Ithemba—Inkuselo Ebalulekileyo Kwihlabathi Elingenathemba

Inkwenkwana eselula yaseKorea yayifuna ukunceda unina ukuba eyisele umfundi wakwanokholeji kwindlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukuba nethemba ngekamva. Ikhumbula umzekelo eyayiwuve kwintlanganiso yamaKristu, yabuza lo mfundi ukuba wayenokuyinceda na ayicombululele iqhina. Wavuma. Yathi: “Kwakukho iintsapho ezimbini. Zombini zazingamahlwempu kakhulu. Kwakusina kakhulu, yaye amaphahla ezindlu zazo zombini ayevuza. Enye intsapho yayikhathazeke kakhulu, yaye yayikhalaza gqitha ngokuvuza oko. Kodwa enye intsapho yayonwabile yaye ivuyile ngoxa ingciba uphahla lwayo. Kutheni kwakukho umahluko ongako phakathi kwezi ntsapho zimbini?” Linomdla, eli bhinqa liselula laphendula lathi lalingasazi isizathu. Le nkwenkwana yathi: “Kaloku, le ntsapho yesibini yayonwabile kuba yayisandul’ ukufumana isaziso esivela kurhulumente wesixeko esichaza ukuba yayiza kufumana indlu entsha. Ngoko yayinethemba. Yayingulowo umahluko!”

IQHINA lale nkwenkwe lichaza inyaniso ecacileyo: Ithemba liyayiguqula indlela esivakalelwa ngayo ngobomi, ngokufuthi kungakhathaliseki ukuba iimeko zethu zinjani na. Njengezi ntsapho zimbini zichazwe yile nkwenkwe, uninzi lwethu kufuneka lunyamezele izilingo ebomini—iingxaki zempilo, amaxhala emali, amaxhala eentsapho, ulwaphulo-mthetho nezinye iimvavanyo nokuphathwa kakubi okungenakubaleka. Ngokufuthi, asinakuziphelisa iingxaki ezinjalo kanye njengokuba singenakusigxotha isiphango ukuba simke kwindawo esihlala kuyo. Ngoko sinokuziva sikhathazekile, singamalolo—ngokufutshane, singenakuzinceda. Ukwenza imeko ibe mbi nangakumbi, sisenokuba ecaweni sasifundiswe ukuba ikamva limfiliba kwinkoliso yaboni, kangangokuba lisenokuquka ukohlwaywa ngonaphakade.

Kuye kuthiwe izinto ezibangela umntu adandatheke kukungabi nakuzinceda nokuphelelwa lithemba. Kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo sinokuyiphelisa enye yezo zinto; akukho namnye kuthi omele aphelelwe lithemba. Yaye ithemba lisenokuba sesona sixhobo silungileyo sokushenxisa eyesibini into, iimvakalelo zokungabi nakuzinceda. Ukuba sinethemba, sinokuzinyamezela izilingo zobomi sizolile yaye sinolwaneliseko ngandlel’ ithile kunokuba sizabalaze nxamnye neenkxwaleko. Ewe, ithemba liyinkuselo ebalulekileyo.

Ngaba oku kukwenza uthandabuze? Ngaba ithemba ngokwenene linamandla angako okwenza umahluko omkhulu ngolo hlobo? Yaye ngaba ithemba eliqinileyo liyafumaneka kuye ngamnye wethu?

Ithemba Lifana Nesigcina-ntloko

Abezonyango baqalisa ukuwaqonda amandla aphawulekayo ethemba. Owasindayo ekubulaweni kwabantu Ngenkohlakalo ngamaNazi, incutshe yoxinezeleko uGqr. Shlomo Breznitz, wathi kwimeko yeengxaki ezininzi zobomi, “uxinezeleko lubangelwa yindlela esibuchaza ngayo ubunzima beengxaki zethu, abubangelwa ziingxaki ngokwazo. Ithemba liyalunciphisa ucinezeleko lwazo.” Inqaku elikwiThe Journal of the American Medical Association langqina ukuba ithemba “liyeza elinamandla.” Iphephancwadi iAmerican Health lanikela le ngxelo: “Kukho imizekelo emininzi yabaguli, ngokukodwa abagula ngumhlaza, abameko yabo iba mandundu xa kukho into ebangela balahle ithemba—okanye abakhawuleza bachache xa befumana into entsha abayiphilelayo.”—Thelekisa IMizekeliso 17:22.

