1. Ngawaphi amazwi adla ngokuthethwa ngabantu?

SIDLA ngokuva kusithiwa: ‘Umntu akayixabisi intw’ anayo de aphulukane nayo.’ Ngaba nawe wakha wavakalelwa ngaloo ndlela? Umntu okhule enezinto udla ngokungazixabisi kakhulu. Ngokomzekelo, umntu okhuliswe zizityebi usenokuzithatha lula izinto anazo. Kunokuba njalo kubantu abaselula abathi ngenxa yokungabi namava, bangaziqondi kakuhle ezona zinto zixabisekileyo ebomini.

2, 3. (a) Yintoni olufanele luyilumkele ulutsha olungamaKristu? (b) Yintoni enokusinceda sikuxabise oko sinako?

² Ukuba uselula, mhlawumbi ukwishumi elivisayo okanye ungaphezu nje kancinane kweminyaka eyi-20, yintoni ebalulekileyo kuwe? Abaninzi ehlabathini bajonge ubutyebi—umrholo oncumisayo, ipomakazi lomzi nezinto zeteknoloji zangoku. Noko ke, ukuba ezi kuphela kwezinto esicinga ngazo, ikho int’ ebalulekileyo esiyiphosayo—ubuhlobo noThixo. Ngelishwa, abaninzi kule mihla khange bazame nokuzama ukuba nobuhlobo noThixo. Lutsha olukhuliswe ngabazali abangamaKristu, lumkani ningakuphosi ukuxabiseka kwelifa lokomoya enilifumeneyo. (Mat. 5:3) Ukungabi naluxabiso  kunokubangela iingxaki ezinokunichaphazela ubomi benu bonke.

³ Kodwa unako ukuyinqanda loo ngozi. Yintoni enokukunceda ulixabise ilifa lakho lokomoya? Makhe sihlole imizekelo eseBhayibhileni enokusinceda sibone ukuba kutheni kububulumko ukulixabisa ilifa lethu lokomoya. Le mizekelo siza kuyihlola ayizukunceda ulutsha kuphela kodwa iza kunceda wonk’ umKristu ukuba alixabise ilifa lakhe.

4. Eyoku-1 kaSamuweli 8:1-5 isixelela ntoni ngoonyana bakaSamuweli?

⁴ Bakho abantu ekuthethwa ngabo eBhayibhileni abafumana ilifa lokomoya kodwa abalixabisa. Kwaba njalo kwintsapho yomprofeti uSamuweli, owayemkhonza kakuhle uYehova ukususela ebuntwaneni. (1 Sam. 12:1-5) Oonyana bakaSamuweli, uYoweli noAbhiya, babefanele bawulandele umzekelo omhle kayise. Noko ke, abazange balixabise ilifa labo, baza benza okubi. IBhayibhile ithi abazange bafane noyise, kuba bona ‘babewugqwetha umgwebo.’—Funda eyoku-1 kaSamuweli 8:1-5.

5, 6. Baqhuba njani oonyana bakaYosiya nomzukulwana wakhe?

⁵ Kwaba njalo nangoonyana bakaKumkani uYosiya. UYosiya waba ngumzekelo omhle gqitha ekukhonzeni uYehova. Xa kwafunyanwa incwadi yoMthetho kaThixo waza wayifundelwa, wazama ngamandla akhe onke ukwenza imiyalelo kaYehova. Waphelisa unqulo lwezithixo nokusebenzelana nemimoya elizweni, ibe wabongoza abantu ukuba bathobele uYehova. (2 Kum. 22:8; 23:2, 3, 12-15, 24, 25) Wayengumzekelo omhle gqitha koonyana bakhe! Ethubeni, oonyana bakhe abathathu nomzukulwana wakhe baba ngookumkani, kodwa akukho nomnye owabonisa ukuba uyawuxabisa lo mzekelo.

⁶ Unyana kaYosiya uYehowahazi wangena ezihlangwini zikayise, kodwa wenza “okubi emehlweni kaYehova.” Kwathi kwinyanga yesithathu engenile esihlalweni, suke wabanjwa ngomnye wooFaro baseYiputa, wafela eluvalelweni. (2 Kum. 23:31-34) Emva kwakhe, umntakwabo uYehoyakim walawula iminyaka eyi-11. Naye zange awuxabise umzekelo kayise. Ngenxa yobungendawo bakhe, uYeremiya waprofeta wathi ngaye: “Uya kungcwatywa ngokungcwatywa kwenkunzi ye-esile.” (Yer. 22:17-19) Nabanye abalawula emva kukaYosiya—unyana wakhe uZedekiya nomzukulwana wakhe uYehoyakin—abazange baqhube kakuhle; zange bawulandele tu umzekelo wakhe.—2 Kum. 24:8, 9, 18, 19.

