UNGENELISA YINI UKUZIKHETHELA UKUTHI IKUSASA LAKHO LIZAKUBA NJANI? Abanye abantu bathi abalankululeko yokuzikhethela indlela abafuna ukuphila ngayo ngoba bacabanga ukuthi uNkulunkulu wahle wahlela ukuthi impilo yabo izaba njani. Nxa lokhu abafuna ukukwenza kungasaphumeleli bathi, “Vele ayisikho ebengikuhlelelwe.”

Abanye kuyabadanisa ukubona ukuthi akula lutho abangalwenza ngesimo esiphila kuso, esicindezelayo futhi esilezinhlupho. Bayazama ukwenza ukuphila kwabo kube ngcono kodwa kuyabe kulokhu kulezinto ezimbi ezibaphambanisayo njengezimpi, ubugebenga, umonakalo wemvelo kanye lokugula. Yikho bayazibuza ukuthi, ‘Pho ngizihluphelani?’

Kuliqiniso ukuthi izinto ezenzakala empilweni zingaphambanisa lokho oyabe ukuhlelile. (UmTshumayeli 9:12) Kodwa ungazikhethela ukuthi ikusasa lakho lizakuba njani. IBhayibhili litshengisa ukuthi ikusasa lakho liya ngalokho okukhethayo. Khangela ukuthi lithini.

Lapho isizwe sako-Israyeli sesizangena eLizweni Lesithembiso, uMosi umkhokheli waso watshela abantu wathi: “Sengimise phambi kwenu ukuphila loba ukufa, izibusiso leziqalekiso. Khathesi zikhetheleni ukuphila, ukuze kuthi lina kanye labantwabenu libe lokuphila kanye lokuthi limthande uJehova uNkulunkulu wenu, lilalele ilizwi lakhe, libambelele liqine kuye.”​—UDutheronomi 30:15, 19, 20.

“Sengimise phambi kwenu ukuphila loba ukufa, izibusiso leziqalekiso. Khathesi zikhetheleni ukuphila.”​—UDutheronomi 30:19

UNkulunkulu wakhipha ama-Israyeli eGibhithe njalo wawatshela ukuthi azakhululeka futhi athokoze eLizweni Lesithembiso. Kodwa konke lokhu kwakungeke kuphonguzibuyela nje egoqe izandla. Ukuze athole izibusiso lezi kwakumele ‘akhethe ukuphila.’ Ayengakwenza njani lokhu? ‘Ngokuthanda uJehova, ukulalela ilizwi lakhe langokubambelela aqine kuye.’

Lamuhla ithuba lokukhetha liphambi kwakho njalo indlela okhetha ngayo izakutsho ukuthi ikusasa lakho lizakuba njani. Nxa ungakhetha ukuthanda uNkulunkulu, ulalele ilizwi lakhe njalo ubambelele kuye uyabe ukhetha ukuphila okungapheliyo emhlabeni oliPharadayisi. Kodwa kugoqelani ukuthatha amanyathelo la?

Uthando luphawu lobuntu bukaNkulunkulu olukhulu kulazo zonke. Umphostoli uJohane waphefumulelwa ukuthi abhale amazwi athi: “UNkulunkulu uluthando.” (1 UJohane 4:8) UJesu wathi ebuzwa ukuthi yiwuphi umlayo omkhulu kulayo yonke, waphendula wathi: “Thanda iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho ngenhliziyo yakho yonke langomphefumulo wakho wonke langengqondo yakho yonke.” (UMathewu 22:37) Yikho ubuhlobo obuhle loJehova uNkulunkulu kumele busekelwe ethandweni hatshi ekwesabeni ukujeziswa. Kungani manje kumele sithande uNkulunkulu?

