WONKE umuntu uyakufuna ukuhlala ethokoza. Kodwa kulezinsuku zokucina sonke sithwele nzima ngoba siphakathi ‘kwezikhathi ezinzima.’ (2 Tim. 3:1) Ngokwesibonelo ukuphathwa kubi, ukugula, ukuswela imisebenzi, ukufelwa loba ezinye nje inhlupho zibangela ukuthi abanye baphelelwe yintokozo. Lathi esikhonza uNkulunkulu singaphelelwa yintokozo ngezinye izikhathi. Kuyini esingakwenza nxa singehlelwa yisimo esinjalo?

Okungasinceda ukuthi siphendule umbuzo lo yikuzwisisa ukuthi kutshoni ukuba lentokozo yeqiniso lokuthi kuyini okwenza abanye baqhubeke bethokoza lanxa bephakathi kobunzima. Sizaxoxa langokuthi kuyini esingakwenza ukuze sihlale sithokoza.

Ukuthokoza kutshiyene kakhulu lokuthaba. Ngokwesibonelo kuyenzakala ukuthi umuntu angadakwa umbone sethabile futhi esehleka okungapheliyo. Kodwa ngeke sithi uyathokoza ngoba nxa utshwala bungaphela ekhanda zonke indubo alazo zihle ziphenduke. Ukuhleka kwakhe bekungumthabo nje hatshi intokozo.​—Zaga. 14:13.

Ukuthokoza ngumuzwa obakhona enhliziyweni nxa sithole into enhle loba nxa silindele ukwamukela into ethile. Umuntu othokozayo uyajabula ngaso sonke isikhathi kungelani lokuthi izinto zimhambela kuhle loba hatshi. (1 Thes. 1:6) Lanxa engaphansi kwesimo esinzima uyenelisa ukuhlala ethokoza. Ngokwesibonelo abaphostoli batshaywa kabuhlungu ngenxa yokutshumayela ngoJesu. Loba kunjalo iBhayibhili lithi “basuka eSanihedrini bethokoza ngokuba basebebonakalisile ukuthi babengalimela ihlazo lokulihluphekela iBizo.” (ImiSeb. 5:41) Babengathokoziswa yikutshaywa kodwa babethokoziswa yikuthi babetshengise ukuthi bathembekile kuNkulunkulu.

Asizalwa silakho ukuthokoza njalo akuphongubakhona kodwa. IMibhalo itshengisa ukuthi ukuthokoza yisithelo somoya ongcwele kaNkulunkulu. Umoya ongcwele yiwo ongasisiza ukuthi sithokoze futhi ukuthokoza lokhu kuyingxenye yobuntu obutsha. (Efe. 4:24; Gal. 5:22) Nxa singaba lakho sizakwenelisa ukubekezelela izinhlupho esihlangana lazo.

UJehova wayengahlosanga ukuthi kwenzakale izinto ezimbi esizibonayo khathesi. Lanxa kunjalo kazange avumele ukuthi izinto lezi zimenze aphelelwe yintokozo alayo. ILizwi lakhe lithi: “Amandla lentokozo kusendaweni yakhe yokuhlala.” (1 ImiLan. 16:27) Kanti njalo izinto ezinhle ezenziwa yizinceku zakhe namuhla zenza uJehova abe ‘lentokozo enhliziyweni [yakhe.]’​—Zaga. 27:11.

Kumele silingisele uJehova ngokungakhathazeki kakhulu nxa sihlangana lobunzima esasingabukhangelelanga. Kulokuthi siphelelwe yintokozo esilayo kumele sicabange  ngezinto ezinhle esilazo khathesi futhi silindele ngokubekezela izinto ezinhle esizithenjisiweyo. *

IBhayibhili lalo lilezibonelo zabanye abahlala bethokoza lanxa babehlangana lobunzima obutshiyeneyo. Omunye wabo ngu-Abhrahama. (Gen. 12:10-20; 14:8-16; 16:4, 5; 20:1-18; 21:8, 9) Kuyini okwamsiza ukuthi ahlale ethokoza lanxa wayesebunzimeni? Wayehlala ecabangisisa ngethemba lokuphila emhlabeni omutsha sekubusa uMesiya. (Gen. 22:15-18; Heb. 11:10) UJesu wathi: “Uyihlo u-Abhrahama wathakazelela umnakano wokulubona usuku lwami.” (Joh. 8:56) Lathi singamlingisela u-Abhrahama ngokuhlala sicabanga ngekusasa elihle esililindeleyo.​—Rom. 8:21.

UPhawuli loSila labo bahlala bethokoza lanxa babehlangana lobunzima. Okwabancedayo yikucabanga ngezithembiso zikaNkulunkulu kanye lokuba lokholo oluqinileyo. Ngelinye ilanga batshaywa kabuhlungu baze bavalelwa ejele kodwa kwathi “sekungaba phakathi kwamabili uPhawuli loSila bakhuleka bahlabela amahubo” bedumisa uNkulunkulu. (ImiSeb. 16:23-25) Okwabenza bathokoza kakhulu yikwazi ukuthi babehlupheka ngenxa yebizo likaKhristu. Ukuhlala sicabanga ngezinto ezinhle esizithola ngenxa yokukhonza uNkulunkulu kungasisiza lathi njengoPhawuli loSila.​—Flp. 1:12-14.

