Laugh Again

Kids smile an average of 45 times an hour, and they will “belly laugh” 1 time every 7.5 minutes. By the time we become an adult that drops to 15 times a day. In hospitals it is nearly 0. When was the last time you had a good laugh? The popular saying, “Laughter is the best medicine” is not actually a bible quote. However, the concept comes directly out of the book of Proverbs:“A happy heart is good medicine, and a cheerful mind works healing…” (17:22 Amplified Bible)

The focus of this verse is inward, on a happy heart. The function of the verse is outward, working healing. What’s interesting is that the word translated “medicine” in this verse, literally means the “removal of a bandage, the healing of a wound.” (Strong’s Concordance)

Dr. Thomas Sydenham, a seventeenth-century physician, claimed that “The arrival of a good clown exercises more beneficial influence upon the health of a town than of twenty mules laden with drugs.”

Determine to let your thoughts and attitudes reflect the “joy of the Lord”. He is in control and His love toward us is steadfast. A cheerful disposition out of the overflow of our heart also, will often bring healing to those we come into contact with. Stop living with your head hung down, focusing on the negative, and being a joy sucker. And get away from those who are. The results of such living is a “drying up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22b).

An old Sunday school chorus goes, “If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it, No matter what, smile! Laugh again. Laugh often. Bring back the joy. It’s ‘a medicine’ that will turn your life around.


Source:AACC, Strong's Concordance