Abafundi beBhayibhile kudala bekwazi ukubaluleka kwethemba. Kweyoku-1 kwabaseTesalonika 5:8, umpostile uPawulos wabongoza amaKristu wathi: “Masibe ziingcathu; masinxibe . . . nesigcina-ntloko esilithemba losindiso.” Lifana njani “ithemba losindiso” nesigcina-ntloko?

Phawula oko kwenziwa sisigcina-ntloko. Ijoni kumaxesha okubhalwa kweBhayibhile lalinxiba isigcina-ntloko sobhedu okanye sentsimbi, nesiqukunjelwe ngelaphu, uboya okanye ngesikhumba. Esi sigcina-ntloko sasikhusela intloko yalo kwiintolo ezintingayo, kumagqudu ajiwulwayo nakumakrele abinzayo emfazwe. Ngoko ke, kumele ukuba ambalwa amajoni awayethandabuza ukunxiba isigcina-ntloko ukuba ayenaso. Phofu ke, ukunxiba isigcina-ntloko kwakungathethi ukuba ijoni lalingenakuva ntlungu xa intloko yalo yayibethwa; kunoko, isigcina-ntloko sasiqinisekisa nje ukuba izithonga ezininzi zazidlula nje kunokulishiya lenzakele ngokoyikekayo.

Njengoko isigcina-ntloko sikhusela intloko, ngokunjalo nethemba likhusela ingqondo. Ithemba lisenokungasincedi silahlele kude nto nganye esibuyisel’ umva okanye xesha ngalinye lobunzima ngokungathi akukho nto yenzekileyo. Kodwa ithemba likhusela izithonga ezifana nezo yaye linceda ekuqinisekiseni ukuba aziyenzakalisi impilo yethu ngokwasengqondweni, ngokwemvakalelo neyokomoya.

Indoda ethembekileyo uAbraham kubonakala ukuba yayinxibe esi sigcina-ntloko sokomfuziselo. UYehova wathi makanikele ngonyana wakhe oyintanda, uIsake. (Genesis 22:1, 2) Hayi indlela engekwakubelula ngayo ngoAbraham ukusuka aphelelwe lithemba, mvakalelo leyo eyayinokumbangela angamthobeli uThixo. Yintoni eyakhusela ingqondo yakhe kwiimvakalelo ezinjalo? Ithemba laba nendima ebalulekileyo. Ngokutsho kwamaHebhere 11:19, ‘wacamanga ngokuthi uThixo unako ukuvusa [uIsake] nakwabafileyo.’ Ngokufanayo, ithemba likaYobhi ngovuko lamnceda ukukhusela ingqondo yakhe ekuqumbeni, okwakunokumkhokelela ekubeni aqalekise uThixo. (Yobhi 2:9, 10; 14:13-15) UYesu Kristu, ejamelene nokufa okubuhlungu, wafumana amandla nentuthuzelo kwithemba lakhe elivuyisayo ngekamva. (Hebhere 12:2) Intembelo yokuba uThixo akanakuze enze okuphosakeleyo, nokuba akanakuze asilele ukuzalisekisa ilizwi lakhe, isisiseko sethemba lokwenyaniso.—Hebhere 11:1.

Isiseko Sethemba Lokwenene

Njengokholo, ithemba lokwenene lisekelwe kwizibakala, kwizinto eziyinene nakwinyaniso. Oku kusenokubamangalisa abanye. Kunjengokuba omnye umbhali wakubeka ngolu hlobo, “abantu abaninzi kubonakala ngathi bacinga ukuba ithemba yindlela nje ebubudenge yokukhanyela inyaniso.” Ukanti, ithemba lokwenene alukokulindela ukuza kukaNxele, inkolelo engenasihlahla yokuba siya kufumana nantoni na esiyifunayo okanye silindele ukuba nkqu neengxakana ezincinane siya kuziconjululelwa. Izinto eziyinene ziyazicima ezoo ntsomi zikhohlisayo.—INtshumayeli 9:11.

