. Kodwa masingacingi njengabo okanye sixelise ubuntu babo. Loo nto singayenza ngokuthi siqinise ukholo lwethu ngokufunda iBhayibhile, nangokuba abahlobo bethu ibe ngabantu abazimisele ukukhonza uYehova.

18. Indlela esithetha nesiziphatha ngayo inokubanceda njani abantu basondele kuThixo?

¹⁸ Kodwa kufuneka sibancede abantu basondele kuYehova. Khangela amathuba okushumayela, umcele uYehova akuncede ukwazi ukuthetha kakuhle nabo, ngexesha elibalungeleyo. Masibaxelele abantu ukuba singamaNgqina KaYehova. Ukuba senjenjalo, xa sisenza into entle, abayi kuncoma thina, baza kuncoma uThixo wethu. Siqeqeshwe ukuba “sizilumle kuko ukungabi nabuthixo nakwiminqweno yehlabathi size siphile ngengqondo ephilileyo nangobulungisa nangozinikelo lobuthixo phakathi kwale nkqubo yezinto yangoku.” (Tito 2:11-14) Ukuba siziphatha ngendlela uThixo afuna ngayo, abantu baza kuyibona loo nto, ibe abanye baza kude bathi: “Siza kuhamba nani, kuba sivile ukuba uThixo unani.”—Zek. 8:23.