ABANTU BAYATHANDA UKUTHANDWA. Awukho umshado, umndeni noma ubungane obungaphumelela ngaphandle kothando. Ngakho, singaphetha ngokuthi uthando lubalulekile ukuze siphile kahle engqondweni futhi sibe nenjabulo. Kodwa, luyini “uthando”?

Uthando okukhulunywa ngalo lapha akulona olwezithandani, nakuba nalo lubalulekile. Lapha kukhulunywa ngohlobo lothando olubaluleke nakakhulu, olwenza umuntu azwelane nabanye futhi abeke izidingo zabo kuqala kunezakhe. Nakuba luhilela imizwa nemfudumalo, ngokuyinhloko lulawulwa iziqondiso ezivela kuNkulunkulu.

Indlela enhle yokuchaza uthando yile: “Uthando luyabekezela futhi lunomusa. Uthando alunamhawu, aluzigabisi, aluzikhukhumezi, aluziphathi ngokuhlazisayo, aluzifuneli izinzuzo zalo siqu, alucasuki. Alunamagqubu. Alujabuli ngokungalungi, kodwa lujabulela iqiniso. Lubekezelela zonke izinto, . . . luthemba zonke izinto, lukhuthazelela zonke izinto. Uthando alusoze lwaphela nanini.”—1 Korinte 13:4-8.

Lolu thando “alusoze lwaphela” okusho ukuthi luyohlala lukhona, phakade. Njengoba isikhathi siqhubeka, nalo luqina nakakhulu. Ngenxa yokuthi lolu thando luyabekezela, lunomusa futhi luyathethelela, singasho ukuthi “luyisibopho esiphelele sobunye.” (Kolose 3:14) Yingakho uma abantu benalolu thando ubuhlobo babo buyaqina futhi bajabule, nakuba benamaphutha futhi benesono. Ubudlelwane babantu ababili abashadile buyisibonelo esihle salokhu.

UJesu wafundisa izinto ezibalulekile ngomshado. Ngokwesibonelo, wathi: “‘Indoda iyoshiya uyise nonina inamathele kumkayo, futhi laba ababili bayoba nyamanye’ . . . Ngakho-ke, lokho uNkulunkulu akubophele ndawonye makungahlukaniswa muntu.” (Mathewu 19:5, 6) Kunezinto ezimbili ezibalulekile esizifunda kula mazwi.

“LABA ABABILI BAYOBA NYAMANYE.” Umshado uyisibopho esiqine kunanoma isiphi esinye esingahlanganisa abantu, futhi uthando lungasivikela lesi sibopho singagqashulwa ukungathembeki. Lungasiza indoda nenkosikazi ukuba bangabi “mzimba munye” nomunye umuntu abangashadile naye. (1 Korinte 6:16; Hebheru 13:4) Ukungathembeki kumuntu oshade naye, kungawuqeda umshado wenu. Uma kunezingane kulowo mshado, lokho kungazihlukumeza kakhulu, kuzenze zicabange ukuthi azithandwa, zizizwe zingalondekile noma zibe nenzondo.

“LOKHO UNKULUNKULU AKUBOPHELE NDAWONYE.” Umshado ungcwele. Abantu abashadile abakuqaphelayo lokho, bayabambisana ukuze bagcine umshado wabo uqinile. Uma beba nezinkinga emshadweni wabo, abazami ukuthola izindlela zokuphuma kulowo mshado. Uthando oluqinile lubenza babekezele. Uthando olunjalo “lubekezelela zonke izinto,” okwenza bafise ukuxazulula izinkinga ukuze balondoloze ukuthula nokubambisana emshadweni.

Uma abazali benothando futhi bezimisele ukudela okuthile ukuze babambisane, lokho kuyozisiza kakhulu izingane zabo. Osemusha okuthiwa uJessica uthi: “Umama nobaba bayathandana futhi bahloniphana kakhulu. Lapho ngibona indlela umama amhlonipha ngayo ubaba, ikakhulukazi lapho ebambisana naye ekusiqeqesheni, kungenza ngifise ukufana naye.”

Uthando luwubuntu bukaNkulunkulu obuhamba phambili. Empeleni iBhayibheli lithi: “UNkulunkulu uluthando.” (1 Johane 4:8) Akusimangazi nokuthi uJehova kubuye kuthiwe ‘unguNkulunkulu ojabulayo.’ (1 Thimothewu 1:11) Nathi siyojabula uma sizama ukulingisa ubuntu bukaNkulunkulu, ikakhulukazi endabeni yothando. Eyabase-Efesu 5:1, 2 ithi: “Yibani ngabalingisi bakaNkulunkulu, njengabantwana abathandekayo.”