7, 8. (a) USolomon wadlala njani ngethuba lokukhonza uThixo? (b) Sisiphi isifundo esinokusifunda kwimizekelo eseBhayibhileni yabo badlala ngethuba lokwenza okulungileyo?

⁷ UKumkani uSolomon wafunda into eninzi kuyise uDavide. Nakuba ekuqaleni waye waqhuba kakuhle, ekugqibeleni waphelelwa luxabiso. “Kwathi ngexesha lokuba mdala kukaSolomon abafazi bakhe bayenza intliziyo yakhe yatyekela ekulandeleni abanye oothixo; kwaye intliziyo yakhe ayizange iphelele kuYehova uThixo wakhe njengentliziyo kaDavide uyise.” (1 Kum. 11:4) Loo nto yabangela ukuba uYehova ayeke ukumthanda.

⁸ Ibuhlungu gqitha le nto yenziwa ngaba bantu; babekhule kakuhle kodwa xa sele bebadala badlala ngethuba lokwenza okulungileyo! Kodwa ke, asingabo bonke abantu abatsha ekuthethwa ngabo eBhayibhileni abaqhuba ngale ndlela, ibe kunjalo ke nanamhlanje. Makhe sifunde ngemizekelo emihle enokulandelwa lulutsha olungamaKristu.

9. Oonyana bakaNowa baba ngumzekelo omhle ngayiphi indlela? (Jonga umfanekiso osekuqaleni.)

⁹ Oonyana bakaNowa baba ngumzekelo omhle kakhulu. Uyise wayalelwa ukuba akhe umkhombe aze angenise intsapho yakhe kuwo. Oonyana bakaNowa baqonda ukuba bamele benze ukuthanda kukaYehova. Bamel’ ukuba bamthobela uyise. Ethubeni, bamncedisa ekwakheni umkhombe, ibe bangena kuwo. (Gen. 7:1, 7) Ngoba? IGenesis 7:3 ithi bangenisa izilwanyana emkhombeni “ukuze kubekho inzala esindayo phezu komhlaba uphela.” Bakho nabantu abasindayo. Ngenxa yokuba oonyana bakaNowa bawuxabisa umzekelo kayise, baba nelungelo lokuba nenxaxheba ekusindisweni kwabantu nasekusungulweni konqulo lokwenyaniso kumhlaba ocociweyo.—Gen. 8:20; 9:18, 19.

10. Ngoxa babeseBhabhiloni, abafana abane abangamaHebhere babonisa njani ukuba bayazixabisa izinto ababezifundisiwe?

¹⁰ Kwiminyaka engamakhulu-khulu kamva, abafana abane abangamaHebhere babonisa ukuba babeyifundisiwe eyona nto ibalulekileyo. UHananiya, uMishayeli, uAzariya noDaniyeli basiwa eBhabhiloni ngo-617 B.C.E. Babeziinzwana, bengabafana abakrelekrele ababenokungena lula kubomi baseBhabhiloni. Kodwa abazange bayenze loo nto. Indlela abenza ngayo yabonisa ukuba babekukhumbula oko babekufundisiwe. Basikelelwa kakhulu ngokubambelela kwabo kwizinto ezakha ukholo ababezifundiswe ngoxa besengabantwana.—Funda uDaniyeli 1:8, 11-15, 20.

11. Abanye bancedakala njani kwizinto uThixo awayezifundise uYesu?

¹¹ Singawushiya njani umzekelo omhle woNyana kaThixo uqobo, uYesu? Wafund’ into eninzi gqitha kuYise, ibe wayezixabisa nyhani izinto awazifundayo. Loo nto siyibona kumazwi akhe athi: “Ndizithetha ezi zinto kanye njengoko uBawo wandifundisayo.” (Yoh. 8:28) Wayefuna ukunceda abanye ngezinto awazifundayo. Wathi kwizihlwele: “Ndimele ndizivakalise iindaba ezilungileyo zobukumkani bukaThixo nakwezinye izixeko, ngenxa yokuba ndithunywe oko.” (Luka 4:18, 43) Wanceda abo babemphulaphula ukuba ‘bangabi yonxalenye yehlabathi,’ lona elidla ngokungayixabisi inyaniso.—Yoh. 15:19.

12. (a) Eyesi-2 kuTimoti 3:14-17 isebenza njani kulutsha oluninzi kule mihla? (b) Yiyiphi imibuzo olufanele luzibuze yona ulutsha olungamaKristu?

