I love to laugh.Whether it’s a brief chuckle among friends or a full-out, tears streaming down the face belly laugh at a Tim Hawkins concert, I just love to laugh.
I wholeheartedly agree with King Solomon’s observation that “A joyful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22) and believe it’s a prescription that needs to be filled in the church on a regular basis.
When I came to candidate at Sweetwater Community Church, I felt myself falling head over heels in love with this congregation. We were made for each other. Why? Because they know how to laugh.
In Psalm 126, the psalmist describes the people of Israel’s joy at a time when things were going well, saying:
When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
Did you catch that? “The nations” saw the hand of God at work in the joy and laughter of his people. Hopefully they will see the same in us.
The nations saw the hand of God at work in the joy and laughter of his people.
I live in San Diego, a military town filled with statues, plaques and memorials honoring our men and women in uniform. My favorite memorial sits in the shadow of the USS Midway – a group of life-sized bronze service men and women smiling, laughing and clapping as they look at a bronze statue of Bob Hope standing at a microphone. Hidden speakers play excerpts of Hope doing a standup routine at a USO concert in Vietnam. The military recognizes the value of laughter in difficult times. So should we.
The laughter of God’s people is beautiful. It can reduce our stress, bind us together and soothe hurting hearts.
Laughter is a priceless treasure God has given us. As stewards of that treasure, we need to spend it freely and frequently.