Need Some Laughter? I Do!
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…
A time to weep and a time to laugh”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
A time to weep and a time to laugh”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
The God who created us knows what we need. At times, our minds and bodies desperately need quiet: No noise. No demands. No activities. At other times, we need a release from the tension, sadness, and despair that can grip us.
Ecclesiastes, Solomon’s sermons about life, describes our human experience—there are seasons of life where we do weep, perhaps due to our own suffering, or of those we love and care for. We can also be moved by the Holy Spirit to weep, pray, lament over those we don’t know personally as we hear of their suffering, fear, and trauma.
How can we cope with these very real emotions? Here are a few ways I’ve learned from God’s Word:
1. When I allow myself to overly focus on the sorrow and pain in the world, I sink emotionally. I don’t have a magic wand to wave away what people are going through (and nor do you) so my despair isn’t helping anyone.
What can we do?
Practice Philippians 4:8: Think about what is true, noble, just, lovely, and good. In other words, get ahold of what you’re mentally feeding on and change your focus! Instead: Bring your thoughts and emotions into God’s presence, intercede, and take whatever action He brings to mind.
Ecclesiastes, Solomon’s sermons about life, describes our human experience—there are seasons of life where we do weep, perhaps due to our own suffering, or of those we love and care for. We can also be moved by the Holy Spirit to weep, pray, lament over those we don’t know personally as we hear of their suffering, fear, and trauma.
How can we cope with these very real emotions? Here are a few ways I’ve learned from God’s Word:
1. When I allow myself to overly focus on the sorrow and pain in the world, I sink emotionally. I don’t have a magic wand to wave away what people are going through (and nor do you) so my despair isn’t helping anyone.
What can we do?
Practice Philippians 4:8: Think about what is true, noble, just, lovely, and good. In other words, get ahold of what you’re mentally feeding on and change your focus! Instead: Bring your thoughts and emotions into God’s presence, intercede, and take whatever action He brings to mind.
2. Recognize that joy and laughter are part of God’s plan for good mental health! It is emotionally healing. Scripture tells us that a merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones (Proverbs 17:22) How true!
If you’re struggling to find some joy in your life, begin a Gratitude journal. Get a notebook and every time you think of something you’re grateful for, write it down. See how much you can list each day, hold it before the Lord and say, “Thank You!”
Life might be hard, but think about all the good things in your life and you will find your mood lifting:
Check out YouTube videos, funny movies, search out good, clean jokes. To get you started, here are a few (and click the link for more):
WORDS YOU WON'T FIND IN THE DICTIONARY
God wants you to experience fullness of joy, my friends (Psalm 16:11) That’s found in your relationship with Him, but also in the simple joy of laughing at silly, funny, and crazy things that happen in life.
Wishing you God’s gift of laughter in these difficult days,
Poppy
If you’re struggling to find some joy in your life, begin a Gratitude journal. Get a notebook and every time you think of something you’re grateful for, write it down. See how much you can list each day, hold it before the Lord and say, “Thank You!”
Life might be hard, but think about all the good things in your life and you will find your mood lifting:
- Do you have a pet? Be grateful!
- Do you have a friend, or more than one?Thank God for them.
- Do you have a warm, comfortable home, bed, food, clothes? Be thankful!
- Laughter relaxes the body
- It is a natural pain reducer
- It increases our ability to cope with life
Check out YouTube videos, funny movies, search out good, clean jokes. To get you started, here are a few (and click the link for more):
WORDS YOU WON'T FIND IN THE DICTIONARY
- Arachnoleptic fit (n.) The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
- Beelzebug (n.) Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at 3 am in the morning and cannot be cast out.
- Bozone (n.) The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
- Caterpallor (n.) The color you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.
- Decaflon (n.) The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
- Dopelar effect (n.) The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when you come at them rapidly.
God wants you to experience fullness of joy, my friends (Psalm 16:11) That’s found in your relationship with Him, but also in the simple joy of laughing at silly, funny, and crazy things that happen in life.
Wishing you God’s gift of laughter in these difficult days,
Poppy
