Thursday, December 1, 2011 - Laughing in All The Right Places

Little Addy Foo-Foo
with her carrot rattle.
It's ok to laugh.

     Tom talked to our son-in-law, Nick, last night and asked about Addy, who'll be seven months old on the seventh of this month.  Nick shared that they were watching a movie with friends last night with Addy sitting in the floor with Julie.  He said every time he laughed at something in the movie, she looked over at him and laughed, too.  Monkey see, monkey do.  Evidence of how our children learn from us long before the time-out chair, the lectures, and the natural consequences.  Addy reflected her daddy's sense of humor by laughing when he laughed. 
     Does what we laugh at follow our Father's lead or does it reveal we're reflecting the world's sense of humor? For instance:
     Do we laugh at other people's expense or with them?  Do we snicker when we see someone embarrassed or caught in a no-win situation? 

"Some people make cutting remarks, 
but the words of the wise bring healing." 

Proverbs 12:18

     Do we mock what others hold precious or their best efforts?  Make fun of what people can't help?  Deride the down-and-out? 

"Those who mock the poor insult their Maker; 

those who rejoice at the misfortune of others will be punished."

Proverbs 17:5

      Do we laugh at what God calls lewd?  

"You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God 

in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. 

Let your lives shine brightly before them."  

Philippians 2:15

    If our prayer is "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me," then we need to reflect our Father's Spirit in our sense of humor. Laughter is healthy and healing when we laugh:
  *at ourselves and our little flubs;
  *at good clean fun when someone tells something funny; (Withholding laughter is a form of pride and control which steals the healing moment).
  *from sheer joy, discovery, enlightenment, and bursts of love. 
     Laughter goes hand-in-hand with goodwill, but we need to listen to our Father and laugh in all the right places. 

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength."  

Proverbs 17:22 

"And Sarah declared, 'God has brought me laughter!  All who hear about this will laugh with me.  For who would have dreamed that I would ever have a baby? 

Yet I have given Abraham a son in his old age!"  

Genesis 21:6-7

"We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy.  

And the other nations said, 'What amazing things the LORD has done for them.'  

Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!'

Psalm 126:2-3

Father, shape our sense of humor to rejoice when you do.  May our hearts always put other people's feelings ahead of any questionable entertainment value.  Mold our hearts to let compassion rule and develop in us the self-control we need in a world that pumps out crude and rude humor for profit.  May our hearts beat to please You and to laugh when You laugh.  Help us let go of the pride and insecurity that laughs at others and their misfortunes. Teach us to laugh in all the right places.
In the Name of Jesus, the Teacher Who often used  humor to make His points but never to point out the flaws in others  

Ho, Ho, Ho - Merry Christmas!