As I was going about my day, meeting, greeting, shopping, cleaning and working, I noticed something that startled me a bit. I hadn’t heard any laughter. That’s right, there was no laughter. The whole day and I’d heard no laughter. I quickly realized;
we are not laughing enough. But we should….
After that realization, the question came to me: Why are we sooooo serious, all the time? How is it that so many people go throughout their days without laughter? Now, I realize there are many circumstances and situations that are no laughing matter. However, I am not referring to what’s going on outside, but what’s going on inside, where our heart resides.
Proverbs 17:22 tells us,“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” (KJV).
Now, listen to the same verse from the Passion Translation:
“A joyful, cheerful heart brings healing to both body and soul. But the one whose heart is crushed struggles with sickness and depression.”
WOW! When we laugh and keep our heart merry instead of scary, we bring healing to our bodies. Who knew?
Bishop Butler says all the time:“The Bible is God speaking to Me and the Bible is THE TRUTH.” When we come across truth, we must embrace it and put the fifth element of faith in place; ACTING ON THE WORD.
Look at these wonderful benefits of laughter.
Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s naturalfeel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. (HelpGuide.org; Laughter is the Best Medicine; 11/19/2015)
We can clearly see; laughter is good for our health. So, if we have a scary heart, we can turn that scary heart into a merry heart with lots of laughter.
Some may say: “I don’t feel like laughing.” “There is nothing funny.” Well, I have good news for you. Even if your laugh is fake, pretend or completely dry, according to world renown neurosurgeon, Dr. Avery Jackson, along with others, there is scientific proof that our bodies don’t know the difference between a genuine laugh and a fake, pretend, dry laugh.
So, let’s Ha-Ha-Ha away! When we do, our bodies are healing. Isn’t that good news?
Let’s practice. Here is a little something to get you started.
Good Sermon (author unknown)
“After a very long and boring sermon, the parishioners filed out of the church saying nothing to the preacher. Towards the end of the line was a thoughtful person who always commented on the sermons. “Pastor, today your sermon reminded me of the peace and love of God!” The pastor was thrilled. “No-one has ever said anything like that about my preaching before. Tell me why. “Well – it reminded me of the Peace of God because it passed all understanding and the Love of God because it endured forever!”
Ah-Ha; made you laugh! It's that simple!
Today, let’s make an intentional decision to keep our hearts merry. Away with scary hearts and we will stay with merry hearts!
This article is not intended for medical or professional advice. It’s just good, sound biblical advice.