I couldn’t let Kristen have all of the fun. She wrote a terrific blog on Joy! What a wonderful concept: a Joy-filled life. You know, the Bible has something to say about that as well. In fact, there are over 200 references to Joy in the Bible. Proverbs 17:22 says “A Joyful Spirit is good medicine, but a Haughty Spirit rots the bones.” Laughter is better than chicken noodle soup when you are sick.
I say that from personal experience. When we came back from Israel, unfortunately we brought back souvenirs that required Kleenex and cold meds. We thought we had dodged the virus and tallied it up to laughing hysterically the majority of the time. After all, Laughter is good medicine. Unfortunately, it is not a cure all. However, I would argue that since we kept the joy and laughter going the virus did not last as long as it should have.
Is everything in life funny? Of course not, but with every situation we do have both a choice, and the perspective from how we look at it. When life gets really difficult, painful or sad, as they say “if you don’t laugh you will…cry.” Sound familiar? That’s because it’s true. Our bodies are geared for emotion. It is through that emotion that we find release, and endorphins are awesome. Especially when the flood happens because of side splitting, can’t breathe, try not to wet your pants laughter.
And yes that kind of laughter is contagious. Think about the last time you were around someone who was really laughing. What did you do? Especially if they kept laughing? If you have a pulse my guess is, you started laughing too. That is the way God wired us.
Go ahead, think about a time when you and your family, or group of friends were sitting around the table or living room. Something happened that caused fits of uncontrollable laughter so hard that everyone found themselves wiping eyes, holding sides and trying to catch their breaths. That my friend is true Spirit-filled Joy at its best.
So where does that kind of joy come from? Can we just manufacture it? Of course not. It can only come from the one who created and gifted it. God put the Joy way deep down in our souls. It is there to get us through the hard times in life. It is there to remind us that God is joyous and loves us. It is there to provide a wonderful emotional release when needed the most. It is there because joy is contagious and draws others in. Trust me, they want what you have. They feel the deep yearning and hunger for a joy that bubbles up into a well of laughter from the living water inside.
When was the last time you really had a good laugh? When was the last time you helped create an environment for others to experience that joy? Life is way too short to live with haughty bones and sour faces. If you are looking to get fit and want an attitude change, try jogging on the inside. Laughter and joy really are the best medicine and the one thing that while being extremely contagious is something you will want to catch.
So you have my permission, watch a good clean comedian, read something funny, get a group of people together and play a funny game, or spend time with the one who created that joy and get to know what makes Him laugh. It’s the best medicine for your soul!
