I’m not sure if this is a true statement or not but it seems to me that many people are on edge these days. Whether you go to the grocery store, the doctor’s office or anywhere else for that matter, there seems to be a lot of tension. You say one word out of line and people are ready to immediately put some sort of label on you. When I was young I used to read the Reader’s Digest and one of my favorite regular articles was called “Laughter, the Best Medicine”. For some reason or other, it doesn’t seem like people can laugh at much these days.
I wasn’t a Christian when I was young and reading the Reader’s Digest and I did not know this verse from Proverbs at the time but I believe that many could perhaps benefit from its wisdom.
Proverbs 17:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. [KJV]
I’m not sure if the folks got the title of their article from this verse but it’s quite likely. A merry heart does good like a medicine but a broken spirit dries the bones – that’s quite a contrast isn’t it? From what the verse says, I think that I would rather chose the merry heart option. Unfortunately there seem to be a lot of people who have chosen the broken soul and dry bones option – and I am not speaking about those who might have legitimate claims to be sorrowful – but those who are prosperous, healthy and without troubles of any kind. They seem to have lost the ability to laugh.
When I went to McGill University to study engineering, I was part of what could loosely be called a study group. It was made up of one German, one Lebanese, one guy from Palestine, a Persian and a Portuguese guy. If I was able to play the recordings of some of our conversations from McGill, I am quite sure I would be arrested. And yet we had more laughter between us during those four years than many might have in a lifetime. It was great medicine.
A Christian has no cause to live a life without joy. I am not talking about happiness – which depends on your circumstances- but joy – which is something that you have on the inside. No matter what is going on around you, the biblical realities that still apply to you are never changing- you are righteous, you have been bought with a high price, you have eternal life, the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back for you and you are blessed with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places to name just a few.
Psalm 16:11
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. [KJV]
In thy presence is fullness of joy. Sure things might not look so good at times on the outside but nothing should ever be able to take your joy from the inside. That joy is based on the never changing realities and blessings of the Word of God and all that God has done for us by way of Jesus Christ. And who knows, maybe that joy could even show up as laughter once in a while? It’s still good medicine.