2 Steps to Laugh-Selah98-CMAW200
Apr 10, 2023
Topic of laughter, I want to talk about two steps that are
essential to experiencing laughter. Neither of these two steps are
to hear or experience something funny, though that certainly often
helps us to laugh. The great thing about these two things are that
unlike hearing something funny, these two things are under our own
control.
The first thing is to think positively. It sounds simple and
it is. It also sounds secular, something you can read about in any
self help book, but it’s definitely biblical 2 Cor 10:5 says
"casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself
against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity
to the obedience of Christ," Philippians 4:8 says
" Finally, brethren, whatever
things are true, whatever things are noble,
whatever things are just, whatever
things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, whatever
things are of good report, if there
is any virtue and if there is anything
praiseworthy—meditate on these things."
, I received this verse in a text from my friend Marco.
It's from the well-known love passage in 1 Cor 13, but this AMPC,
or amplified classic translation, really hit home to me.
"Love bears up under anything and everything
that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its
hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures
everything [without weakening]".
It’s all about love. God is love. We are made in His image. We
are made to love and to receive His love. This verse shows
that part of love is believing the best in others, which is another
way thinking positively.
I was visiting a friend recently and he had a sign in his home
that said “Family means you love and will be loved now and for the
rest of your life”.
At the moment I read this I felt some sadness because of
what’s going on in my marriage and the threat to our earthly
family. In my quiet time with God as I’m writing this, though, I’m
thinking about our most important family and that is the body of
Christ. That is the family we will spend eternity with and the
family that matters most, with the head of that family, Christ,
being the one whom should receive our greatest devotion and love
and commitment.
Matt 12:46-50 says "
Jesus was still speaking to the people when behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to Him.
47 [u]Someone said to Him, Listen! Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak to You.
48 But He replied to the man who told Him, Who is My mother, and who are My brothers?
49 And stretching out His hand toward [not only the twelve disciples but all] [v]His adherents, He said, Here are My mother and My brothers.
50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother!"
Jer 29:11-13 shows how God feels about His family, which
includes You if You have Christ as your Savior and been grafted
into the commonwealth of Israel. Even though God's people had
just been exiled to Babylon for their sins and grieving God's
heart, Yah still oved them and as evidenced by this passage
"For I know the
thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of
evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go
and pray to Me, and I will listen to
you. 13 And you
will seek Me and find Me, when you search for
Me with all your heart"
To bring this back to thinking
positive, it won't happen unless you choose to think positive, but
it also won't happen unless you have the love of God in your
heart. To muscle through being positive in your own strength
is destined to failure.
if you're forcing a positive attitude on the outside but it
doesn't come from within, it takes the form of a mask and often
negative emotions and actions erupt when that mask is
disrupted.
The second thing needed to laugh, in addition to thinking
positively, is to smile.
I’ve talked about the power of a smile, particularly in our
workplace but in every part of our lives. I’m reminded about this
again these days and realizing how my default facial expression is
not to smile, it’s more of a frown or neutral.
I can look in the mirror and force a smile, but if I first
have a positive attitude the smile tends to occur naturally.