“Silliness makes your soul smile.” ~ Doe Zantamata
Too many people have a bleak, grim view of Jesus. They see Him as being utterly serious and, for lack of a better word, puritanical. News flash: Jesus laughed. If you think that Jesus spent His thirty-three years of life among us without laughing, well, think again.
Jesus is just as human as you and I. He went fishing with His friends. He gathered with large groups of people. He had children flock around Him. All those occasions call for smiles and a fair share of belly laughs. I am sure that He engaged in the humor and joy of the situations that He was in just as much as He engaged in the serious and somber times.
If we think that life is something that is supposed to be utterly serious and somber, we are going to become miserable. We have to laugh. It’s just that simple. Where would Reader’s Digest be without “Laughter Is The Best Medicine?” Seriously, laughter is an important part of our lives and can even be a crucial element in healing.
Many teaching and research hospitals have engaged in studies about how laughter affects health. The results are overwhelming. Laughter helps circulation, lowers blood pressure, and gives a positive outlook on life. Furthermore, intense and prolonged laughing (watching comedy on film) has helped reduce pain and improved the healing process in chronically ill patients.
If laughter is so important, why do so many people cut it out of their lives? I think it is because there are those who equate laughter with foolishness. They think people who laugh are childish. They think people who laugh cannot be considered serious and/or trustworthy. The opposite is true. People who laugh have a good sense of the situation and confidence in themselves. They are sincere, balanced, and rational people who simply enjoy life to the fullest.
Okay. If you can agree with all of this thus far, let’s go one step further and apply it to our faith lives. There are too many of us who are, shall we say, “stuffy” when it comes to the faith. We think that we have to approach God with utmost seriousness. They believe that praying to God must be somber and that there definitely is no place for humor in our prayer lives. That’s what they say, at least. Again, that is farthest from the truth.
Have you ever told God a joke? I mean it. When you are praying, tell Him one of your favorite jokes and laugh with Him. (Just make sure to keep the joke clean!) When we come before the Lord in our entirety we bring not just our needs and our serious thoughts, we bring our joy as well.
We should not be afraid to laugh in the presence of the Lord if that is the emotion that we are feeling. Being totally open about our feelings with God will draw us even closer to Him. That is something both He and we desire.
FAITH ACTION: While taking your faith seriously, take the time to smile and laugh today. Enjoy the life that God has given to you.