Volume 09, Issue 25: Laughter, part of the Original Plan

This week I have studied a laughter plan and started a plan on habits of a joy-filled marriage on the YouVersion Bible app. These are not new notions but I am mesmerized and can't wait to delve in and begin to seriously start taking the recommended actions. We have spoken a lot about rest lately but nothing can be more refreshing than a continual feeling of joy.

Life gets busy, stressful and demanding that we honestly forget to play and laugh. Even if you are in a less-occupied state at the moment, the feeling of boredom, uncertainty and restlessness can quench the fun of life out of you. I personally do laugh here and there, but I could do with a lot more laughing in my life. I want to play more and enjoy a good laugh on a regular basis.

Today I am going to share excerpts from the YouVersion Bible laughter plan written by comedy writer Martha Bolton. We will see the importance of getting a daily dose of laughter. You may be thinking there are more serious things to focus on in life than read and ponder how to incorporate more laughter in your life. I agree that the demands on us are real, but we could all do with a healthy sense of humor.

Plenty of scripture addresses the benefits of joy and laughter. The Bible says it's medicine. A merry heart does good like medicine. A happy heart is a continual feat, Proverbs 17:22.

In spite of the ups and downs of life, and perhaps even because of them, the Bible tells us to get our daily dose of joy. Laughter-induced endorphins are beneficial to our health much like a regular exercise program.

If we can teach ourselves to smile, giggle and laugh on a regular basis, we will be better off for it. After all, God created us with the ability to laugh. It's not something we have to wait to use either. Smiling and giggling are two of the first things a baby learns to do, even before crawling and walking.

Living a laughter-filled life doesn't mean you don't have challenges or that you won't feel pain and sorrow. We all face difficulties that we have to get through. Laughter is a tool that can help us do that. Laughter can get our minds off our situations - at least for a moment, and many times it can improve them.

So don't pass over those Bible verses about laughter and joy, thinking they are lightweight or unimportant. When you go through hard times, every scripture about joy matters. These verses are like a life jacket being thrown out to you, helping you hang on just a little while longer. In other words, when life is at its least funny, that's when you need to laugh the most.

Don't think of yourself too busy, too serious, too sophisticated or too holy to let loose and have a good belly laugh. Medical science has proven there are clear benefits to a healthy sense of humor.

When God created Adam and Eve, he gave them the equipment to laugh. Laughter wasn't an add-on after the fall. The muscles we need to laugh, and the brain cells we need to understand a laugh, were part of the original design. God knew laughter would be a healthy thing for us to do, both when life is going well for us and when it's not. And that original equipment was built to last a lifetime. So why have so many of us allowed our laugh muscles to rust in place?

Laughter releases us from the unhealthy thinking that life has to be or is supposed to be perfect. Laughter is realizing so much about life is out of our control. It validates the fact that no matter what our circumstances happen to be, this too shall pass. Let's challenge ourselves to put our laughter muscles to use in good days and not-so-good days alike.

For His Glory,

Lillian Chebosi