Psalm 17...Laugh a Little

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (Prov. 17:22)

As I have studied the book of Proverbs, one thing that I have noticed is that Solomon says a whole lot about health, happiness and prosperity. In fact, one of the major themes (if there can be themes in Proverbs) is "the physical benefits of obedience to God." Now, I'm not saying that if you become a Christian, God will automatically make you rich and that He will remove all hardship from your life. What I'm saying is that when we do things God's way, life is easier. When we maintain the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), we have stronger relationships. When we abstain from sexual immorality and drunkenness, we don't have to deal with the health problems that are often associated with those sinful activities. When we learn to trust in the Lord, which, by extention necessitates contentment and peace, our minds are not burdened with stress (and stress has many physical consequences).

In Proverbs 17:22, Solomon is not really talking about obedience to God, but he is addressing the health and well-being of man. He says here that happiness and joy makes one healthier while sorrow tends to wear you down physically. And we know this to be true, don't we? A person who is burdened with stress or depression often has ulcers, tension headaches and nausea. They seem to age faster and they feel drained of energy. On the other hand, a person who is happy and at peace does not have to deal with these same problems...generally speaking.

Are you the kind of person that is always negative, always grumpy, always in a bad mood? If so, put a smile on your face. Laugh a little. It'll make you feel better!

In closing, I do want to make one very important point. Earlier I said that Solomon, in Proverbs 17:22, is not talking about obedience to God. That's true, technically. He isn't directly talking about spirituality. BUT certainly we can see a connection between the concept of this verse and spiritual living. In other words, a person who is a Christian should be happier than those who are not Christians. As Paul says in Ephesians 1:3, we have all spiritual blessings in Christ. James 1:17 says that "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." Paul says in Philippians 4:7 that we have peace which surpasses all understanding.

It saddens me when I see Christians who always seem to be unhappy. I understand that we all have our moments, and yes, difficulties arise that do damper our spirits, but to ALWAYS be unhappy...I mean, that's not the way God wants us to live.

So again I say, laugh a little...especially if you're a child of God!