Sidesplitting Laughter
Who would think that so much discomfort would come from something so good?
Job 8:1-22
Reference: v.21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. (TNIV Bible)
Explore: Have you ever laughed so hard that your whole body starts to ache? There are times that I've spent amongst friends where the laughter has gone on for so long that my cheeks hurt, my chest aches and I actually get a stitch in my side from laughing so hard. Who would think that so much discomfort would come from something so good? I guess that's why they call it 'sidesplitting laughter'. And when the laughing has finally stopped I will always grip my side and say something like, 'I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.' And although that may be true I'll already start anticipating the moment when I will laugh that hard all over again.
Application: There are times in our lives where it seems like we have a laughter drought. Life can get serious and times can be tough but once that drought breaks you realise just how much you have been missing. When Job's friend gives him the hope that God "will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy" he is truly giving him something to look forward to. Even when we are going through deep valleys, if we are able to find some humour then life seems a little brighter. Earlier in the year when my father was fighting the last couple of weeks of his life, we were all blessed with his sense of humour. Although we were all grieving the inevitable it felt good to be able to laugh together and share some joy in the darkness. That is a true gift that we often downplay: the gift of laughter. I think if we were to add more laughter to our days then our attitude would immediately change for the better and our future would seem brighter.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of laughter. I couldn't imagine how dreary life would be without it. May we have the confidence to laugh at our selves and the blessing of laughing with others. Amen.
How does laughter impact your life?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.
1 comment:
with such much suffering in the world it is a blessing to have this site to put us in the right track of laughing to the core. Thank you very much.