LAUGHTER
Since this article is about laughter, it seemed appropriate to start off with a joke:
A group of expectant fathers were in a waiting room, while their wives were in the process of delivering babies. A nurse came in and announced to one man that his wife had just given birth to twins. “That’s quite a coincidence” he responded, “I play for the Minnesota Twins!” A few minutes later another nurse came in and announced to another man that he was the father of triplets. “That’s amazing,” he exclaimed, “I work for the 3M company.” At that point, a third man slipped off his chair and laid down on the floor. Somebody asked him if he was feeling ill. “No,” he responded, “I just happen to work for the 7-up company.”
We all enjoy a good laugh. Unfortunately, we probably do not laugh as much as we should. An interesting statistic states, “While the average child laughs 150 times a day, say researchers at the University of Michigan, the average adult laughs only 15 times”(Youth Worker Update, Signs of the Times, August, 1993, p. 6). How often do you think you laugh? Do you laugh often, rarely, or maybe somewhere in-between? When we think about it, adults really do laugh a whole lot less then most children.
As Christians, we should be especially happy and full of laughter. Why? Because of scriptures like this, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal” (John 3:16). God loves us so much that He sent Christ so we can have eternal life with Him. This should make us extremely happy, and as a result, we should laugh more. Christians have a lot to be happy about.
Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” God has given us so much joy partly because He knows how healthy it can be. According to some facts, laughter can reduce stress, boost the immune system, help fight infection, and reduce pain. Overall, happiness, joy, and laughter really are a good for us.
As we go on living our lives, let’s remember the joy that we have in Christ. If we have lost that joy or have not yet attained it, let’s get it. Let’s remember the incredible joy and happiness that is found in God and to let that cheerfulness out.
–Brett Petrillo