SEARCHLIGHT
Have you laughed since you went through pain? Do you laugh enough?
SCRIPTURE
There’s no way that God will reject a good person, and there is no way he’ll help a bad one. God will let you laugh again; you’ll raise the roof with shouts of joy, Job 8:20,21 Message
A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit...All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast....Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones. Proverbs 15:13,15,30 NIV
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22 NIV
SPOTLIGHT
Have you ever been in a state where you wondered if you would ever laugh again? Life had been good…really good. Things were going your way. Suddenly that picture came to a crashing halt. Now your life became filled with pain and anguish like you have never experienced before. It seemed like it would never leave. Most days felt like nights.
Perhaps you lost your job when you thought everything was going so great. It may have been the tragic loss of a friend or even worse, your spouse or child. Maybe your doctor gave you a frightful diagnosis. Possibly a natural disaster hit your home and you lost every precious possession you had worked hard for.
All of the above scenarios describe Job. He lost everything…his family, wealth, and health. There was no reason to laugh yet alone, smile. But one of Job’s friends gave Job a truth to cling to. In today’s Scripture focus, Bildad shared that someday God would give Job a reason to laugh again. And the good news is that God did just that.
And the really good news is that God wants you to laugh again. God is always for you and with you and wants to heal you. Your heart can once again be filled with joyful songs that God can compose in your spirit. Will you invite God to write the music?
But here is the twist. There are many things that can bring you cheer. Often it can be a baby. Surprisingly, one very important thing is laughter itself. Someone claimed that, “A good laugh can be compared to a mild workout. It exercises the muscles…gets the blood flowing… decreases blood pressure and stress hormones…improves sleep patterns…and boosts the immune system.”
Why do so many people not even crack a smile yet alone, laugh? Who knows why? However, the Bible is very clear about laughing a lot. Just reread the other Scriptures that are printed above and found in Proverbs. Laughing is like administering medicine to yourself. You need to do cheerful things in order to bring a smile to your face. When your heart is filled with cheer your days will be more enjoyable and productive.
Will you wash yourself by laughing again? There is an old Yiddish proverb that says, “What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.” Putting it another way, if you want a clean body then use soap and if you want a clean soul, then use laughter.
Let’s see if you can at least crack a smile about some church topics:
- George Burns said, “The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending and to have those two as close together as possible.”
- One Sunday morning a pastor announced to his congregation, “Friends, I have 3 sermons in my hand: a $100 sermon which lasts 5 minutes, a $50 sermon which lasts 15 minutes and a $10 sermon which lasts 1 hour. Now we will take the offering and see which one I will preach!”
- A Sunday school teacher asked her children just before they were dismissed, “Why is it necessary to be quiet in church?” Little Annie replied, “Because people are sleeping.”
- What time of day was Adam created? Just a little before eve!
- Why didn’t Noah ever go fishing? He only had 2 worms!
- Who makes the coffee in your home? A married couple was arguing as to who should get up to make the coffee? The wife said that the Bible directed a man to make the coffee! The husband asked her where it said that? The wife opened the Bible to the New Testament and said, “Right here in ‘h e b r e w s!’”
- Do you ever feel like you are going down…sinking…drowning? As the storm raged, the captain realized his ship was sinking very fast. He called out, “Does anyone know how to pray?” One man stepped forward saying, “Yes Captain, I know how to pray!” The captain replied, “Very good. You pray while the rest of us put on our life jackets because we are short one jacket!”
Did you crack a smile when you read the above jokes? Laughter stimulates your whole body, mind, and spirit. It is a very cheap and inexpensive medicine. It is the best natural heart-health medicine. It will increase your connection with people as well as help you through difficult times. In addition, some even believe that it burns calories. You cannot beat that! So, what are you waiting for. Go lose some weight!
LAUGH AGAIN! It will definitely make you feel good. Your spirit will be boosted and your perspective will become more positive. You will become more pleasant. Over time, watch your physical health improve.
SOMETHING TO DO
Remember these steps in order to make laughter a part of your life. “Raise the roof”:
- Step 1 – Remember the Bible promises in Proverbs 15:13,15,30 and Proverbs 17:22
- Step 2 – God gives laughter when God does great things. So, pray. Job 8:21 states, “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and lips with shouts of joy.” Read Psalm 126:1,2.
- Step 3 - Don’t take life too seriously. Don’t be too hard on yourself or others.
- Step 4 – Remind yourself of funny moments from your past. Past humorous memories can be mood boosters.
- Step 5 – Surround yourself with people who like to laugh.
- Step 6 – God is working so you might as well smile and laugh. Read Romans 8:28.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Heavenly Father, I want You to give me a happy heart so that I will bring cheer into the lives of all the people I meet. Give me Your perspective on life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit so that Your joy will overflow in my life and splash out on others. AMEN