CHAPTER 8 Laugh, Laugh, and Laugh Some More

A good laugh is sunshine in the house.

—William Thackeray

Picture it for a moment: You’re on an isolated beach, enjoying a beautiful day. The wind is in your hair. The water is the absolute perfect temperature. Your phone isn’t ringing, the boss isn’t e-mailing you about a stressful project that is overdue, and there are no demands weighing on your mind. You’ve already made dinner reservations at a local restaurant that has great reviews, and the only thing you have to do between now and dinner is… relax.

Ah, vacation. Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? Whether it’s the beach, the mountains, a camping trip, or just a week off to stay at home and unwind, vacations are a great way to relax, refresh, and recharge. It’s a time to leave the worries of work and the stresses of daily life behind and just enjoy fun, carefree days with family and friends.

But recent studies show that many people don’t take advantage of their vacation days—particularly here in America. Concerned that they’ll fall behind at work or that someone else might take their job, American workers use only half their eligible paid vacation time. And when they do take vacations, 61 percent work while they are supposed to be relaxing, despite complaints from family members.1 Study after study reveals that vacation days are an unused benefit.

I tell you that because I believe laughter is a lot like an ignored vacation day—it’s an unused benefit. Unfortunately, laughter is an opportunity that many people neglect to take full advantage of. It’s available to all of us—we could enjoy it if we chose to—but it remains in a queue of benefits that is often overlooked. Rather than seeking out opportunities to laugh and enjoying even the smallest things in life, many people go through each day frowning and frustrated—discouragement crowds out delight; problems overshadow playfulness.

God has given us the ability to laugh for a reason. It may seem like a little thing, but laughter is vitally important in the battle against stress, anxiety, fear, and worry. It’s a tool from God that benefits you in so many ways. That’s why the Word of God says:

Then were our mouths filled with laughter, and our tongues with singing. Then they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them.

Psalm 126:2

He will yet fill your mouth with laughing, and your lips with rejoicing.

Job 8:21 (NKJV)

A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

The Bible says that a happy heart is good medicine because laughter lifts your spirits; improves your mental, emotional, and physical health; and de-stresses your mind. And (here is the best part)… it costs nothing. You’ve got a proven, God-given weapon against stress that is free of charge and that you can use at any time, day or night.

The Medical Benefits of Laughter

It doesn’t matter if it’s a night of raucous laughter with hilarious friends, the enjoyment of a funny movie with your family, or even just a giggle over a silly joke—all laughter is a form of stress-relief. It is a physical activity that has nearly unparalleled short-term and long-term benefits for your entire body.

In the short-term, laughter acts as an energizer to your internal organs. It elevates your input of oxygen-rich air; it stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles; and it boosts the endorphins that are released by your brain. Not only that, but laughter also has been proven to relieve your immediate stress response. Laughter can relax you even in the most anxious situations because it stimulates blood circulation and aids in muscle relaxation. All of these benefits assist in reducing the short-term symptoms of stress.2

The long-term gains of laughter are just as beneficial for your body, if not more so. Laughter has been shown to boost your immune system, act as a natural painkiller, lessen depression, and increase personal satisfaction. Negative thoughts can produce chemical reactions that increase stress levels in your body, but laughter and positivity release neuropeptides that battle stress and physical illness. Laughter has been shown to discontinue the pain-spasm cycle seen in muscle disorders and to even benefit people experiencing chronic depression.³

If you are not making a decision to laugh on a regular basis, you are missing out on a natural remedy that helps decrease stress and fight against infirmities.

So, the question becomes, Why aren’t we laughing more? Because the truth is everyone loves to laugh. Charlie Chaplin said that “a day without laughter is a day wasted.”4 And if laughter has the added benefit of being such a valuable tool in the battle against worry and anxiety, why aren’t we utilizing it each and every day in our homes, at our jobs, and in our churches?

I think there are three answers to that question: (1) Many people just aren’t aware of the advantages of joy, happiness, and laughter; (2) we too quickly focus on the negative things in life rather than the positive things—the blessings God has provided; and (3) because of the hectic pace of our routines and the overall busyness we face, we simply overlook our natural opportunities to laugh and enjoy life.

I know it’s easy to overlook opportunities to laugh because it’s happened to me. I’m a very task-oriented, diligent, business-minded person, and sometimes I can get so focused on the tasks before me that I can be all work and no play. Over the years, God has taught me to take moments to relax and laugh a little, even if it means laughing at my own mistakes.

I remember there were a few months when every time I wore white pants, I spilled coffee on myself. Literally, every time. Obviously I wasn’t very happy about it, but I had a choice to make. After it happened for what seemed like the tenth time, I could have gotten furious with myself and called myself a klutz, or I simply could have laughed at the situation and tried to be more careful the next time. I mean, when I stopped and thought about it, it really was ridiculously funny. I guess I either needed to not wear white pants, or I needed to not drink coffee while I was wearing them.

