Surely God must have a sense of humor since we are made in His image, and a sense of humor is such a delightful gift?
Perhaps we’re accustomed to thinking of Jesus only as “a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief”. His crucifixion is certainly no laughing matter. Or maybe the image of a laughing Jesus offends? Yet Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus is able to sympathize with us because he is exactly like us excluding sin!
God Has Gifted Us with a Sense of Humor; It Stands to Reason That Jesus Had One, Too.
Interestingly the word “humor” does not exist in the Bible, however, nor does the word Trinity, but the concept most definitely exists! It should be evident that Jesus, being human, had a sense of humor, since the ability to perceive, enjoy, or express what is comical is part of the human experience.
Such a God Inspired the Author of Proverbs to Write, “A Happy Heart Makes the Face Cheerful” (15:13),
It should be evident that Jesus, being human, had a sense of humor, since the ability to perceive, enjoy, or express what is comical is part of the human experience.
Is my definition of funny the same as God’s?
Of course, a lot of what the world calls humor is not funny but is crass and crude and should have no part in a Christian’s life (Colossians 3:8).
Our Speech Should Be Edifying, and Therefore Our Humor Should Be as Well.
What about sarcasm?
Humor can be a wonderful way to cheer up and encourage a friend or calm a serious situation. But cutting remarks at the expense of someone else is of the devil. (Proverbs 26:18-19).
When is humor inappropriate?
Any humor that is done at the expense of someone else’s feelings, that only tears them down instead of building them up, is also something that God says we should not do (Colossians 4:6; Ephesians 4:29). When in doubt, ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom before entering a situation where it might not be a good idea to exercise your wit. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit will guide us and help us know God’s truth (John 16:13).
When humor is appropriate?
Well, it appears that most laughter is intimately related to knowledge of outcomes or the lack thereof. If I know how things will turn out, I can laugh with confidence. You see, when a person is connected with One who has the power to foretell and even determine outcomes, and when that One has promised His loved ones that He will work out everything for our good, then that person has every right to sit back, take a deep breath, and enjoy a good hearty laugh, whatever the circumstances. It is not a moment of empty hilarity or temporary amusement. It is an act of faith!
My dear friend Holly told me this story:
Paul and his wife Jill were awakened at 3:00am by a loud bang on the door.
Paul gets up and goes to the door where a drunken stranger, standing in the pouring rain asked for a push.
“Not a chance,” says the Paul, “it is 3:00am in the morning!”
He slams the door and returns to bed.
“Who was that?” asked his wife Jill?
“Just some drunk man asking for a push,” he answers.
“Did you help him?” Jill asks?
“No, I did not Paul reply’s. It’s 3:00am in the morning and it’s pouring with rain out there!”
“Well, you have a short memory,” says his wife Jill. “Can’t you remember about three months ago when we broke down, and those two guys helped us? I think you should help him, and you should be ashamed of yourself!
God loves drunk people too, you know!”
Paul does as he is told, gets dressed, and goes out into the pounding rain. He calls out into the dark, “Hello, are you still there?”
“Yes,” comes back an answer.
“Do you still need a push?” calls out Paul?
“Yes, please!”
“Where are you?” asks Paul.
“Over here on the swing,” replied the drunk.
God has given us the ability to appreciate humor and share jokes with our friends. It’s certainly not a sin to laugh! But we also need to be aware of our words, other peoples feelings, and situations where humor may or may not be appropriate.
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Indeed
Amen
I think God has a sense of humor. My life is Proof! 😂😂
Great post, if God is not laughing – then we’re all in deep trouble!
Absolutely, God has a sense of humour.
I hope god has a sense of humor. He did not seem to take the “creation thing” very seriously…. look what happened?
Thanks for taking the time to comment. God Bless
JI do struggle at times to keep the humor clean and appropriate; making fun of people’s wrong attitudes basically. I like that bit about the drunk on the swing. To me, it is a perfect example of clean humor.
