Monday, September 27, 2010

Laughing at the Funny Things…

Laughter is something our home is filled with. Some kids are funnier than others but all in all we are a family that loves to laugh. We laugh at jokes, we laugh at silly stories, and we laugh at silly things the others do.
The Bible says a cheerful heart is good medicine. Laughter is all over the Bible, even the famous Isaac's name actually means laughter. Abraham and Sarah named him laughter because of the joy they knew from God's impossible promise coming true. They had laughed in disbelief and now the laughed at their unbelief.
We like to think of the beginning of Psalm 126:
When Yahveh brought back the captive ones of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laugher
And our tongue with joyful shouting;
Then they said among the nations,
"Yahveh has done great things for them."
Yahveh has done great things for us;
We are glad.

This is why we laugh, because we are a family whom God has done great things for. We laugh because we love. In a home where the parents have strife and are always arguing there is little or no laughter. However, thanks to God we have a home where His love to us is manifested in our love for each other and so we can laugh with each other. We can laugh at each other without them feeling condemnation. We all know we are loved by each one so even laughter at us is in the context of love.
Another reason we always have laughter in our home is because we have such a range of ages. We have little children who do and say funny things as they learn to mature and we have older children who act immature in a funny way. Little kids act like big kids and big kids like little kids and so we laugh at the irony.

Laughter is used for three main things in the Bible: disbelief, derision, and joy. The laughter that characterizes our family is about joy. The Bible also likes to contrast laughter and weeping. Jesus says, "Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh." Of course He also follows that up later on by saying, "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep." However, in this case He is speaking of a kind of defiant laughter against God and the coming judgment. Those who laugh like fools now will be sorrowful in the day of judgment. We as Christians can laugh now because we have no fear of the judgment. We have been made new and enabled to laugh for the joy of our salvation. We no longer laugh at God but we laugh with God because He has become united to us in love.
Have you ever noticed how laughing with someone creates an instant bond? That's why many times to "break the ice" we will tell a joke or make a comment designed for amusement. Laughter has a way of opening us up. Laughing with another creates an instant bond and is a sign of love. You don't enjoy telling jokes and laughing at things with people you hate. Laughing with an enemy is something distasteful because you don't want a bond with that person and you don't want to be made vulnerable to them. You laugh with those you love, because you love them, desire a bond and do not fear condemnation.

So we laugh at the funny things, not only among ourselves, but we laugh at them with our heavenly Father who has made us able to laugh with Him. Praise be to the one who has made us able to laugh with Him rather than at Him!

2 comments:

  1. Somehow I totally missed this post until now. Great post. And of course it makes me think of Regina Spektor's song -- Laughing With God. This post helps the song make sense. : )

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  2. Laughing is good for the heart. Never thought of laughter as a means of boding....makes sense

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