Ithemba lokwenene lahlukile. Lisekelwe elwazini, kungekhona kwiminqweno. Qwalasela intsapho yesibini kwiqhina elichazwe ekuqaleni. Ngaba yayiya kuba nalo ithemba ukuba urhulumente wayo ebedume kakubi ngokungazalisekisi izithembiso zakhe? Kunoko, isithembiso kunye nobungqina bokuba sinokuthenjwa sanika le ntsapho isiseko esiqinileyo sethemba.

Ngokukwanjalo, amaNgqina kaYehova namhlanje anethemba elinxulumene ngokusondeleyo norhulumente—uBukumkani bukaThixo. Sisekelwe kobu Bukumkani isigidimi seBhayibhile. Kangangamawaka eminyaka bebungumthombo wethemba kubafazi namadoda, afana noAbraham. (Hebhere 11:10) UThixo uthembisa ukuba ngoBukumkani bakhe, uya kuzisa isiphelo kule nkqubo indala neyonakeleyo yehlabathi aze amisele inkqubo entsha. (Roma 8:20-22; 2 Petros 3:13) Eli themba loBukumkani liqinisekile, alilophupha. Umthombo walo—uYehova uThixo, iNkosi enguMongami wendalo iphela—ubuncinane singathi awunakuthandatyuzwa. Ekuphela kwento efunekayo kukuhlolisisa indalo ebonakalayo kaThixo ukuze sibone ukuba ukho yaye unamandla agqithiseleyo okuphumeza zonke izithembiso zakhe. (Roma 1:20) Kufuneka sihlolisise nje kuphela ingxelo yeenkqubano zakhe noluntu ukuze sibone ukuba ilizwi lakhe alinakuze lingazalisekiswa.—Isaya 55:11.

Noko ke, okubuhlungu kukuba abaninzi abazibanga bengamaKristu baye baphulukana nethemba lokwenyaniso. Kwintshumayelo epapashwe kutshanje umfundi wezakwalizwi uPaul Tillich wathi: “AmaKristu [okuqala] afunda ukulindela isiphelo. Kodwa ngokuthe ngcembe ayeka ukulinda. . . . Ulindelo lweemeko ezintsha emhlabeni lwaba buthathaka, nangona ubani wayezithandazela ngalo lonke ixesha esenza uMthandazo weNkosi—Makwenziwe ukuthanda kwakho nasemhlabeni njengokuba kusenziwa emazulwini!”

Enjani yona intlekele! Izigidi, kwanamawaka ezigidi, zabantu ezilifuna ngamandla ithemba azinalo, ukanti liyafumaneka lula kuzo, kanye kwiiBhayibhile zazo. Khawukhangele nje kwezo ziqhamo zibuhlungu! Ngaphandle kwethemba elivakalayo lokukhusela iingqondo zazo, ngaba kuyamangalisa ukuba ‘ingqiqo engacikidekileyo’ ibe ikhokelele uninzi ukungcolisa ihlabathi ngokuziphatha okubi nogonyamelo oluxhaphakileyo? (Roma 1:28) Kubalulekile ukuba singaze siwele kumgibe ofanayo. Kunokuba silahle isigcina-ntloko sethemba, sifanele sisoloko sisomeleza.

Indlela Yokwakha Ithemba Lakho

Eyona ndlela ibalaseleyo yokwakha ithemba kukunikel’ ingqalelo kumthombo walo, uYehova uThixo. Fundisisa iLizwi lakhe, iBhayibhile, ngenkuthalo. EyabaseRoma 15:4 ithi: “Izinto zonke ezabhalwayo ngenxa engaphambili, zaye zibhalelwa okwethu ukufundiswa, ukuze sithi ngalo unyamezelo novuselelo lwezibhalo sibe nalo ithemba.”

