Me? I laugh a lot! I love to laugh. I learned to laugh at an early age. At first it was because I found things funny. Then it was a defensive mechanism to protect myself from those people who thought I was funny. Now, it's because I have found the awesome value in laughter. Here's some of what I learned. Laughter makes you feel good. Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss. Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster of more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you with others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.
Your sense of humor and ability to laugh is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health. With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.
Look at these benefits of laughter - Laughter relaxes the whole body; laughter boosts the immune system; laughter triggers the release of endorphins; laughter exercises and protects the heart. Along with these, laughter dissolves distressing emotions, it helps you relax and recharge, and humor shifts the perspective.
Like a man named Hunter Campbell Adams, M.D., or "Patch Adams", I too discovered how humor and laughing could help people feel better. Like the Prophets and Disciples, I also found how joy and laughter helps in one’s spiritual journey. The Bible teaches joy is a quality of life and not simply a fleeting emotion. It is grounded in God himself and flows from him. Psalm 16:11 teaches - "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
As we see, joy is not an isolated or occasional consequence of faith but rather an integral part of one's whole relation to God. The fullness of joy comes when there is a deep sense of the presence of God in one's life.
Laughter is the heartfelt expression of joy, gladness, or pleasurable surprise. Laughter is an expression of the deep felt peace and joy we have in Christ. Laughter comes easy for me because I believe in Jesus Christ, and I believe His words in John 15:11 - "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."
For each of you, I pray - "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)
For each of you, I pray - "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (Romans 15:13)
There's nothing like a gut-bustin', side-splittin', rollin' on the floor, laughin' till you cry kind of laugh. Go ahead, laugh! Laugh out loud. Laugh yourself silly - and praise God for the joy He has given you. Amen.God bless you.
See you in church Sunday
Pastor Eldon
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