Holy Humor, Batman!

By Deborah DeArmond

The month of April is in fact, the time set aside to celebrate a good chuckle, a guffaw or a hearty laugh as part of a faith-filled life. It’s Holy Humor Month!

The Bible is clear that God believes humor should be on the agenda as a healthy habit. Proverbs 17:22 NKJ “A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.”

The word “laugh” or “laughter” is mentioned in the Bible approximately 200 times. Much of that laughter falls into some categories that do not feed our hearts like medicine. Consider if you will:

• The laugh of unbelief. Sarah, who laughs at the idea of having a child in her 90s. (Gen 18:11-12, 15)
• The laughter of a fool. God compares the laughter of a fool to the thorns afire beneath a pot – he is so foolish he laughs and doesn’t even see his end coming. (Ecc 7:6)
• The laughter of derision. Often this is related to God’s amusement at the foolishness of man in spiritual things. (Ps 2:1-4, Prov 1:24-26)

But the fourth type of laughter is a healthy expression and brings to our lives richness, like medicine. He has given us many reasons to laugh! Here are a few good examples of why God’s people can have a good laugh:

• Lack of fear. “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” (Prov 31:25, NLT)
• Happiness and connection. “Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down.” (Rom 12:15, MSG)
• Joy. “God will let you laugh again; you'll raise the roof with shouts of joy.” (Job 8:21, MSG)
• Relief. “Good people will watch and worship. They’ll laugh in relief.” (Ps 52:6, MSG)
• God is acting on our behalf. “When the righteous see God in action they'll laugh, they'll sing, they'll laugh and sing for joy.” (Psalm 68:3, MSG)
• Good fortune. “We laughed, we sang, we couldn't believe our good fortune. We were the talk of the nations—'God was wonderful to them!' ” (Ps 126:2, MSG)
• It is a gift to God. “Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.” (Ps 100:2, MSG)
• There is a time for laughter, according to Ecclesiastes 3:4, “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

In other words, while life here on this planet is no joke, there are times when laughter is appropriate, healthy and pleasing to God.

So tune up those vocal chords and let loose a giggle or guffaw, a chortle or chuckle, a snicker, a snort or a shout. Let it fly and exclaim to the world the JOY of the Lord!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Deborah DeArmond is an experienced and sought-after coach, trainer and speaker, having worked with audiences at all levels. She has 30 years of expertise, training and teaching in the areas of relationship, communication and conflict resolution. Known for her dynamic style and ability to engage her audiences with a sense of fun along with her direct style, Deborah mixes creativity, humor, and insight and delivers her message on point every time.

Deborah is co-founder and featured author at MyPurposeNow.org, an online site for Christian women 50+. Additionally she is a featured author for two online magazines, Destiny in Bloom and Living Better at 50. She is a CLASSEMINARS, Inc. graduate.