Wonderful
Interesting article. The bible does contain some specific examples of God’s humor. In fact, it’s generally recognized that Isaiah 44: 15,16 is God mocking idolaters, as is 1 Kings 18:27. So although cutting sarcasm is unloving, the almighty sees humor in the ridiculous notion of man worshiping creation rather than the Creator. Ps 115:4-8
Amen to that Brother
Thanks for sharing. We could also look at some of Jesus’ parables and see moments of humor and entertainment in them. They were often used to shock his audience, but made use of humor and general interest as tools. You’re right, humor can be an effective tool to encourage others. I think it’s one reason we have kids- to bring humor into our lives. Humor buffers our heart against the hard times.
Hi Dean,
Oh I am sure if you look at done if the animals the Lord has created you can tell He chuckles. Did you know that Andy Griffith, Don Knotts
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HAAAAAAA Hahahahahaha! :lol:
Yes, children liked to be around Jesus, and Jesus liked to be around them.
Great article, Dean. I smiled all the way through it and LOL at the end. As Solomon said, “There’s a time to weep and a time to laugh”, and Jesus became like us in all things except sin. Your article reminded me of a quote I once read: “Laughter is medicine for the soul.” Thanks for bringing out the lighter side of God.
In Proverbs 17:22 (NIV), it says that “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries the bones.” I believe that you are right. The Lord would rather that we be happy and full of joy instead of always living in fear and being disrespectful when we laugh at someone’s pain.
I remember, before I even got to know and grow in my faith, that I laughed at my friend for some random reason. All she told me over the phone was that she got baptized, and with that ‘sinful desires’ in my heart, I laughed out of nowhere. That was a moment I wished that I could get back, but then again, that moment, at that time, showed me how much I needed to learn, improve, and increase my studies and needed to trust God instead of the enemy. I hadn’t matured then, but I have now in the future.
Thank you for sharing your post and informing us that even the Lord, Himself, even had “… a sense of humor.” :)
Definitely, yes. He likes to see us making plans!
Best wishes from the First City to see the light
Reblogged this on BASIC CHRISTIANITY (even for "Dummies").
This is lovely! I agree, I believe he has exceptional sense of humor!
Loved this article dean. I just wrote about this same topic today. I believe God absolutely has a since of humor. Laughter is a very common side affect of joy, and joy is promised often from our heavenly father.
I feel like God definitely made us with a since of humor. Someone created humor and he’s the creator right lol I love to laugh I know that’s a piece of God in me. Great post! flightministries.com
I believe that God does have His own sense of humor…after all, look at the platypus! Peace be with you all!
Children and animals make people laugh. I’m sure Jesus must have laughed watching them. I’m sure God has a sense of humor because, as you said, we are made in his image.
An example of God’s humor is the instance in which the Israelites were using the Ark of the Covenant like a good-luck charm in taking it to battle, and the Philistines ended up capturing it and placing it in their temple before their idol of Dagon. They came into the temple the next day and found Dagon flat on his face before the ark. They set him back up. The next morning, there he was again, but this time he had his hands and head cut off as a symbol of his powerlessness before the God of the ark (1 Samuel 5:1-5). God’s putting Dagon in a position of submission to His ark is a comical picture.
Somebody recently pointed out to me that in classic Greek comedy, the play ends with the actors crying and the audience laughing. In contrast, in Shakespearean comedy, the play ends with both the actors and audience laughing.
The moral of the story?
In the classic Greek model, the audience is left to feel superior to the individuals on stage. Their laughter is a form of mockery. Yet in the English model, both actors and audience are relating to one another, seeing the same thing and finding the same humor in it. In this model, there is no smugness, only a shared sense of joy. Modern comedy all too often seems to revolve around trying to have fun by making fun.
That’s not the type of laughter Jesus shared with His disciples. I suspect He was only inclined to laugh with–not at–others. He didn’t put people down; He only lifted them up. [emphasis mine]
When I was a teen, I asked the current group leader this very question because I didn’t want to follow a God that couldn’t laugh. His answer was that he didn’t think Jesus would have “wasted a breath of air on a joke.” Yet, I can’t help but go back to the very basic idea that since we are created in his image, he must enjoy things, and part of enjoyment is laughter. If God were “all business” I don’t think the world would have color or character or much variety.