He that is of a merry heart has a continual feast.  Proverbs 15:15

“Among those whom I like or admire,” wrote the poet W.H. Auden, “I can find no common denominator, but among those whom I love, I can:  all of them make me laugh.”[1]  Laughter is truly a gift when shared with others.  In these days of serious stress, loss and uncertainty, the Bible reminds us in Proverbs 17 that “a cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

Have you had a good laugh lately?  I was reminded of how good it feels when my family and I got to laughing heartily over the antics of our silly family dog.  I realized, among that under the crushing seriousness of life, I hadn’t laughed in a good, long time.

God made us to laugh.  Laughter is one of the ways that He intended for us to reset our spirits and even our physical bodies too.  Medical experts tell us that laughter can stimulate our organs to release feel-good endorphins, relax our bodies’ stress responses, stimulate our immune systems and the list goes on.[2]

God has a sense of humor himself.  When he gave an old woman the desire of her heart—a pregnancy at age 90, she said, “God has brought me laughter. All who hear about this will laugh with me.” (Genesis 21:6)

If you feel far from laughter today, be encouraged by the words of Job, chapter 8, verse 21: “He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.”

 

Resource reading: Psalm 30:1-12

[1] “Forbes Quotes: Thoughts on the Business of Life.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 17 August 2021, www.forbes.com/quotes/9550/.

[2] “Stress Relief from Laughter? It’s No Joke.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 29 July 2021, www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456.