We all have things like this happen, and we all have a choice to either laugh it off or store it up with all the other things that frustrate us in a day’s activities. Have you ever had anyone say to you when you were upset over some little thing, “You just need to laugh it off”? That means you can get rid of the frustration and aggravation by just laughing. If we would laugh off more little things, maybe we wouldn’t eventually explode from the stress we’ve stored up throughout the day as we became more and more tense. God may laugh at the things that frustrate us and think, Seriously… you are NOT going to get upset over that little thing, are you?

I would not want to count the times in my life that I have let some silly, insignificant, and minor irritation ruin my day. Even if we allow them to ruin an hour, or as little as five minutes, it is a foolish choice. Why not try the “laugh it off” therapy and discover for yourself that it works!

It has taken a while, but with God’s help, I’ve learned not to take everything in life so seriously. It’s important for me to make time each day to have some fun and take advantage of every opportunity I have to laugh. This is vital in battling the stresses and worries that try to find their way into my life. And the same is true for you. Whether it’s something as silly as spilling coffee or something as serious as a major life decision, if you decide to lighten up a little and not take everything too seriously, you’ll be surprised at how quickly it will decrease your stress levels.

You might be reading this and thinking, Joyce, I’d love to laugh more, but I wouldn’t know where to begin. I’ve got too many stressful things to deal with. I don’t have anything to laugh about! Maybe you think you don’t have time to laugh because you have so many problems to deal with. If so, I want to encourage you to have an attitude shift today. Rather than thinking you don’t have time to laugh, begin to realize you don’t have time not to laugh. It’s vital to your health, your relationships, your inner peace, and your fight against stress. Let me offer a few suggestions to help you incorporate a little laughter into your daily life…

How to Laugh on Purpose

One of the most valuable things I have learned in life is that I don’t have to wait to feel like doing something before I can do it, and neither do you. You can actually learn how to create opportunities for laughter.

• Plan to laugh… and then do it: Have you ever scheduled time to be happy? I know it sounds strange at first, but you probably make time in your schedule for other important things—doctor’s appointments, school functions, lunch meetings. Why not schedule some laughter? Take a few minutes each day to step away from the busyness and think about the good things that have happened that day. Even if it is not enough to make you laugh out loud, you might at least smile, and even that is helpful. Focus on something funny that a friend said or something enjoyable that you’re looking forward to. Don’t let stressful events get every minute of your day—schedule time for a little fun.

My daughter called me last night and told me to watch something on television that was funny, and although I was busy doing something else, I decided to take time to do it. After I watched it, I called her back and we laughed a long time, talking to one another about the show we had seen. Today I have thought of it several times and it has made me chuckle each time.

When I am waiting in the grocery store for Dave to pay for the groceries, I often go to the greeting card rack and look at the funny birthday cards. I know I will get a good laugh because some of them are hilarious!

• Hang around funny and encouraging people: I love to spend time with people who can be lighthearted and encouraging. Their humor and their positive nature are infectious. I’m sure you would agree. It feels a hundred times better to hang around friends who can encourage you and make you laugh than to spend time with people who are going to discourage you and make you feel miserable about your day. If you’re dealing with a lot of stress and pressure in your life, one of the most practical things you can do is find some encouraging friends who can make you laugh and spend as much time with them as possible. Sure, there will be many times when you’ll have serious conversations with good friends, but having someone in your life who can alleviate stress with some well-timed humor is invaluable.

A couple that works for us travels with us. Pennie is my executive assistant and Mike is our staff pastor. Mike happens to be a person who can be funny without even trying very hard. When our conferences are over and we are headed home after three days of working hard, I can always depend on him for some good laughter.

• Change your perspective: One of the best ways to be joyful in life is to begin each day with a “think session.” Instead of letting the events of the day shape your perspective, take a few minutes and determine to let the Word of God shape your perspective. Start your morning by deciding to think about some happy, joyful things… on purpose. Then spend some time thinking about Scriptures that are joy-filled (for example, Romans 15:13, Philippians 4:4, Romans 14:17, Psalm 16:9, Proverbs 10:28, 1 Thessalonians 5:16). If you change your perspective—looking for the best things in life rather than the worst things—it’s amazing how easy it is to laugh and enjoy life.

• Rent or download a funny movie: When I have some downtime, I love to relax in front of a good movie. And a good, clean comedy is a great way to reduce stress. When was the last time you actually sat down in front of a funny movie and just laughed for a couple of hours? Remember, “a happy heart is good medicine,” so something as simple as watching your favorite funny movie can be therapeutic for your soul.

• Laugh at yourself: I know you are probably very busy, and I’m sure there are many important things you accomplish over the course of an average day, but if you’re anything like me, you probably make some pretty amusing mistakes, too. One of the best things you can do when you make a mistake is to laugh about it. I’m not suggesting you don’t try to do your best, but once a mistake is made, you can’t undo it. Instead, use it to your advantage. Laugh about the silliness of it, learn from it, and move on. One of the reasons people refuse to laugh at themselves is because of insecurities and a low feeling of self-worth. They find their worth in what they do or what others think about them, so when they mess up, they see themselves as a failure in life. But if you’re confident in who you are in Christ—knowing that your worth is found in Him and His love for you—no mistake or opinion of another person can keep you from confidently being able to laugh at yourself every once in a while.

