The wife of the Continental Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Africa 3/Middle East, Pastor Rachel Odesola, spoke to Adeola Ogunlade on how women can cope with the present economic challenges, the need for s3x education for young people, and what pastors’ wife should be doing in their husbands’ ministry
What do you think women should be doing in this time of economic challenge?
There are families, maybe husband and wife, who are teachers, who have not been paid for months. It takes wisdom for a woman to find something to do with her hands not depending on what the government is paying and what is not forthcoming. Apply wisdom and ask God for what to do.
In the third month of our wedding, my husband had to quit his formal job and I became the breadwinner. My salary was three times his own. As a teacher in a secondary school, I was selling other things that were fetching me money and it did not affect my school work. Women must think of diversifying. As women, we should be wise and do more on our knees. Intercede for the nation, our children, and our husband. God will give us divine wisdom on how to handle the situation on the ground. Love your children. Be friendly to your teenagers and youths at home.
Is s3x education a taboo in Christian homes?
It is not, even those of us that grew up with our grandparents. They would always tell us in a scary way. For instance, they would tell us not to touch a man because just by touching a man, you would get pregnant.
I want to believe that teaching s3x education to our children should start when they know how to talk. Some children grow so fast. One year they are already talking. My first granddaughter started talking before walking. Before she clocked a year, she was already talking.
So once they know how to talk, let them know that God has given them certain parts of the body and that they need to protect them. Both males and females have given them certain parts to protect. And as they develop, they will be seeing certain changes in their bodies, it is normal. Some children, especially girls at the age of 12 to 14, will begin to see some changes; like breast development, an increase in height, and menstruation, while the boys will grow a beard and hair growing up within their private parts, the voice starts to change, among others. We need to tell them that there’s nothing bad in attracting each other.
Then when it gets to touching parts of other opposites, we should let our children know that they must not. They must be very careful in school. They should not allow either their teacher or any opposite s3x, even those that are of the same s3x to be touching their breasts or slapping their boots and so on and so forth.
I want to believe that we need to let them know that s3x is a good thing. S3x is a good thing but only within the confines of marriage. If you are married, there is nothing bad in having s3x, the Bible approves of it.
Engaging in s3x before marriage is a sin to God. First Corinthians 6:18 says, ‘Flee from s3xual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the s3xually immoral person sins against his own body.’ Our body is the temple of God. God is ready to fight anybody that commits fornication.
Fornication is a terrible sin, and there are repercussions. We need to let our children know the right thing because if we fail to let them know, the people in the world will teach them in a way that will lead to something disastrous.
What does it take for a man to raise teenage girls by a father in a situation whereby he divorces his wife due to incapacitation?
Will the man have enough time for the girl child? The man must be ready to sacrifice his time to raise his girls. To raise a female child by a man, that man must be very patient and God fearing. There are girls who have been defiled by their fathers. It will take a God-fearing man, filled with the Holy Spirit and cautious of heaven to raise a female child. He must make up his mind though. If he knows he can’t, he can send the girl to a woman figure.
We cannot hide the fact that there are increasing cases of divorce in our society and sadly, it is happening in churches today. And the reason is that maybe some are not patient enough, and some are not compatible. Some are tired of violence maybe from the husband or from the wife.
As the saying goes, when two elephants are fighting, it is the grass that always suffers. And that is why I want to plead with families, and young couples that they should please think of their lives, and the future of their children before they decide to end the marriage in divorce. If they can visit a marriage counselor or professional marriage counselors for help, that will be great.
To fathers, if they have to take care of these children after they are divorced, I think they should bring in their parents into this, like the grandparents to assist because most fathers are not always available for their children because they have to go to work and provide for the needs in the home.
Fathers have to set aside enough time to really be with the children. They need to guide them in the way of the Lord, talk to them, advise them and create time to bond with the children, especially the girl child.
So they should make sure they follow what they are doing on the internet. Follow them on Twitter, on other social media platforms, know their friends, visit their schools, ask them about what they want to do in life, and guide them in the way of the Lord God.
How should a pastor’s wife assist her husband’s ministry?
“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” – Psalm 127:1. It has been God. We are following our Mummy GO. She is prayerful and patient. My husband will travel for almost a week. Sometimes when he is around 8 pm, he is still working in the office. You must know that your husband is working for God and be busy. When we were in the north on the mission field, I was a pastor and God helped me to do great work. My husband promoted me to an Area Pastor. My husband sent me to a place where they were using a school facility for service and he instructed me to build it to the glory of God, I supervised the project and built it.
One day, my husband asked me whether I was married to the parish because of my commitment to the work of God. Women need to be busy. When the two of you are busy for God, and you know that you will also get your reward in heaven, you will not complain.
Be patient, available to God and be prayerful. Allow the Holy Spirit to ride on you. Read your bible, take care of your children but when your hands are idle, then you will give room for the devil, don’t be suspicious, always trust your husband. When there is no room for suspicion the family will stand.
Why is pregnancy test compulsory in Redeemed before wedding?
We do pregnancy test before the wedding of any intending couple at The Redeemed Christian Church of God and is done like two weeks before the wedding in our designated hospitals and results will be sent to the church at least a week before the wedding. The bible says that marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. This is what the church is trying to encourage. Many have gone into illicit s3x before marriage and were wedded in church unknowingly but today they are looking for the fruit of the womb.