Garret anakulira monga Mkhristu ndipo nthawi zambiri ankauzidwa kuti adzisungire yekha woyera osati kugonja ku zilakolako za kugonana, koma njira yochitira izi sinali yomveka bwino. Pano iye akulankhula za mmene angapezere chigonjetso chotheratu pa malingaliro onse odetsedwa ndi kukhala womasuka ku chisembwere ndi chidetso chonse.
"Kukula, ndinauzidwa kuti ndisasewere nawo, kapena kukhala pachibwenzi ndi atsikana, kapena kugonana ndisanakwatirane. Ndinadziŵa kuti kulola malingaliro odetsedwa kunali tchimo ndipo ndinalidi ndi kulakalaka kukhala womasuka ku malingaliro odetsedwa ameneŵa, koma njira yochitira zimenezi sinali yomveka bwino kwa ine. Ndinali kufunafuna njira yokhalira womasuka ku malingaliro awa koma ndinatha kugwa kwambiri ndikugwidwa mu mkombero woopsa komwe ndimayesetsa kumenyana koma nthawi zonse ndinkathera kuchimwa. Ndinalibe thandizo la kukhala womasuka.
"Koma potsiriza, njira yokhalira mfulu inamveka bwino kwa ine. Ndinapeza chikhulupiriro chakuti Mulungu anafuna kundipatsa chigonjetso pa machimo anga, chotero ndinayamba nkhondo yolimbana ndi malingaliro odetsedwa ameneŵa ndipo mwa thandizo la Mulungu ndinayamba kugonjetsa. Sindikunena kuti sindikuyesedwanso koma zilakolako zanga sizikulamuliranso. Sindikulamulidwanso ndi zomwe mtsikana amavala komanso momwe mtsikana amachitira kapena lingaliro lililonse laling'ono lomwe limabwera m'mutu mwanga.
"Kugonjetsa machimo amenewa si njira yosavuta ya mphindi 5. Ngati mukufuna kupambana nkhondo yolimbana ndi zilakolako zanu, muyenera kupanga chisankho osati kusiya. Nkhondoyo imayambadi m'moyo wanu wa tsiku ndi tsiku, musanayesedwe nkomwe ndi malingaliro odetsedwa.
Moyo woganiza bwino
"Ndikuganiza kuti chinthu chofunika kwambiri kuti mukhale oyera ndikugwira ntchito mwachidwi m'moyo wanu woganiza m'mikhalidwe ya tsiku ndi tsiku, musanabwere ngakhale m'mayesero. Monga momwe limanenera mu Akolose, 'Taganizirani zinthu zakumwamba osati zinthu za padziko lapansi.' (Akolose 3:2, CEB.) Moyo wanga woganiza uyenera kukhala wozikidwa pa kupempherera ena, kufunafuna Mulungu, kupempherera moyo wanga ndi kudzidzaza ndi Mawu a Mulungu. Sikuti izi zidzandilepheretsa ku mayesero ambiri osafunikira komanso, ndikabwera m'mayesero ndi mayesero, ndakonzeka kale kulimbana ndi mayesero amenewo.
"Monga anthu achilengedwe ndife ofooka kwambiri moti inali ngakhale nkhondo kungofuna kupeza chikhulupiriro kuti Mulungu angandithandize. Mwamsanga ndinazindikira mmene ndinaliri wopanda mphamvu ndi wofooka motsutsana ndi malingaliro ameneŵa ndipo ndinazindikira kuti ndinafunikira kupanga chosankha cholimba chakuti ndidzatha ndi machimo ameneŵa.
"Ngati sindisunga chisankho changa, ndikabwera m'mayesero ndiye kuti ndithudi ndidzagwa chifukwa ndine wofooka kwambiri. Ndikufuna thandizo la Mulungu kuti ndipeze chigonjetso ndiyeno ndikufunika kupanga chisankho cholimba kuti ndiike maganizo anga pa zinthu zakumwamba.
"Ndipo ndikaganizira zinthu zimene zili pamwambazi,' kwenikweni ndimakonda kwambiri Mulungu. Ndipo chinthu chokha chimene chingandisunge kukhala woyera m'mayesero anga ndicho mmene ndimakondera Mulungu. Ndikakhala womvera, ndiye kuti zimenezo zimasonyeza kuti ndimakonda Mulungu kuposa ineyo, kuposa zilakolako zanga ndi zilakolako zanga zauchimo. Sindikungolimbana chifukwa ndikufuna kukhala mfulu komanso chifukwa ndimakonda Mulungu ndipo Iye amadana ndi uchimo, ndipo chifukwa chake ndidzamumvera ndi kulimbana ndi tchimo langa. Ndipo kenako Iye amandipatsa mphamvu yogonjetsa.
