God Given Gifts of Laughter

There are times when I just need a good clean laugh. As a human being with problems and issues similar to what everyone else faces from time to time, I find myself slipping into a mode of negativity. For that reason I decided to write something with a little more emphasis on the happy side of life. There is no doubt in my mind that God gave us the gifts of laughter. There are so many benefits from laughing that I wanted to explore them just a little. So you’ll have to humor me and here we go…

Laughing helps us not to take ourselves too seriously!

Let’s face it. I can’t walk on water all of the time J. I make mistakes from time to time and sometimes it’s downright funny. I am forever laying items down and forgetting where I put them. There is absolutely no doubt that I could hide my own Easter eggs and have a good time trying to find them again.

Laughter helps us heal physically and spiritually!

In fact, research shows that it also has quite a positive impact on our physiology-relaxing our muscles, boosting our immune systems, releasing endorphins and decreasing stress hormones. From a spiritual perspective, it helps us to shake those negative thoughts and replace them with positive, God inspired ones.

Laughter helps us maintain balance in a world that can be downright ornery!

I don’t know about you, but I work in a place that can be dog eating dog at times.  People are stressed to the max for a myriad of reasons. One of the best places to see people exhibit their less than pleasant attitudes is at Walmart when they are in a hurry and not getting what they want. Sometimes I have to take a step back and just laugh at the ridiculousness of people! If only they could see themselves the way I see them…LOL.

Laughter helps us individuals and communities stay sane.

Laughing shifts our perspective and alters our mood. When things get extremely stressful, it really helps our outlook on life if we can find something to laugh about. Have you ever noticed how contagious laughter can be? One person starts laughing, then another and then another until everyone is laughing.  A group of people with a good sense of humor can accomplish a lot more than a group in turmoil (and have more fun doing it!)

Laughter empowers us to live more and more in the image of God in which we were created.

"But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision." Psalms 59:8
"The Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming." Psalms 37:13

If God has every good quality, and a sense of humor is a good quality, then it stands to reason that God has a sense of humor. Most of the instances in the Bible which portrays the quality of humor in God are when God laughs at men because of the futility of their efforts. It is evident enough for me that there are things that the Lord finds funny. So if God can laugh, I feel it is ok for me to laugh as well!