¹² Njengolutsha esisandul’ ukufunda ngalo, kusenokwenzeka ukuba nawe ukhuliswe ngabazali abazinikele kuYehova uThixo. Ukuba kunjalo, kusenokwenzeka ukuba imeko yakho ifana noko kuthethwa ziZibhalo ngoTimoti. (Funda eyesi-2 kuTimoti 3:14-17.) Ngabazali bakho abakufundisa ngoThixo nangendlela yokumkholisa. Mhlawumbi baqalisa ukukufundisa uselusana. Ngokuqinisekileyo wancedwa yiloo nto ukuze ufumane “ubulumko obusa elusindisweni ngokukholwa kuKristu Yesu” nokuze ‘ukuxhobele ngokupheleleyo’ ukukhonza uThixo. Ngoku nank’ umbuzo obalulekileyo: Ngaba uza kukuxabisa oko ukufumeneyo? Loo nto inokufuna ukuba uzihlole. Khawucinge ngale mibuzo: ‘Ndivakalelwa njani ngokuba phakathi kwenyambalala yamangqina athembekileyo? Ndivakalelwa njani ngokuba phakathi kwabantu abambalwa emhlabeni abathandwayo nguThixo? Ngaba phofu ndiyaqonda ukuba kulilungelo elikhethekileyo ukwazi inyaniso?’

13, 14. Yintoni oluhendelwa kuyo oluny’ ulutsha olungamaKristu, kodwa kutheni kungenakuba bubulumko ukunikezela? Yenz’ umzekelo.

 ¹³ Oluny’ ulutsha olukhuliswe ngabazali abangamaKristu lusenokungaboni ukuba indlela yenyaniso ibhetele kakhulu kuneli hlabathi likaSathana lingendawo. Abanye bade bahendelwa ukuba bakhe balingcamle eli hlabathi ukuze babone ukuba linjani. Kodwa ke ngaba kufuneka ude ubaleke phambi kwemoto ukuze uve ukuba kubuhlungu okanye kuyabulala na ukutshayiswa yiyo? Ibiya kuba bububhanxa obo! Nathi akuyomfuneko ukuba side singene kulo ‘mgxobhozo woburheletyo’ uleli hlabathi ukuze sibone ukuba liyingozi kangakanani na.—1 Pet. 4:4.

¹⁴ UGener ohlala eAsia, wakhulela enyanisweni. Wabhaptizwa eneminyaka eyi-12. Noko ke, xa wayekwishumi elivisayo, watsaleleka kwizinto zeli hlabathi. Uthi: “Ndandifuna ukufumana ‘inkululeko’ yeli hlabathi.” Waqalisa ukuphila ubomi obumbaxa. Xa eneminyaka eyi-15, wayesele ephila njengeetshomi zakhe ezingalunganga. Wayesela ibe ethuka njengazo. UGener wayebuya ebusuku kowabo, emva kokuba edlale imidlalo yekhompyutha enogonyamelo neetshomi zakhe. Noko ke, ethubeni, waphawula ukuba izinto ezinomtsalane zeli hlabathi azanelisi. Zazingamampunge nje. Uthi xa ethetha ngokubuyela kwakhe ebandleni: “Ziseninzi izinto ezindihendayo kweli hlabathi, kodwa iintsikelelo endizifumana kuYehova zingaphaya kwazo.”

15. Yintoni olufanele lucingisise ngayo nolutsha olungakhuliswanga ngabazali abangamaKristu?

¹⁵ Kakade ke, lukho noluny’ ulutsha ebandleni olungakhuliswanga ngabazali abangamaKristu. Ukuba ungomnye walo, khawukhe ucingisise kakuhle ngeli lungelo onalo lokwazi nokukhonza uMdali! Kukho iibhiliyon zabantu aph’ emhlabeni. Ngoko, yintsikelelo engathethekiyo ukuba phakathi kwabo uYehova aye wabatsalela kuye waza wabatyhilela inyaniso eseBhayibhileni. (Yoh. 6:44, 45) Ngokomlinganiselo, ngumntu omnye kuphela kwabayi-1 000 oyazi kakuhle inyaniso, ibe ungomnye wabo. Ngaba loo nto ayifanele isivuyise, kungakhathaliseki ukuba siyifumene njani inyaniso? (Funda eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 2:12.) UGener uthi: “Ndiba namanwele xa ndiyicinga le nto. Bendingubani mna ukuba  ndingade ndaziwe nguYehova, uMnini wendalo yonke?” (INdu. 8:4) Omny’ udade ongowaseAsia naye, wathi: “Abafundi baba neqhayiya xa besaziwa ngokukhethekileyo ngootitshala babo. Kukangakanani ke ngokwaziwa nguYehova, uMyaleli Ozukileyo!”

