By Janine Mick Wills
Is laughter good for the soul? Proverbs 14:13 may seem to refute that. “Even in laughter the heart is sad, and the end of joy is grief,” and Ecclesiastes 2:2 says, “I said of laughter, ‘It is mad,’ and of pleasure, ‘What use is it?’ “ But the Bible also says in Ecclesiastes 3:4 there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh.” It’s not always appropriate to laugh, but we Christians, sometimes take our faith so seriously, we forget the Bible does speak of laughter.
Take these verses for example:
Genesis 21:6 And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; every one who hears will laugh over me.”
Job 8:21 He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.
Psalm 126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
Proverbs 15:13 A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 15:15 All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.
Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
Ecclesiastes 9:7 Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works.
We, of all people, have something to be happy about and something to share with the world to bring happiness to its soul: The good news of the Gospel – the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, let’s not hide it under our bushel. Let’s write about it, so others may read, understand, and be joyful too!
Here are some synonyms for LAUGHTER to help get you started. (Taken from Thesaurus.com)
Amusement, Chuckle, Gesture, Giggle, Glee, Guffaw, Hilarity, Laugh, Mirth, Roar, Shout, Shriek, Cachinnation, Cackle, Crow, Crowing, Fit, Howling, Merriment, Peal, Rejoicing, Roaring, Shouting, Snigger, Snort, Sound, Titter, Chortling, Chuckling, Giggling, Guffawing, Har-de-har, Tehee, Tittering, Yuck