Kwakhona, kufuneka siqiniseke ukuba ithemba lethu ngekamva aliyontelekelelo nje emfiliba. Kufuneka silenze into yokwenene ezingqondweni zethu. Ngaba unethemba lokuphila ngonaphakade kwiParadisi esemhlabeni? Ngaba ungathanda ukubona abafileyo obathandayo xa bevuselwe emhlabeni? Ukuba kunjalo, ngaba unombono wakho ulapho ngelo xesha? Ngokomzekelo, uIsaya 65:21, 22 uthi umntu ngamnye uya kwakha indlu yakhe aze ahlale kuyo. Ngaba unokucimela uze uzithelekelele usebenza kuphahla lwendlu yakho entsha, ubethelela icangci lokugqibela? Yiba nombono wakho ujonga macala onke kwimiphumo yocwangciso nomsebenzi wakho. Izandi ezihlokoma ngehlombe xa kusakhiwa zithe cwaka, uhlola imbonakalo-mhlaba njengoko amathunzi emva kwemini enabela kuyo. Impepho emyoli ishukumisa imithi kancinane yaye iyakuhlaziya kubushushu njengoko ubusebenza. Uva ukugigitheka kwabantwana, kudibene nokuntyiloza kweentaka. Incoko yabo ubathandayo ivakala ngezantsi kwakho njengoko uphezulu kuphahla lwendlu.

Ukuba nombono wamaxesha olonwabo anjalo ayikokuthelekelela nje okufileyo; kunoko kukucamngca ngesiprofeto esiya kuzaliseka nokuba sekumnyam’ entla. (2 Korinte 4:18) Okukhona eli themba lisiba yinto yokwenene kuwe, kokukhona liya kuqina ngakumbi ithemba lokuba uya kuba lapho. Ithemba elomelele, neliqaqambe ngolo hlobo liya kukukhusela ekubeni uzive ‘uneentloni ngazo iindaba ezilungileyo,’ nto leyo enokukubangela uphephe isabelo sokwabelana nabanye ngazo. (Roma 1:16) Ngokwahlukileyo koko, uya kufuna ukuba ‘neqhayiya lethemba’ njengoko umpostile uPawulos wenzayo, ngokwabelana ngalo nabanye ngentembelo.—Hebhere 3:6.

Ithemba linikela okungakumbi kunekamva elingenasiphelo. Kukho imithombo yethemba kwanangoku. Kwenzeka njani oko? Indoda yaseburhulumenteni yamaRoma yenkulungwane yesihlanu yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo egama linguCassiodorus yathi: “Lowo uziqondayo iingenelo ezisele zidlulile uba nethemba kwiingenelo zekamva.” Anjani ukuba ngawobulumko wona amazwi! Yiyiphi intuthuzelo esinokuyifumana kwizithembiso zeentsikelelo zekamva ukuba asizixabisi iintsikelelo zangoku?

Kwakhona umthandazo wakha ithemba ngoku. Ngaphandle kokuthandazela izinto eziya kwenzeka kwikamva, sifanele sithandazele iimfuno zethu zangoku. Sisenokunqwenela size sithandazele ulwalamano oluphuculiweyo namalungu entsapho kunye namaKristu esikhonza nawo, sinokuthandazela isidlo sethu sokomoya esilandelayo, sikwanokuthandazela ukuba kuhlangatyezwane neentswelo zethu zezinto eziphathekayo. (INdumiso 25:4; Mateyu 6:11) Ukuyekela amathemba anjalo kuYehova kuya kusinceda sinyamezele suku ngalunye. (INdumiso 55:22) Njengoko sinyamezela, unyamezelo lwethu nalo luya kusomeleza isigcina-ntloko sethemba.—Roma 5:3-5.

