The Way Of LifeSample

The Value of Humor      

One of the things that becomes increasingly evident the more time you spend in our world is that we give great value to humor. We laugh a lot—at jokes, at our mistakes, at just about everything. Laughter gives a great reprieve from the everyday affairs of life.     

When we were first married, Beni used to tell me to go for a walk and pray. She knew I’d be less intense after spending time with Jesus. I thought that’s what real disciples did with their lives—get intense, focused, and serious about everything in life. But it didn’t work. I was miserable, and I was determined to make everyone around me miserable, too. It seemed to me that this is what holiness looked like. I thought this was how I could prove to be a disciple of Jesus. It sounds so funny now, but it was truer than I really care to admit. It finally became clear to me that time spent in the presence of God did not make me more intense in a self-critical way. I came out of those times refreshed and happy. And because “the joy of the Lord is your strength” (Neh. 8:10), it can be said that we are no stronger than our joy.   

Apply

Are you enjoying a life filled with joy? What does having the joy of the Lord mean to you?

BIBLE

• Neh. 8:10