16. Yintoni ekunokuba bubulumko ukuba luyenze ulutsha olungamaKristu kule mihla?

¹⁶ Ekubeni uneli lungelo limangalisayo, kutheni ungazimiseli nangakumbi ukuba ube phakathi kwembinana eye yabuphila kakuhle ubomi bayo? Ngaloo ndlela, nawe unokuba phakathi kwenyambalala yabo bebekhonza uThixo ngokuthembeka ukutyhubel’ imbali. Ukwenza loo nto kungabubulumko gqitha kunokuba ngumsila emva kwesihlwele solutsha esifathulela entshabalalweni.—2 Kor. 4:3, 4.

17-19. Yintoni enokukunceda ukuba ukuqonde kakuhle ukwahluka kweli hlabathi?

¹⁷ Kakade ke, loo nto ayithethi kuthi ukwahluka kweli hlabathi kuya kusoloko kulula. Noko ke, ukuba uyicingisisa kakuhle le nto, kububulumko ukuba sahluke. Makhe siyizekelise le nto ngembaleki yeeOlimpiki. Ngokuqinisekileyo kuye kwafuneka yahluke ukuze ifikelele kwelo nqanaba. Imele ukuba iye yancama izinto ezininzi ebezinokuyityel’ ixesha zize ziyiphazamise, igqibele ingasenalo ixesha lokuzilolonga. Kodwa ke, ukuzimisela kwayo ukwahluka koontanga bayo kuyenze yaba nexesha elininzi lokuzilolonga ukuze ikwazi ukufikelela usukelo lwayo.

¹⁸ Ihlabathi alicingi ngekamva. Ukuba uzikis’ ukucinga ngekamva, wahluke kweli hlabathi uze ukuphephe ukungcola kwalo ngokokuziphatha nangokomoya, uya kufumana ‘ubomi benene.’ (1 Tim. 6:19) Udade ekukhe kwathethwa ngaye ngaphambili uthi: “Ukuba uyayimela into oyikholelwayo, uya kwaneliseka nyhani ekugqibeleni. Loo nto iya kungqina ukuba unawo amandla okumelana neli hlabathi likaSathana. Eyona nto ibalulekileyo kukuba, uya kuba ngathi uyambona uYehova uThixo ekuncumele ibe enelunda ngawe! Kuvuyisa ngaloo nto ke ukwahluka!”

¹⁹ Ubomi buba lilize xa umntu ephilela unamhlanje. (INtshu. 9:2, 10) Ukuba uselula ibe ucingisisa nzulu ngenjongo nangobude bobomi bakho, ngaba akuyonto intle ukuphepha ‘ukuhamba njengeentlanga’ uze uphile ubomi obunenjongo?—Efe. 4:17; Mal. 3:18.

20, 21. Ukuba senza izigqibo ezifanelekileyo, sizibeka ethubeni lantoni, kodwa yintoni elindelekileyo kuthi?

²⁰ Ukuba senza izigqibo ezifanelekileyo, sinokuphila ubomi obanelisayo kwangoku size sibe sethubeni ‘lokuwudla ilifa umhlaba’—siphile ubomi obungenasiphelo. Silindelwe ziintsikelelo ezininzi gqitha nesingenakukwazi ukuzithelekelela zonke. (Mat. 5:5; 19:29; 25:34) Kodwa ke, uThixo akasuki asinike izinto ngokuzenzekelayo. Kukho into ayilindeleyo kuthi. (Funda eyoku-1 kaYohane 5:3, 4.) Kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo kububulumko ukuba kwangoku simkhonze ngokuthembeka!

²¹ Kulilungelo elikhulu gqitha ukuba nezi zinto sele sizifumene kuThixo ukuza kuthi ga ngoku! Sinolwazi oluchanileyo ngeLizwi lakhe ibe simqonda kakuhle yena kunye neenjongo zakhe. Sinelungelo lokuthwala igama lakhe nelokuba ngamaNgqina akhe. UThixo usithembisa ukuba ungakwicala lethu. (INdu. 118:7) Ngamana sonke, enoba siselula okanye sele sikhulile, singaba noxabiso ngokuphila ngendlela ebonisa ukuba sikufuna nyhani ukunika uYehova “uzuko ngonaphakade.”—Roma 11:33-36; INdu. 33:12.