Ukuba Nembono Enethemba Ngabantu

Ukucinga ngendlela engakhiyo kufana nomhlwa kwisigcina-ntloko sethemba. Kunomphumo wokonakalisa, yaye ngokuthe ngcembe kubangela isigcina-ntloko singabi loncedo. Ngaba uye wafunda ukukuqonda ukucinga ngendlela engakhiyo nokulwisana nako? Musa ukulahlekiswa yingcinga engachananga yokuba isimo sengqondo sokugxeka, sokuhlaba amadlala nesokubona into embi ngalo lonke ixesha siyafana nokuba krelekrele engqondweni. Enyanisweni, ukucinga ngendlela engakhiyo akufuni kusetyenziswa kwengqondo kangako.

Kuyinto elula ukuba nesimo sengqondo sokungabi nathemba ngabanye abantu. Bambi, ngenxa yamava abuhlungu exesha elidluleyo, baye baphelelwa lithemba lokuba bangafumana uncedo okanye intuthuzelo ebantwini kwakhona. Baqiqa ngelithi: “Aliphandlwa kabini.” Basenokude bathandabuze ukuya kubadala abangamaKristu ukuze bafumane uncedo kwiingxaki zabo.

IBhayibhile isinceda sibe nembono elungelelene ngakumbi ngakwabanye abantu. Liyinyaniso elokuba, akubobulumko ukubeka lonke ithemba lethu ebantwini. (INdumiso 146:3, 4) Kodwa kwibandla lamaKristu, abadala basebenza ‘njengezipho kubantu’ ezivela kuYehova. (Efese 4:8, 11) Bangabantu abanenkathalo, amaKristu anamava afuna ukuba “njengendawo yokuzimela umoya, neyokusithela esiphangweni” ngokunyanisekileyo.—Isaya 32:2.

Abanye abaninzi kumabandla amaKristu bakwanenkathalo enzulu ngokuba ngumthombo wethemba. Khawucinge nje ngamakhulu amawaka abo ngoku abazenza oomama, ootata, oodade, abazalwana nabantwana kwabo baye baphulukana neentsapho zabo; cinga ngaba ababa zizihlobo ‘ezinamathelayo kunomzalwana’ kwabo basentlungwini.—IMizekeliso 18:24; Marko 10:30.

Ukuba ubuthandazela uncedo lukaYehova, musa ukuphelelwa lithemba. Usenokuba sele ekuphendule; kusenokuba kukho umdala okanye umKristu okhulileyo okulungeleyo kanye ngoku ukukunceda ukuba uyamazisa ngeemfuno zakho. Ukuthembela ngendlela elungeleleneyo ebantwini kuyasikhusela ekuzinxwemeni kuye wonke umntu nasekuzahluleni, nto leyo enokukhokelela kwihambo yokuzingca nengancediyo.—IMizekeliso 18:1.

Ngokungakumbi, ukuba sinengxaki nomKristu esikhonza naye, asifanele siyizinzise sinesimo sengqondo esilandulayo, sokuphelelwa lithemba. Ngapha koko, “uthando . . . luthemba iinto zonke.” (1 Korinte 13:4-7) Zama ukukhangela kubazalwana noodade abangamaKristu njengoko uYehova esenza—ngethemba. Nikel’ ingqalelo kwiimpawu zabo ezintle, bathembe, uze wenze imigudu yokuzinzisa iingxaki. Ithemba elinjalo liyasikhusela kwiimbambano neengxabano, ekungekho namnye ungenelwayo kuzo.

Ungaze unikezele ekuphelelweni lithemba kweli hlabathi lifayo nelidala. Ithemba likho—ngekamva likanaphakade nokucombulula iingxaki zethu ezininzi ezikhoyo ngoku. Ngaba uya kuba nethemba? Unxibe ithemba losindiso njengesigcina-ntloko esikhuselayo, akukho mkhonzi kaYehova ungenaluncedo ngokwenene—zingakhathaliseki ukuba zoyikeka kangakanani na iimeko esikuzo. Ukuba asityhafi size sinikezele, akukho nanye into ezulwini nasemhlabeni enokusihlutha ithemba uYehova asinike lona.—Thelekisa eyabaseRoma 8:38, 39.