A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. -Proverbs‬ ‭17‬:‭22‬ (NIV)

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. -‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬ (NIV)

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. -‭Proverbs‬ ‭31‬:‭25‬ (NIV)

When times are good, oh, are they sweet. We laugh, things are smooth, and everything just clicks. And if we’re remembering, we thank the Lord for such times of plenty. And maybe, just maybe, sometimes we might indulge in the good times so much that the Lord’s place in our field of view shrinks out of focus.

When times are a little annoying or even difficult, we know to pray to the Lord to keep our minds right…to train the eyes and ears of our hearts on Him, and not get caught up in the responses of the flesh. This could be back talking, or cursing, or impatience.

All that is a cake walk. But when it comes down to it, when your life is crashing around you, and you’re in a place you never thought you’d see outside of a movie, that is when you must dig deep. You’re hurt to your very core. You’re exposed.

This is when the enemy will drag you into a downward spiral of self-destructive thoughts and deeds. He knows when your armor isn’t on, or if you maybe weren’t wearing all of it. He will weigh you down with falsehoods and guilt and self-pity that will keep you in the ditch.

When you can’t even get off the floor, or muster a prayer, just laugh. Laugh because, sometimes, you have nothing else. Personally, I love absurd comedies as my “go to” source of laughter.

Your laugh can turn to tears that heal. Laughter is a free medicine God made that does so many things, as this WebMD article on laughter therapy discusses:

• It releases pent up emotion
• It releases physical tension by relaxing your muscles
• It increases your heart rate and you breathe faster, sending more oxygen to your tissues
• Better immune response (since stress decreases that response)
• Lower blood sugar levels
• Better sleep

No matter what, you’ve gotta laugh. And the best reason to laugh is that you have God on your side, and that you know in your heart that this moment…this trial…this season…will pass. And He will use it to bring you to a better place.