Research has once again managed to verify what the Bible has told us for thousands of year. Laughter is good medicine - was the conclusion of studies that were made. God inspired that message in Proverbs 17:22 when the writer noted: "a merry heart does good like a medicine." The wise writer of Ecclesiastes 10:19 noted: "A feast is made for laughter". There is nothing quite as delightful as the giggle and laughter of a little baby. There is something so pure and happy about that sound, that it brings a smile to our faces. Laughter and the appreciation of good humour is something that we adults need to learn. Somewhere between childhood and our mature years, we have lost far too much of this wonderful blessing. It has been noted that children laugh about 400 times a day when they are about four years of age - adults laugh less and less as the years pass. Fifteen laughs a day is rare for an adult. Will Rogers noted: "We are here for a spell; get all the laughs you can!"
The medical people inform us that laughter releases endorphins and that makes us feel happy. It also releases stress and it seems there is an increase in the red blood cell count. That seems to be quite amazing when we stop to think about it. There are more benefits from laughter than these which I have noted. People migrate towards a happy person. That old adage: "Laugh and the world laughs with you - cry and you cry alone" does carry some weight.
There is something about the laughter we hear that tugs at triggers in our minds. We can tell when a person is laughing in a whole-hearted way - versus the phony laughter that has a false ring to it. When little children laugh, everybody smiles and laughs with them. When people are enjoying a really good "belly laugh," that too brings smiles to our faces. We may not even know why the person is laughing, but nevertheless it is infectious. We can conclude that there are different kinds of laughter.
The healthy kind is genuine, unpretentious, involuntary and sometimes hard to control. I recall when I was on an airplane flight some years ago. A friend had given me a book with the "Vet" stories of James Harriot. I had a head-set on and was listing to music as I was reading the humorous stories. I began to smile, chuckle, laugh and roar to the point that I had to put the book down. It just got funnier and funnier. Maybe it was the high altitude, but it seemed every story was bursting with pure humour. That was what I would call a healthy laugh. Luckily I managed to stop before I disturbed too many of the passengers - though several were trying to see what I was reading.
I can also remember sitting in a large audience when a respected speaker told a joke. Everyone was laughing, but for the life of me, I did not get the joke at all. I am not sure that everyone around me did either, but somehow we don't want to appear foolish when we do not understand a joke - and we may smile or twitter a bit, but we know the laughter would be contrived and phony. I can recall a number of times when someone in a high position was telling a story that was intended to be humorous and people about him were roaring with laughter - but it was obvious that the laughter was not genuine - and truly the story was not funny. Some people are very poor joke tellers - and wisdom would dictate that they don't try. This negative kind of laughter confuses everyone, it seems. When the person laughing is only making noise for fear that he would be criticized for not appreciating a speaker, or to be polite, it just does not sound "happy."
Jesus knew His followers would have periods of great concern and sober contemplation - even periods of weeping. He promised the time would come for them to laugh (Luke 6:21). He promised a time in which they would leap for joy (Luke 6:23).
God is clearly not against joy, happiness, laughter and healthy mirth. He created the ability for humans to have and develop a sense of humour - but He does not develop it for us. As in so many areas of life, our great Creator places choices before us and gives us abilities. As we choose wisely and well, our ability to choose also improves. A good sense of humour is a vital key to maintaining a hopeful and positive outlook on life. "There is a time to laugh and a time to cry" (Eccl. 3:4).
God's sense of humour is shown as He tested Abraham and Sarah. He promised them a son, but because He wanted them to be sure they knew this was a "miracle baby" God waited until they were far too old. Then when He told them of the soon-coming pregnancy, Sarah and Abraham both laughed within (Gen. 17:17-19, Gen. 18:12). God told them to name the son Isaac which means "he laughed." Sarah said God had brought her laughter (Gen. 21:6,7). Peter said we had reason to feel inexpressible and glorious joy because we are receiving the goal of our faith (I Pet. 1:8). It is hard to think of that degree of joy without whooping and hollering. Happy hearts and smiling faces go together.
There is also a kind of laughter that is connected to scorn and ridicule. My mother had a saying: "after too much laughter comes crying." We strike out at our own honesty and openness when we laugh uproariously at a poor joke that is told by a poor joke teller. Sometimes in embarrassing situations, people laugh to cover up their deep inner feelings. A forced laugh might be our way of conforming to situations or to make ourselves look supportive and interested in someone we want to impress. The concept of negative laughter is not really laughter at all, in my way of thinking.
When Jesus said a young girl who died was only sleeping, some "laughed Him to scorn" (Luke 8:53). This was more of a sneering, mocking laugh. There is nothing positive that comes out of such a response. As Jesus was dying He prophesied that some would "laugh Him to scorn" (Psalm 22:7). Sometimes when people are afraid of something they cannot understand or that they feel threatened by, they give a nervous laugh. This may have been the case when Jesus was being followed by thousands, and doing things the Pharisees could not think of doing. Jesus' fame and stature grew in the minds of the people. The wise writer of Ecclesiastes stated that "laughter is foolish" but he was not talking about the good and healthy kind. He was looking for a purpose in life, but he was looking in all the wrong places. He turned to pleasures of all kinds, then he turned to alcohol (of all kinds), he busied himself in projects and amassed wealth (Eccl. 2:1-9). No doubt he had some people around him who tried to force joy and happiness - but it was vanity and emptiness. He learned some painful lessons - one being the importance of determining to be happy (Eccl. 3:12, Eccl. 9:7,8).
We are left to live in a world controlled by the god of darkness. There are constant barrages of negative influences coming our way. Fighting the good fight includes learning how to deflect the negatives and maintain a positive outlook until Christ returns. We are expected to do that. Knowing the value of laughter and humour can inspire us to develop the ability to laugh - at ourselves, at circumstances, at life. Good humorous stories, good jokes and appreciating the joys of life - dwelling on them - will put the smile on our faces and in our hearts. There are some wonderful comedies and terrific comedians in show business. There are also some comedies that are simply crass and anything but uplifting. It is the situations that do not make fun of people, but highlight the fun in life - that which is fun today and will not leave lingering negative effects - that build the healthy mind. It does not come naturally, it is something God wants us to reach for and make our own. Laughter seems more natural for a baby - though we tend to play with and tickle laughter from a child. In times of trouble, a good sense of humour will cushion us. In good times it enhances life. Let us not lose this valuable gift from God. Learn to laugh and add years to your life.