Laughter from a cheerful heart ............. Parables 701

January 30, 2001

Doesn’t a chuckle make you feel good? Over the holidays, we laughed for hours at a time playing games and enjoying family. Everyone said how good it felt to laugh. In fact, an American research team recently “discovered” that laughter may be the best medicine. Apparently, laughing releases natural chemicals into the bloodstream that can prevent heart disease.

We knew that, at least instinctively. We didn’t know about the chemicals or the heart disease, but we knew that “laughter is the best medicine.” Or does that sound like folk lore or a cliché? Maybe we needed to have a scientific “discovery” to help us. It’s funny, but the people of God have known it for centuries.

About a thousand years BC, King Solomon wrote the following proverb, “A cheerful heart is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22). He also noted that “a heart at peace gives life to the body” and “a happy heart makes the face cheerful.”

While this seems like common sense, God did inspire Solomon to write this. What comes from the mind of God is not the same as “folk lore” and should not be considered outside the field of science or opposed to it. It is more like the “wisdom of the ages.”

As Creator, God knows more about people than we know about ourselves. He gave us our capacity to laugh and created that laughter for a reason. He placed helpful chemicals in our bodies and wanted us to experience their benefits.

While we agree that laughter is good, notice that neither folk lore nor science tell us exactly what kind of laughter works the best. Does this latest discovery mean that we will get well if we laugh at crude jokes? Or will laughing at the misfortunes of others make us healthier?

The Bible says not. From this proverb of Solomon’s, we get clues about the exact kind of laughter that is good for us. It is laughter that is tied to the inner person, mirth that is not outward behavior. He says a “cheerful heart” is good medicine. This means a sustained disposition rather than an outburst of delight. While external laughter usually requires our funny bone to be tickled or a peculiar situation to occur, a cheerful heart just is.

Throughout the Bible, a cheerful heart is defined as that which belongs to the people who fully trust God. This kind of heart is full of the Holy Spirit and with Him, that person is content. The Spirit gives a steadfast attitude through the twists and turns of life. Rather than complain or become impatient or upset, a cheerful heart enjoys life — without it having to be funny.

This cheerful heart also sees good first, another quality that comes from the Holy Spirit. It does not focus on the worst in people or the downside of events. People may be nasty and life’s ride may be a roller coaster, but rather than hating folks or having white knuckles, a cheerful hearted person loves people and raises both hands to enjoy the ride.

Because this disposition is based on faith, people with a cheerful heart can laugh at troubles. Nothing upsets them for long because they know that God is more powerful than any trial. He will see His people through life with all its ups and downs.

A genuinely cheerful heart has a mysterious “peace that passes comprehension” (Philippians 4:6-7). This peace is related to trust and is part of the “fruit of the Spirit.” Along with it, the Spirit gives love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. That joy is for those who rejoice in Him and who brings all their troubles to Him.

Our society applauds the latest discoveries and exalts scientific endeavors, and so we should. These honest efforts to unfold the mysteries of creation should reinforce our faith. But there are times that modern science seems so backward and far behind that it is laughable.