Lanamuhla bakhona abafowethu labodadewethu abaqhubeka bethokoza lanxa behlangana lenhlupho ezitshiyeneyo. Ngokwesibonelo ngoNovember 2013 kwaba lesiphepho esikhulu ePhilippines esabhidliza imizi yaboFakazi bakaJehova abedlula 1 000. Omunye umfowethu okuthiwa nguGeorge owadilikelwa ngumuzi wakhe edolobheni leTacloban wathi: “Kungelani lalokho okwenzakeleyo abazalwane bayathokoza. Kunzima ukuyichaza intokozo esilayo.” Ukucabangisisa ngalokho uJehova asenzele khona lokumbonga kuzasinceda ukuthi sihlale sithokoza lanxa siphakathi kobunzima. Yikuphi okunye uJehova asenzele khona okusenza sihlale sithokoza?

Isizatho esikhulu esenza sithokoze yikuba lobuhlobo obuhle loJehova. Kuyasithokozisa ukwazi uMdali wendawo yonke lokwazi ukuthi unguNkulunkulu wethu loBaba wethu loMngane wethu.​—Hubo. 71:17, 18.

Siyambonga kakhulu uJehova ngokuthi wasinika ukuphila kanye lezinto ezenza sikukholise. (UmTshu. 3:12, 13) Njengoba esisondeze kuye siyenelisa ukuzwisisa intando yakhe lendlela afuna siphile ngayo. (Kol. 1:9, 10) Lokhu yikho okwenza ukuphila kwethu kube lenjongo. Kodwa abantu abanengi namuhla abakuzwisisi ukuthi siphilelani. Umphostoli uPhawuli wabhala wathi: “Akulalihlo eselikubonile, akulandlebe esizwile akulangqondo esicabangile ngalokho uNkulunkulu akulungisele labo abamthandayo. Kodwa uNkulunkulu ukuvezile kithi ngomoya.” (1 Khor. 2:9, 10) Ukuzwisisa intando kaJehova lenjongo yakhe kusenza sithokoze.

Zinengi izinto uJehova asenzele zona. Ngokwesibonelo wanikela ngeNdodana yakhe ukuze sithethelelwe izono. (1 Joh. 2:12) Okunye njalo asinike khona lithemba lokuphila emhlabeni omutsha. (Rom. 12:12) Kanti njalo usinike abazalwane esimkhonza sindawonye labo. (Hubo. 133:1) ILizwi lakhe iBhayibhili lisitshela lokuthi uyabavikela abantu bakhe ukuze bangahlaselwa nguSathane lamadimoni akhe. (Hubo. 91:11) Ukucabangisisa ngezibusiso uNkulunkulu asiphe zona kuzasenza sihlale sithokoza.​—Flp. 4:4.

Kungenzakala yini ukuthi umKhristu engeze intokozo alayo? UJesu wathi: “Ngilitshelile lokhu ukuze ukuthokoza kwami kube kini njalo ukuze ukuthokoza kwenu kuphelele.” (Joh. 15:11) Lokhu kutshengisa ukuthi singenelisa ukwengeza intokozo esilayo. Ukwengeza intokozo singakufanisa lokubasela umlilo. Lokhu ungakwenza ngokungezelela ezinye inkuni ukuze umlilo uvuthe ngamandla. Khumbula ukuthi ukuthokoza yisithelo somoya ongcwele. Yikho nxa sifuna ukwengeza intokozo esilayo kumele siqhubeke siwucela ngokuthandaza kuNkulunkulu. Kanti njalo kumele sicabangisise ngalokho esikufunda eLizwini likaNkulunkulu eliphefumulelwe ngomoya.​—Hubo. 1:1, 2; Luk. 11:13.

Ukukhuthala emisebenzini ethokozisa uJehova lakho kungasinceda ukuthi sengeze intokozo esilayo. (Hubo. 35:27; 112:1) IBhayibhili lithi: “Mesabe uNkulunkulu ugcine imiyalo yakhe, ngoba lo yiwo umlandu womuntu.” (UmTshu. 12:13) Amazwi la atshengisa ukuthi sonke sadalelwa ukuthi senze intando kaNkulunkulu. Ngakho ukukhonza uJehova kwenza sikukholise ukuphila. *

Nxa singengeza intokozo esilayo kunengi esizakuthola. Ngokwesibonelo uJehova uzathokoza nxa ebona siqhubeka simkhonza sithokoza lanxa sihlangana lezinhlupho. (Dute. 16:15; 1 Thes. 5:16-18) Kuzasinceda lokuthi sibalekele ukugijimisana lezinto zomhlaba lo kodwa sizimisele ukusekela uMbuso kaNkulunkulu. (Mat. 13:44) Ukubona impumela emihle ebakhona ngenxa yokuzimisela kwethu kuzasenza sithokoze kakhulu futhi kuzakwenza labanye bathokoze.​—ImiSeb. 20:35; Flp. 1:3-5.

Ukuthokoza kuzasinceda lokuthi sibe lempilakahle. IBhayibhili lithi: “Inhliziyo ethokozayo ingumuthi omuhle.” (Zaga. 17:22) Enye ingcitshi ehlolisisa ngezempilakahle ese-University of Nebraska e-United States iyakuvuma ukuthi amazwi la aliqiniso. Ithi: “Nxa uthokoza njalo usuthiseka empilweni uzakuba lempilakahle kusasa.”

Ukuthandazela umoya ongcwele lokubala kanye lokucabangisisa ngeLizwi likaJehova kungenza sihlale sithokoza lanxa sihlangana lobunzima. Okunye okungengeza intokozo yethu yikukhangela izibusiso esilazo khathesi lokulingisela ukholo lwabanye kanye lokuzimisela ukwenza intando kaNkulunkulu. Singenza njalo sizakubona ukuthi aliqiniso amazwi akuHubo 64:10 athi: “Akuthi abalungileyo bathokoze kuJehova baphephele kuye.”