A Heart of Laughter

“A cheerful heart brings a smile to your face; a sad heart makes it hard to get through the day.” (Proverbs 15:13 MSG)

Joy and laughter instantly lifts my mood, makes me feel great and gives me more energy; how about you?  And God is the One who enables us to find joy in any given moment-just as we are!  He instructs us to be joyful and thankful in all circumstances. Of course everyone has problems on some level or another... but it’s how we choose to respond to the situation that makes the difference in the quality of our lives. We have to maintain the ability to laugh and have joy in the midst of it all or our souls will wither and die. There is joy surrounding us in God’s creation and it’s there for us to fully experience if we chose to, no matter what storms may be swirling around us. When we laugh we can't help but feel good, but have you noticed that sometimes as adults we don't laugh enough? I am pretty sure that no matter how “old” our bodies’ get we are still able to choose and share the love and joy that truly makes life worth living! It doesn’t matter if we are 20, 50, or even 80, it is always the right time to celebrate being alive with joy, laughter, and love so that we can celebrate in the life that God meant for us to live.

“A joyful heart is good medicine” (Proverbs 17:22)

I have always thought that being surrounded by positive people is the key to a journey of peace and fulfillment. Fun and laughter is contagious, and I am completely drawn to folks that bring me joy and laughter, because typically people can have the strongest influence and affect in my life. Family and friends that I spend my time with and share ideas with have a major influence on my joyful mood and how my entire day is going to go, and then in turn, I am happier and more positive around the people I am with later on. We infect others with our joy and cheerful attitude, and as a result we can influence them in a positive way that makes them feel good about themselves. But here’s the best part…being full of joy is not only good for those around us, it’s really good for our own body and soul as well!

“He will fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouting” (Job 8:21)

To make our lives more meaningful, it takes a cheerful heart!  And it is pleasing to God whenever you rejoice or laugh from the bottom of your heart. Laughter is the best kind of medicine; it helps to heal our emotions as well as our faith and trust in the Lord. The Lord has done great things for us, and we should be filled with joy. And joy is what happens when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are! God has created us that we might have joy and laughter, and if we embrace His Word, we can have that joy. We should always be thankful for the God-given gift of laughter and make use of it as often as we can. Once we have the Joy of the Lord, not only do our spirits soar, but we can have a healing effect on those around us.  Mark Twain wrote “Humor is the great thing; the minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place.”  We were meant for joy, we were meant for laughter, we were meant to rejoice before God, and we should never let anything or anyone rob us of our inheritance. The path that leads to joy is filled with the Lord and laughter. Humor is one of God’s most marvelous gifts; do not let the gift of His joy be wasted!  :)

“Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you to belong to Christ Jesus to live.” (l Thessalonians 5:16 MSG)

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