Even in the midst of darkest days, the storms of life that come our way, God actually expects you and I to thrive and prosper. He asks us to settle in and make home in the “wilderness” of life that we face. In part-one of this post, we dug deep into how God expects us to thrive in the darkest seasons of our lives. Now, we are going to see what God says about enjoying ourselves with joy and laughter in those dark times.

Is it Okay to Laugh and be Joyful When Facing Storms of Life?

Some of us might say but if people see me laughing and enjoying life knowing that the issues I’m currently dealing with, they will think I am a hypocrite; they will think I’m not taking the situation seriously or I do not care about what is happening. Let me ask you a question: haven’t you heard that laughter is medicinal? Not only do medical experts say so but guess what, the bible tells us so as well. Proverbs 17:22 says

“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

The Contemporary English Version (CEV) puts it this way

“If you are cheerful, you feel good; if you are sad, you hurt all over”

and yet another version, the Easy-To-Read Version (ERV) says it like this:

“happiness is good medicine, but sorrow is a disease.”

I don’t think it can get any plainer than that! Laugh! Be joyful! Smile! Go ahead, do it!

I read a story from a devotional that was sent to my email from United Christian Broadcasters

“One day, comedian/author David Brenner was signing books. A young man handed him a newly purchased copy to be signed and said, ‘I want to thank you for saving my life.’ Without giving it much thought, Brenner replied flippantly, ‘That’s okay.’ But the young man stood his ground and said, ‘No, I really mean it!’ Brenner stopped signing and looked at him. The young man continued: ‘My father died. He was my best friend. I loved him and couldn’t stop crying for weeks, so I decided to take my own life. The night I was going to do it, I happened to have the television on and you were hosting The Tonight Show. I listened to your opening monologue, and the next thing I knew I was laughing hysterically. I realized then that if I was able to laugh, I was able to live. So I want to thank you for saving my life.’ Humbled and grateful, Brenner shook his hand and said, ‘No, I thank you.’”

Again, laughter is medicinal. Have you laughed today?

I also urge you to not listen to what people have to say. I repeat, do not listen to what others say that negatively affects you. Only listen to what God tells you to do in His word. God is the one who is controlling our affairs not people. He is the Sovereign One, not people. He is also the One that can and will get you out of that storm, not people. So choose to listen and follow His Word!

One of my favorite scriptures is John 10:10 that says

“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]”.

So cheer up, smile more, laugh more, and enjoy life! Even in the wilderness and storms of life? Yes! Even when there seems to be chaos all around? Yes! Even when it seems like the situation is going to consume you? Yes! Research has confirmed that laughter is good for our health. It relieves stress by releasing endorphins; reduces tension thereby reducing your blood pressure, and improves your emotional health.

Remember, the devil is after your joy, and he knows that if he can steal your joy, then he can defeat you. I heard Joyce Meyer once say it like this: “Joy is a great source of strength that God has given us to interrupt Satan's plan.” She continues on to say “the devil wants us to feel down because he knows if we lose our joy, we will lose our strength, and if we lose our strength, he will be able to walk all over us.”

Right now are you saying to yourself, “I will start enjoying life after this storm has passed? If you are, I urge you to change that way of thinking. You shouldn’t wait for the storms of life to pass by before you become joyful. Choosing to be joyful is something you do intentionally. “You don’t wait to feel joyful, but you are joyful on purpose” says Joyce Meyer. Make the devil mad and defeat him by thinking about right things, smiling and laughing as often as possible despite what you may be going through!

As you are going through the storm even with joy and laughter, keep in mind what God has promised you in Jeremiah 29:11. When He said He knows the plans that He has for you, plans of good and not of evil, to give you a hope and an expected end, God is saying that He has got you covered! No matter what situation you are facing, no matter how huge and scary it looks, God is saying that the situation is not going to harm or destroy you. When He allowed the situation He was thinking good, wonderful thoughts about you. I need you to lean in and receive what I am telling you right now. God is getting ready to display His power in your life in a good way! He is getting ready to show up and show out in your situation. At this point you should be smiling from ear to ear because this is good news!

I will say it again; God is getting ready to display His love, His power, His miracle, signs and wonders in your life. The situation is not going to destroy you or take you out. The situation is not going to last forever. There is a set time that God has allocated for it and after it reaches its expiration date, God gives it an eviction notice and kicks it out of your life!

Let me say it again: cheer up, smile, laugh, and enjoy life! Be joyful and be of good cheer because the “Egyptians you see today, you will see them no more” (see Exodus 14:13). The devil is defeated and God is in control. No matter what happens in your life or the storms that you face, remember to always choose joy.

Until next time, remember, keep your hope in God for He loves you and has promised to never leave you nor forsake you!

Now, if this post has blessed you, be sure to share it on social media with your friends and also leave a comment below! Remain blessed.