Philippians 1:1-5,21-26 1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, …  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.

An elderly gentleman was elected “moderator,” a high position in the Church of Scotland. Proud of this accomplishment, his family hosted a celebration that included many grandchildren. A few weeks later, one little grandson, still impressed by his grandfather’s success, could be heard telling his friends, “My grandfather was made a radiator of our church!”

That statement about Grandpa may or may not have been accurate. But it was certainly true of St. Paul, especially when you read Philippians. If I had to pick a favorite book of the Bible, this would be one of the finalists. This letter radiates happiness and enthusiasm with repeated references to rejoicing. What makes this truly amazing is that it was written from prison.

Paul’s joy radiated to all those he met. He told the believers in Philippi your joy in Christ will overflow. You and I have this same joy in our lives, knowing that for us to live is Christ and to die is gain. The knowledge of God’s free gift of life through Christ is our reason for joy, and we should radiate that joy and warmth in what we say and do. The problem is that all too often we are the wrong kind of radiators.

When we lived in an old parsonage in Illinois, every room had one of those big ugly radiators in it. They may have been ugly, but they sure did their job. The hot water running through those old pipes would provide a steady radiant heat. That was their purpose. They were designed to give off heat and warm the house.

But there is another kind of radiator that you have in your cars. It has a different purpose. It is designed to make your engine cooler by getting rid of heat. You and I are to be like that radiator in the house, warming those around us. Instead, we are often the wrong kind of radiator, having a chilling effect on those we meet.

Paul was able to write joyfully from prison, and his joy is evident to all who read this epistle. He did not let his adverse surroundings influence the joy that came from knowing Christ. How easily we let our surroundings affect us in a negative way. Wewhine and complain about our lot in life, which is nowhere near as bad as a Roman prison! And this can have a chilling effect on those around us. Unlike the warmth of Paul’s joyful letter, the living letters of our lives cool things off for our families and friends. Our negative attitudes have a way of squelching the joy of those we meet.

We would do well to follow the example of Paul and take the lead in influencing the attitude of others with the joy that we have in Christ. You and I need to let our light shine before men, radiating the light and love of God in our relationships, decisions, in every aspect of our lives. You and I are Christ’s representatives to this world. When people look at you, will they be able to see Jesus? We want others to see Him and discover the joy that He has brought to us.