Written by Vianne Satterfield
Job 8:21 “He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.”
Proverbs 15:13 “A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit.”
Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”
When was the last time you enjoyed a good belly laugh? You know what I mean. The kind of laughter that causes you to snort, makes your belly hurt, and perhaps produces tears? I had one of those belly-laughs while watching a video of dogs sleeping in very weird positions. It was hilarious! Animals can be very entertaining. Seeing young animals play, whether it be puppies, kittens or kids (goats or humans), is fun, relieves stress and promotes learning.
It is good for you to laugh and smile. It takes more muscles in your face to frown than it does to smile. “A broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” (Proverbs 17:22b) Gelotology, the study of laughter and its effects on the body, recognizes many benefits of laughter to include reducing stress hormones, increasing infection-fighting antibodies, improving resistance to disease and it can temporarily relieve pain. It feels good to laugh, especially a belly laugh, as laughter releases endorphins. When you laugh, it increases blood flow and stimulates many organs. Laughter is indeed good medicine!
Bursting into song and laughter has helped me to relieve my chronic muscle and joint pain — especially during chiropractic or massage therapy sessions, and sometimes it surprises them. My sudden song bursts bring laughter to others as well.
Having a good sense of humor is an important trait that will serve to increase resilience too. When we laugh at our quirkiness and the lemonade we make from life’s lemons, we bounce back more quickly, and can adjust more easily to difficult circumstances.
There are lots of things happening in our world today that produces sorrow, anger, anxiety and other negative emotion. Yet as followers of Christ, we can experience joy during hard times, especially as we remember the amazing things the Lord has done and is doing today. It is imperative that our faces show gladness and cheerfulness. When I am out in public and wearing a mask, I will smile and tell the person I am speaking with that I am smiling! Our joy can be contagious! The world needs to catch joy and laughter.
Give yourself permission to laugh at yourself or cute animals jumping around in their pajamas. Read articles from Christian satire sites such as Babylon Bee. Watch a Christian comedian on You-tube such as Tim Hawkins or Jeanne Robertson. Enjoy clean comedy such as funny guy, “Ricky Mokel,” otherwise known as Grant Turner. Find humor in everyday situations.
Smile. Enjoy laughter. It will be good for you and for those around you.
Share in the comments how laughter has served to help you experience joy and cheerfulness.
Great article, especially from one of my favorite comediennes, Vianne. It’s good to see how often sorrow and joy is mentioned in the Bible. God wants us to rest in him and to rejoice and have joy. He bore our sorrow at the cross.
Laurel, you have a dry sense of humor and can make anyone laugh. I am thankful for the cross of Jesus Christ and the joy that I have being part of God’s family.
So true, laughter is the best medicine for the heart.
Thank you for the Bible verses.
Love & blessings ,
Joan