ABANTU BASOLOKO BEFUNA UKUTHANDWA. Awukho umtshato, intsapho okanye ubuhlobo obunokuphumelela ngaphandle kothando. Ngoko lubalulekile ukuze ingqondo isebenze kakuhle nokuze umntu onwabe. Loluphi olu “thando” kuthethwa ngalo?

Uthando ekuthethwa ngalo apha ayilolwabantu abatshatileyo okanye abaza kutshata, esiyaziyo ukuba nalo lubalulekile. Kodwa lolona lubaluleke kakhulu, lubangela ukuba umntu akhathalele impilo-ntle yabanye kuneyakhe. Lukhokelwa yimigaqo kaThixo, kwaye umntu onalo unobubele ibe uyabacingela abanye.

Indlela emnandi oluchazwa ngayo olu thando yile: “Uthando luzeka kade umsindo yaye lunobubele. Uthando alunakhwele, alugwagwisi, alukhukhumali, aluziphathi ngokungandilisekanga, alufuni ezalo izilangazelelo, alucaphuki. Alunanzondo. Alubi nemihlali ngentswela-bulungisa, kodwa luvuyisana nenyaniso. Luthwala izinto zonke, . . . luthemba izinto zonke, lunyamezela izinto zonke. Uthando aluze lutshitshe.”—1 Korinte 13:4-8.

Olo thando “aluze lutshitshe” kuba alupheli. Njengoko ixesha lihamba, luya lukhula ngokukhula. Ngenxa yokuba luzeka kade umsindo, lunobubele kwaye luyaxolela, ‘lungumxokelelwane ogqibeleleyo womanyano.’ (Kolose 3:14) Abantu abadityaniswe lulo soze bohlukane ibe bayonwaba nakuba bezenza iimpazamo ngenxa yokuba bengafezekanga. Ngokomzekelo cinga ngomtshato.

UYesu Kristu wafundisa imigaqo ebalulekileyo yomtshato. Wathi: “‘Indoda iya kumshiya uyise nonina ize inamathele emfazini wayo, baze abo babini babe nyama-nye’ . . . Ngoko ke, oko uThixo akubophelele ngedyokhwe ndawonye makungahlukaniswa mntu.” (Mateyu 19:5, 6) Mibini imigaqo ebalulekileyo esiphuma nayo apha.

“ABO BABINI BABE NYAMA-NYE.” Umtshato yeyona nto idibanisa abantu ababini, ibe xa bethandana baya kunyaniseka emtshatweni. Indoda okanye umfazi soze abe “nyama-nye” nomntu angatshatanga naye. (1 Korinte 6:16; Hebhere 13:4) Ukunganyaniseki kuyakuphelisa ukuthembana ibe kunokuwuchitha umtshato. Ukuba sekukho abantwana, kunokuba kubi kakhulu. Banokuzibona bengathandwa, bengakhuselekanga bade babe nenzondo.

“OKO UTHIXO AKUBOPHELELE NGEDYOKHWE NDAWONYE.” Umtshato ungcwele. Abantu abayihloniphayo le nyaniso basebenza nzima ukuze baqinise umtshato wabo. Abakhangeli iindlela zokuwuphelisa xa kuvela iingxaki. Uthando lwabo lomelele yaye alugungqi. Olo thando “luthwala izinto zonke,” lubanceda bakwazi ukulungisa nezona ngxaki zinzima ukuze kuhlale kukho imvisiswano noxolo.

Xa abazali bethandana nyhani, kuba mnandi kakhulu ebantwaneni. Intombazana enguJessica ithi: “Abazali bam bathandana kakhulu yaye bahloniphene. Xa ndibona umama ehlonipha utata, nditsho ndifune ukufana naye.”

Uthando lolona phawu lubalaseleyo lukaThixo. NeBhayibhile ithi: “UThixo uluthando.” (1 Yohane 4:8) Ngoko ayisothusi into yokuba kuthiwe uYehova “nguThixo onoyolo okanye owonwabileyo.” (1 Timoti 1:11) Nathi siza konwaba xa sisebenzela ukuba neempawu ezifana nezoMdali wethu, ingakumbi uthando. Kwabase-Efese 5:1, 2 kuthiwa: “Yibani ngabaxelisa uThixo, njengabantwana abaziintanda, nize niqhubeke nihamba eluthandweni.”