Stephen Arterburn wrote an article that laughter is one of the greatest gifts God has given to mankind. Several verses in the Bible speak of laughter’s importance: “Till He fills your mouth with laughter, and your lips with rejoicing,” (Job 8:21). “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine …” (Proverbs 17:22). We often take life too seriously. We think too hard about our jobs. We over analyze our relationships. We get too intense about winning. And we come to church out of balance. We approach God with reverence, as we should, but we seem to see our God as being serious without a sense of humor.
Consider the two following stories and ask yourself if you think God enjoys stories like these:
After church on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, “Mom, I’ve decided I’m going to be a minister when I grow up.”
“That’s OK with us,” the mother said. “But what made you decide to be a minister?”
“Well,” the boy replied, “I’ll have to go to church on Sunday any way, and I figure it is more fun to stand up front and yell than to sit still and listen.”
During the minister’s prayer one Sunday, there was a loud whistle from one of the back pews. Gray’s mother was horrified. She pinched him into silence and after church she asked, “Gary, whatever made you do such a thing?”
Gary answered soberly, “I asked God to teach me to whistle … and He just did!”
Approach God with the reverence due Him. And take seriously the place He has given you in life. But don’t forget to take time to laugh today.
Let your light shine! Bring joy and happiness into someone else’s life in the name of Jesus!
Dr. David Bouler of Global Faith Ministries, Chattanooga, Tennessee, contributed this column to the Journal Review. He can be reached by email at debouler@aol.com.
