HAVE YOU BEEN around someone who talked about the same thing all the time…?

Maybe sports or politics.

Or clothes, movies, or books.

And then some folks just talk about other people.

Paul was like that, I think, or at least he had one thing that dominated his conversations.

He spent quite a bit of time in jail, and it’s interesting to think about what it must’ve been like to be his jailer, or maybe his cellmate.

I’m sure they talked about some of the stuff that everybody talked about—the emperor’s economic policies and the upcoming chariot race.

But I can almost guarantee you what Paul talked about the most.

Here’s what he wrote from one of his jail cells:

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ” (Philippians 1:12-13).

Notice he says his imprisonment for Christ had become known throughout the whole imperial guard—the people guarding him.

And then there’s this verse at the end of his letter:

“All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household” (Philippians 4:22).

Do you see the implication?

Paul wasn’t sitting around carving pictures in the wall of his jail cell, and neither was he spending all of his time shooting the bull with other prisoners.

He was telling everybody within earshot about Jesus.

The whole imperial guard knew.

Paul had led some of Caesar’s staff to Christ.

I think it was probably quite difficult to spend too much time around Paul without getting an earful.

An earful of Christ.

Most of the prisoners talked about how bad the food was, how hard the cots were, and how long their sentence was.

All the while, Paul shared the good news about Christ.

I suppose most of us are guilty of not being as vocal as we should be.

It’s easy to talk about the weather (“How bad will Isaac be?”).

Or sports (“My team will be great this year.”).

Or movies or books or politics.

Not so easy to talk about Christ.

Let me challenge you.

Wherever you are right now, pause for a few seconds and ask God to give you the courage to say a word about Christ today.

Then make the commitment to bring up faith in a conversation.

God will open the door, and if you’re looking, you’ll see it.

If Paul could talk about Christ to his prison guards, surely you and I can do it with a friend, co-worker, or neighbor.  Chuck Webster

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ”  (Philippians 1:12-13).

Mike Benson