"Ndikakhala wokhulupirika kumvera Mulungu ndi kukhulupirira kutsogolera Kwake ndi kuchita chilichonse Chimene Iye andiuza, ndiye Iye amanditumizira Mzimu Woyera, amene amandipatsa mphamvu kuti ndipeze chigonjetso m'mayesero. Koma popanda zimenezo ndilibe mphamvu 'kuvutika m'thupi,' monga momwe zalembedwera kumeneko.
Kuvutika m'thupi
"Choncho, popeza Khristu anavutika chifukwa cha ife m'thupi, dzikonzekeretseninso ndi maganizo amodzimodziwo, pakuti iye amene wavutika m'thupi waleka ku uchimo." 1 Petro 4:1.
"Kuvutika m'thupi, kwa ine, kumatanthauza kuti pamene ndikuyesedwa kuyang'ana mtsikana ndi kumulakalaka, ngati ndikunena kuti 'kayi' ku thupi langa, ku chikhalidwe changa chochimwa, ndikufa ndi njala 'chikhalidwe changa chochimwa' kuchokera ku chikhumbo chimenecho ndipo 'chikhalidwe changa chochimwa' chikuvutika. Sikuloledwa 'kudya' zomwe akufuna, ndipo kwenikweni zikufa m'dera limenelo.
"Ndikakhala ndi zida ndi maganizo amenewa, pamene zimenezi n'zimene ndaganiza zochita, ndiye kuti ndine wofunitsitsa 'kuvutika m'thupi,' ndimafunitsitsa kuvutika chifukwa chakuti uchimo wanga supeza zimene ukufuna. Ndi chifukwa chakuti ndili ndi chidani chenicheni cha uchimo. Tenepo ndikhali kumalisa na tchimo lomwelo. Ngati ndasankha kuti: 'Ndidzavutika m'thupi. Sindidzafunafuna zanga,' pamenepo sindidzagonja ku tchimo limenelo! Mulungu adzandipatsa mphamvu pamenepo!
"Ndipo ndi pamene pali nkhondo. Inde, malingaliro amabwera, koma sindiyenera kugwirizana ndi malingaliro. Mwanjira imeneyo ndimatenga nkhondo kumeneko ndipo ine kwenikweni kupeza chigonjetso pa machimo awa –
Moyo wa mtendere, chimwemwe ndi kupambana
"Poyamba pali kuvutika koma zimenezo si kanthu poyerekeza ndi mavuto amene ndakumana nawo chifukwa cha tchimo limene ndinachita pa moyo wanga. Poyamba mwina simungakhale ndi mtendere kwambiri ndipo simukumva chimwemwe kwambiri, komano mumapeza chigonjetso pang'ono, ndipo kukoma kumeneko kwa kupambana kumakupangitsani kufuna zambiri! Moyo umenewu ndi wabwino kwambiri kuposa kukhala kapolo wa zilakolako zanu zauchimo. Sindingathe ngakhale kuyerekeza.
"N'zosangalatsa mukaganizira za ankhondo onsewa m'Chipangano Chakale omwe anamenya nkhondo zonsezi kunja. Koma ngati ndikuganiza za mkati - ndikukhala wankhondo mkati mwanga, m'moyo wanga woganiza. Inde, mwinamwake si kunja ndi chinachake chachikulu ndi cholimba mtima, koma mkati mwake ndi kulimba mtima kwambiri kukhala wankhondo. Aliyense akhoza kugonja ku zilakolako zawo za kugonana. Zimenezo sizitenga kanthu. Koma kodi ndi anthu angati amene angapeze chigonjetso pa icho?
"Inde, zimawononga chinachake kukhala wankhondo, koma moyo uno ndi wodzaza ndi chiyembekezo komanso wodzaza ndi chimwemwe. Ndi thandizo la Mulungu nkotheka kotheratu kwa aliyense amene akufunadi, kwa aliyense amene akufunadi kukhala womasuka ku zilakolako zake zauchimo. Ndikuganiza kuti zimenezo n'zosangalatsa kwambiri!"
