TEXT: PHIL. VS 2; GEN. 12:5
We have said that the letter from Paul to Philemon, was co-addressed to other persons apart from Philemon. Others were kept in the loop as per the contents of the letter: it was not a secret letter though sacred! The first person that has access to this letter, apart from Philemon, was Apphia( Philemon's wife.) After her, is the son, Archippus; then the church in his house. This order is divine and must be observed with all care. Let us say it again- for purpose of clarity: Philemon was asked to do something-forgive and reinstate onesimus: this is the demand placed on him by God.

This demand was tangible and very clear, lacking vagueness and unmistakably crystal clear. So, God dragged his wife first and foremost to have a full picture of this demand. Therefore, I believe that after reading the letter, pholimon gave it to his wife to read it before making it known to any other persons. He laboured to make his wife understand fully the contents of this letter. I believe he was not careless about this. We must labour to, both in prayer and constant reminder, to bring our partners into the place of our vision and assignment in life and ministry.

It was said of Abraham that: "And Abram took Sarai his wife..." after God called him to leave his native land, the first thing Abraham took was his wife. No matter how great a vision is, a woman can frustrate it. For a man to think he could make it in life without his wife is sheer lie. Do you know why Lot ended up in producing two terrible nations? The Bible says: "But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." Mark the phrase : "...from behind him..." This suggests that his wife was behind him instead of being by his side: holding her hand. His wife was behind in understanding, prayer, word-level and personal consecration. Wives are not meant to be kept behind for they can easily look back from behind their husbands.

If she was beside her husband, I believe she would keep hearing her husband saying: " don't look back for thus says the oracle!" How sad' that because of this omission by Lot, his two daughters drugged him in and slept with him. Moab and Ammon are the products when a wife is left to herself. Let us not allow picnic and honeymoon make us relax our hold on our wives: be blunt with your wife and watch what she hears and admires. A wife can mar or make a man. How much of your vision and dream does your wife know? When last did you pick a book for your wife to read? Some men can spend hell of money to buy Mary k and mac powder for their wives but never in any way make effort to buy spiritual books for their wives to read.

My wife must not come from behind me! I am praying that I would be diligent to hold her hand in our flight from Sodom and Gomorrah. Like Apphia, I would make known to her the contents of this letter: persuade her to see Onesimus differently. All her bitterness against Onesimus must collapse under the weight of this epistle from my "Paul." Brothers, take or live it, You need your wife: if you are interested in true prosperity. I realised that I cannot be happy than my wife does. Her shame is my shame: her glory is my glory. The answer to my prayer is determined by her. She is not cut out to pray, for she is only wired to say "Amen!" to my prayer? I need her "amen" to every of my desires and wishes to come true. The husband and wife in 1peter 3 are given different commandments. The woman is asked to submit while the man is asked to pray. May we see this and look upon our wives in a new light! Amen!

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Emeka Joe Uzosike