I laugh at myself often. For example:

I have caught myself looking frantically for my phone while talking on it.

I have called someone and forgotten whom I called and had to ask, “Who am I talking to?”

One time I went to get a massage and somehow I lost my pants while I was there; they had to give me a pair from the gift shop to go home in!

And this is a very small selection of the things I’ve done that I can either laugh at or let them make me feel inferior. I choose laughter!!!!

• Ask God to give you your joy back: I saved the most important one for last, but that doesn’t mean this is the last thing you should do. In fact, this is the first thing you can do in order to live a happy, joy-filled life. In Psalm 51:12, David prayed, “Restore to me the joy of Your salvation.” In a very difficult time in David’s life, he understood that only God could return his joy. This is true for me and you, too. If you are dealing with painful or demanding circumstances that have sapped you of your joy, taken away your laughter, and brought stress into your life, don’t try to go through it alone. Ask God for His help, and ask Him to return His joy to your heart. He is willing and able to give you “the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit” (Isaiah 61:3).

The Connection between Joy and Laughter

As we end this chapter, take a moment to think about how you’ve been approaching life. Do you find yourself just trying to make it through the day? Do you commonly deal with stress-induced headaches? If you were honest with yourself, could you even remember the last time you had a good laugh? Well, I want you to know that the joy of the Lord can ease any emotional and physical pain and bring you a new level of satisfaction in life.

Joy can be anything from a calm delight to an extreme hilarity. On most days, joyful people live in the stage of calm delight, but the times of extreme hilarity have their value, too, and they add so much to life. I once heard someone say that laughter is like internal jogging, and I think that is so true. Laughter improves emotional and mental health, it lifts our spirits, and it dispels worry. It’s almost impossible to be anxious and laughing at the same time. This is why we would be wise to express joy in laughter every chance we get. Laughter is the outward evidence of inward joy and it is proven to make you feel better.

One thing is for sure—there is not much chance of laughter if you don’t start with a simple smile. Many times I say that some people who are believers need to notify their faces. Instead of smiling, they’re frowning; instead of laughing, they’re crying. Some Christians are so sour-faced, they look as if they were baptized in lemon juice. But as followers of Jesus, we can be different from the discouraged and depressed around us. The Word of God says that we are the light of the world (see Matthew 5:14). Imagine that your smile is the switch to turn that light on.

You don’t have to depend on circumstances or other people for joy. I know that’s true because I can be all by myself and smile. I don’t even need a reason. It just makes me feel happier to smile occasionally.

If I’m walking around with a frown on my face, it almost always begins to bring me down emotionally. My frown translates to my emotions and disposition. But when I smile, I sense an entire lifting of my countenance. You should try it. Frown for a second and see how you feel… okay, now smile and see how that feels. Notice the difference?

Maybe you haven’t laughed—I mean really laughed—in a very long time. If that is the case, it’s probably causing much of the stress you are experiencing today. You will find that you feel better all over after a hearty laugh. Sometimes I feel clean and refreshed after a good laugh. If I am tired and weary from dealing with life’s issues, I often feel like my soul is a dusty closet—stale and in need of fresh air. But when I take the opportunity to have a really good laugh, it seems to “air my soul out,” refreshing me and lifting the load off my tired mind.

You may be thinking, Well, Joyce, I don’t have anything to laugh about! Many times I don’t either, but that is where the list we discussed in this chapter comes in handy. Use that list and decide to laugh every day as much as possible. When you do, you’ll be amazed at how differently you will begin to view your job, your family, your relationships, yourself, and even your walk with God. You’ll become a person whose first response to stressful situations is faith not fear, joy not sorrow. You’ll be a person like Freddie…

One day the schoolteacher scolded young Freddie, saying, “Freddie, you mustn’t laugh out loud in the schoolroom.” Freddie responded respectfully by saying, “Sorry, Teacher. I didn’t mean to. I was smiling and my smile busted.”

That’s my prayer for you. My prayer is that no matter what you are going through in life, you will remember the joy of the Lord is your strength. You’ll have a smile on your face no matter how intimidating the incident, how stressful the situation, or how discouraging the dilemma. And when things get tough, when you feel like giving up, I pray that your smile will bust. We don’t laugh about our problems, but thankfully we can laugh as we trust God to take care of them.

Things to Remember:

Like a wasted vacation day, laughter is an unused benefit if you don’t utilize it.

The Word of God says, “A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

Laughter acts as an energizer to your internal organs. It elevates your input of oxygen-rich air; it stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles; and it boosts the endorphins that are released by your brain.

Laughter has been shown to boost your immune system, act as a natural painkiller, lessen depression, and increase personal satisfaction.

Rather than being passive, sitting around waiting for something to happen, you can choose to laugh, regardless of your circumstances.

The joy of the Lord can be anything from calm delight to extreme hilarity.

With God’s help, you can become a person whose first response is faith not fear, joy not sorrow.