God Calling: March 6, 2021

Last year in March, I posted a devotional blog inspired by my 365 One-Minute Meditations – God Calling.

It surprised me to see that this blog was the top post this month, THIS year! It also encouraged me to do something similar, except for today: March 6th.

By the end of this post, you’ll know how and why laughing is important and:

• Healthy
• Gives perspective
• Leads to gratitude
• Reveals love

March 6, 2021: Love And Laugh

⁶ Not by might, nor by power, but my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.

Zechariah 4:6

The one-minute devotional for March 6th says:

Work for Me, with Me, through Me. All work to last must be done in My Spirit. How silently My Spirit works. How gently and gradually souls are led into My kingdom. Love and laughter form the plow that prepares the ground for the seed. If the ground is hard, seed will not grow there. Prepare the ground; prepare it as I say.

This specific devotional links love and laughter with work in the kingdom of God.

We often approach the work of God so seriously. But the more I ponder on it, the more I realize just how relational our God is.

He didn’t intend for us to count up every soul we save, with focus and crosshairs on the numbers. He intended for us to “go and make disciples,” which means to build communities to grow in God together, to enjoy His presence, and the move of our Helper, Holy Spirit.

Proverbs 15:13 and 17:22, Zephaniah 3:17, and any verse that mentions JOY and REJOICING, confirms just how important it is to keep laughter in your life.

Sadly though, studies show that an average adult laugh up to 17 times per day, while a child laughs 300 times a day.

Why do you think that happens? (genuinely asking, or *Selah*)

Laughing reveals depth and vulnerability that deepens our connection with people. Not only does it help us bond, but it actually serves us in many ways:

• It makes us healthier mentally, emotionally, and physically,
• It shifts our perspective and keeps us positive
• It moves our soul to enjoy life
• And ultimately, it leads to a place of love.

One way we connect with people is through humor. Upon meeting, we often check each other’s humor levels subconsciously, which usually leads us to deeper friendships and connection. Humor and laughter keep us coming back!

When there is laughter in a relationship (and I don’t mean crude or negatively sarcastic), there is an openness and rawness that helps one experience genuine love. It’s not romantic or how the world often portrays it, but the kind of love that Jesus had with His disciples.

The kind of love that makes a person feel at home and relaxed, yet revitalized and encouraged.

The kind of love that softens and prepares the ground for seeds. Kingdom seeds.

Through this connection, God is able to work in, through, and with us to make room for His word to come through.

Laughing = Healthy (1/4)

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

Laughter helps keep our mental, emotional, and physical health in check.

Mentally, because it increases and expands the endorphins that are released by your brain. It activates and relieves your stress response, which allows more room for creativity and, ultimately, mental freedom.

Emotionally, because it helps take your eyes off emotional distractions and worries. Proverbs 31:25 says that the woman (but this applies to all) laughs at the future without fear. When you can laugh (in joy) about all that happens and may come, you help yourself eliminate fear of the unknown, anxiety, and the things that can “push your buttons.”

Physically, because it actually lowers blood pressure, brings stress hormones down, and strengthens the flow of antibodies within your bloodstream (which builds up your immune system). It gets your blood flowing!

Sometimes we can’t achieve being healthy in each of these aspects, but with God’s help and strength, having this joy and ability to laugh is medicinal to us and our relationships. It opens the door for us to be active ministers and encouragers of faith.

Laughing = Perspective (2/4)

A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.

Proverbs 15:13

Sometimes we get stoic and grave in our daily life, moving about as if it’s just part of a script. When we can bring laughter into our every day, especially the groundhog-like days, it helps break it up and bring perspective to our life.

When your perspective shifts, your vision expands. And when your vision expands, your purpose and goals become more meaningful, which help you direct your thoughts to a more positive outlook on life.

Through all of this, you begin to inspire people. Your perspective and positivity change their perspective and outlook on life, leading them to a more determined and intentional lifestyle.

Ultimately, this helps prepare the soil of people’s hearts to receive what God has in store for them.

Laughing = Gratitude (3/4)

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonioans 5:16-18

Laughter boosts your immune system, helps your perspective shift, and increases positivity. With that, gratitude becomes part of the equation naturally.

Laughter is good for the soul. There’s a holiness to it that moves our soul and helps us enjoy life and everything about it. It brings people closer and catches us off-guard, or “off-script,” so to say.

We don’t expect to laugh, just as we never expect God’s grace. So just like we’re thankful for God’s grace, we can be for laughter, too.

After laughing with friends, I think positive, grateful, and loving thoughts about my friendships. I am fond of the relationships and yearning for more. Laughter leads us to gratitude, helping us see what we truly appreciate about others.

Laughing = Love (4/4)

The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will rejoice over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

Zepheniah 3:17

Last, laughter leads us to love.

When you’re able to laugh in a relationship, you express comfort and humility.

When you can laugh with someone despite what either of you have been through (in mistakes, trials, and triumphs), you experience humility that doesn’t outdo anyone or anything anymore. You express comfort and confidence no matter what sound comes out of you. You’re not there trying to prove yourself or pop off, but there to simply BE and enjoy yourself and each other’s company.

In this kind of love, the door to inspire and motivate, challenge and correct, becomes wide open. Your friendship becomes deeper and more important than the outcome of your work for God’s Kingdom. It becomes God’s work to work through you!

Your love and laughter forms the plow that prepares the ground for seed.

Kingdom seeds.

• How important is laughter for you?
• How do you see love and laughter link to God’s work and kingdom?
• How can you bring more laughter in your relationships?
• How has laughter served you in your relationships?