Laughter truly can be the best medicine
"He who has a glad heart has a continual feast (regardless of his circumstances).
- Proverbs 15:15 (AMP)
Have you had a good laugh today? Maybe your heart is heavy over some circumstance that is stopping the flow of laughter in your life. There are times I struggle with that too. That's why I ask God, "Teach me to laugh."
Laughter is produced from a heart that is overflowing with joy. Oftentimes, we feel like there is no joy within us. Proverbs 15:15 reveals that God placed joy in every believer. But it's up to us to cultivate it. How do we do that?
Norman Cousins was diagnosed with cancer. When he was given a grim report, he decided to fill the rest of his days with laughter. He watched funny movies and an amazing thing happened - he laughed his way to health!
I'm not saying we will all have that same exact result if we do that, but there is a principle about laughter.
In ancient times, men of war would stop up the wells of their enemies by filling them with rocks and dirt so no water could flow through them.
When Abraham's enemy, the Philistines, blocked up his well, God used Isaac - whose name means laughter - to open his well back up.
When the wells of our hearts are filled with sorrow, depression, and pain, it blocks our flow of laughter. Laughter is one way to take charge of our hearts and fill it with cheer.
Movies, joke books and a fun time with friends are a few activities that can accomplish this.
As we learn to laugh, staying mindful of following biblical guidelines for no "obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking," as mentioned in Ephesians 5:4, can make our joy a time of pure fun. Making another person the brunt of jokes, spewing crude remarks, or sprouting obscenities are not considered laughing matters to God.
Although laughter is good, it's not realistic that we should laugh about everything; but a good chuckle should be part of our daily lives.
Being joyful in life's journey doesn't mean the absence of problems, rather, practicing God's principles in the presence of them.
• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author, speaker, life coach and nurse. Contact her to speak at your group or event or to be your life coach, Annetteebudzban@aol.com or (847) 543-8413.