We love to laugh!  Over 2,000 years ago, God said in Proverbs 17:22 (KJV) that laughter is good medicine.  Scientists are just now theorizing that the muscular exertions involved in laughing releases endorphins, the brain chemical known for its feel good effect.

Emo Philips has the best religious joke.
Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump.

I said, “Don’t do it!”
He said, “Nobody loves me.”
I said, “God loves you. Do you believe in God?”
He said, “Yes.”
I said, “Are you a Christian or a Jew?”
He said, “A Christian.”
I said, “Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?”
He said, “Protestant.”
I said, “Me, too! What franchise?”
He said, “Baptist.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?”
He said, “Northern Baptist.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region.”
I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”

I said, “Die, heretic!” And I pushed him over.

Laughter is good for your health. It has the following benefits, according to helpguide.org:
-Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good healthy laugh relieves physical
tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
– Laughter boosts the immune system. It decreases stress hormones and
increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, improving your
resistance to disease.
-Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good
chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and relieve pain.
-Laughter protects the heart by improving the function of blood vessels and
increasing blood flow, which protects against heart attacks and other
cardiovascular problems.

  Proverbs 17:22  A cheerful heart is good medicine.
I’ll always remember the last words of my grandfather, who said, “Look out, a truck”—-Emo Philips

Now that’s funny.  Or how about when Rodney Dangerfield said, “I was so ugly when I was born, the doctor slapped my mother.”  Or these…

I love astronomy, so I installed a skylight in my living room.  Boy, were the people who live in the apartment above me mad.

They say that giving birth underwater is less traumatic for the baby as it resembles the mother’s womb.  But it’s also more traumatic for the other people in the pool.

My husband says I feed him like he’s a god….every meal is a burnt offering.

I was on a date recently and the guy took me horseback riding.  That was kind of fun, until we ran out of quarters.

There’s even mental health benefits:
-Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You don’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when
you’re laughing.
-It helps you relax and recharge by reducing stress and increasing energy, enabling
you to stay focused and accomplish more.
-It helps you to shift focus, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less
threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can
help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.

It also has the following social benefits:
-It strengthens relationships
-Enhances teamwork
-Helps defuse conflicts
-Promotes group bonding
-Attracts others to our personality

There, there….now don’t you feel a little bit better?  God invented laughter.

Martin Luther said that if there’s no laughter in heaven, he didn’t want to go there.  Heck, that’s reason enough to want to go to heaven.  Luke 6:21 says we will laugh & its OK to do it (providing its appropriate).  Jesus says one of the terrible things about Hell is the absence of laughter (Luke 6:25).

Laughter is an instant vacation—Milton Berle

A day without laughter is a day wasted—Charlie Chaplin

Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face—Victor Hugo

Do you agree with the Bible that laughter is good medicine?

Laughing for His Kingdom,
Dave Maynard