Uthando uJehova alalo ngabantu lufanana lendlela abazali abathanda ngayo abantwababo. Lanxa belesono, abazali abalothando bayaqondisa, bayakha, bayasekela njalo bajezise abantwababo ngoba befuna bathokoze futhi baphumelele. Abazali bayabe bekhangelele ukuthi abantwababo benzeni? Bayabe befuna babathande njalo benze lokhu ababafundise khona ukuze izinto zibahambele kuhle. Yikho kulengqondo ukuthi uBaba wethu osezulwini  alindele ukuthi lathi sitshengise ukuthi siyambonga ngakho konke asenzele khona.

Ukuze silalele uNkulunkulu kumele sikwazi akufunayo. Yikho sijayele ukutshela umntwana ukuthi “Lalela abazali bakho.” Ukulalela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu kutsho ukufunda lokwenza lokho akutshoyo. Lanxa singeke simuzwe ngendlebe uNkulunkulu, singenelisa ukumlalela ngokubala iLizwi lakhe iBhayibhili njalo senze elikutshoyo.​—1 UJohane 5:3.

UJesu watshengisa ukuqakatheka kokulalela ilizwi likaNkulunkulu, wathi: “Umuntu kaphili ngesinkwa kuphela, kodwa ngelizwi lonke eliphuma emlonyeni kaNkulunkulu.” (UMathewu 4:4) Njengoba nje kuqakathekile ukuthi sidle ukudla ukuze siphile, kuqakatheke kakhulu lokuthi sifunde ngoNkulunkulu. Kungani kunjalo? INkosi uSolomoni yathi: “Ukuhlakanipha kuyisiphephelo njengoba imali iyisiphephelo, kodwa ubungcono bolwazi yilobo: ukuthi ukuhlakanipha kuyayilondoloza impilo yalowo olakho.” (UmTshumayeli 7:12) Ukuba lolwazi kanye lokuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu kungasivikela lamuhla njalo kusincede ukuthi sikhethe okungenza sithole ukuphila okungapheliyo esikhathini esizayo.

Khumbula umzekeliso kaJesu esixoxe ngawo esihlokweni esidlulileyo, lapho athi: “Lincinyane isango lendlela ilukhonjwana eya ekuphileni, njalo balutshwana abayifumanayo.” (UMathewu 7:13, 14) Ungahamba endleleni le ulomuntu okuqondisayo futhi umlandela eduze uzafika lapho oya khona, ekuphileni okungapheliyo. Yikho silesizatho esihle sokuthi sihlale siseduze loNkulunkulu. (IHubo 16:8) Kodwa singakwenza njani lokhu?

Nsuku zonke kulezinto ezinengi okumele sizenze kanti njalo zikhona ezinye esifisa ukuzenza. Izinto lezo zingenza sihlale siphathekile okokuthi sisala singela sikhathi loba sisala silesikhathi esincane sokucabanga ngokuthi uNkulunkulu ufuna senzeni. Yikho iBhayibhili lisikhumbuza ukuthi, “Ngakho-ke qaphelani kakhulu ukuba liphila njani​—kungabi njengezithutha kodwa njengabahlakaniphileyo, liwasebenzise ngokupheleleyo amathuba wonke, ngoba izinsuku zimbi.” (Kwabase-Efesu 5:15, 16) Singahlala siseduze loNkulunkulu nxa singaqakathekisa ubuhlobo bethu laye ekuphileni kwethu.​—UMathewu 6:33.

Lanxa kungela ongakwenza ngalokho okwenzakala kudala empilweni yakho, ungenelisa ukuzikhethela ikusasa lakho kanye lelalabo obathandayo. IBhayibhili liveza ukuthi uBaba wethu osezulwini uJehova uNkulunkulu uyasithanda futhi uyasitshela lokho afuna sikwenze. Nanzelela amazwi omphrofethi uMikha:

“Ukutshengisile wena muntu okuhle, uJehova ufunani kuwe na? Ukwenza okulungileyo lokuthanda umusa kanye lokuhamba ngokuzithoba loNkulunkulu wakho.”​—UMikha 6:8.

Uzasamukela yini isimemo esivela kuJehova sokuthi uhambe laye njalo uthole izibusiso ezingapheliyo azigcinele labo abamlalelayo? Ungazikhethela.