Tag: Joke

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6 Ways Laughter is Good for You

6 Ways Laughter is Good for You

It’s easy to get bogged down with the pain and suffering of the world. Life is hard, sometimes. No one is arguing that.  

But God also created us to dwell in joy!

Much evidence exists that God meant for us to laugh, to have fun, and to find ways to enjoy our lives. When God created our bodies, he made them in such a way that laughter is actually physically beneficial to us.

Laughter is a natural response to something that we find funny. Not only does laughter lighten our spirits, but it’s actually good for us physically as well.

Groucho Marx said, “A clown is like an aspirin.”

We’ve all heard the old adage, “Laughter is the best medicine.”

And while those quotes don’t exactly come directly from scripture, this proverb is pretty close:

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.” Proverbs 17:22

So what is it about laughter that is good for our bodies?

Laughter Increases Blood Flow and Respiration.

Do you ever laugh so hard that you feel like you can’t breathe? When this happens, the diaphragm muscles are engaged, respiration system is on overdrive, and blood flow to the brain is increased. All of these responses to laughter are actually good for the body.

Laughter Reduces Tension.

During laughter, muscles are tensed and tight. Afterwards, physical tension and stress is relieved and the body can benefit from that relaxation going forward for approximately 45 minutes.

Laughter Burns Calories.  

Looking for ways to lighten up on the scale? A good belly laugh can help you to lose a few ounces here or there. Plus, laughter may also have the residual effect of producing happiness that helps to minimize stress eating.

Laughter Reduces Pain.  

Giving a boost of feel-good chemicals (endorphins), laughter can actually reduce pain. Possibly like the aspirin to which Groucho Marx was referring?

Laughter Boosts the Immune System.

Cortisol and adrenalin are flight-or-flight hormones secreted during stress. Laughter can decrease these stress hormones and increase the cells that fight infections, improving your body’s ability to protect you from disease.

Laughter May Increase Life Span.

One study conducted in Norway has shown that people may actually live longer when they have a strong sense of humor. This may be particularly true for those who are fighting against cancer.

If your daily life doesn’t bring you as many funny moments as you need to really laugh, try being intentional about including laughter in your life. Sign up for a joke-a-day email. Subscribe to a funny YouTube channel. Keep a laughter journal so you can relive funny stories in your memory and bring up positive endorphins and laughter.

When all else fails, you can actually fake laugh. While it doesn’t have exactly the same results as real laughter, if you do it enough (especially with a friend) it can often turn into real laughter and provide numerous health benefits.

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Does God Have a Sense of Humor?

Does God Have a Sense of Humor?

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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