A merry heart doeth good like a medicine (Proverbs 17:22, KJV)

Thinking about the cares of her life filled her with the blues as she sat in the restaurant alone. All of a sudden, a sound caught her attention. A baby’s laughter brought a smile to her face. Before she knew it, she was laughing too.

Life had drained her joy and wiped the smile from her face. Trouble on the job, unstable relationships, health challenges, and no definite plans for the future were wearing her thin. Her days were long and dreary. She thought about getting professional help, but she was not sure if her problem was physical, emotional, or mental. The baby’s laughter made her realize she needed to lighten up, be more care-free, and laugh more. Laughter had lifted the gloom she had carried into the restaurant.

It has been said that laughter and joy are two of the world’s most restorative healing forces. Laughter triggers endorphins, which are responsible for the “feel good” of the body. As she joined the baby’s contagious laughter, her body was filled with a generous dose of God-created medicine – endorphins. The gloom instantly lifted.

Everyone has bad days, sometimes they come back-to-back. God has given us a way to overcome the doom and gloom attitude that come with bad days – laughter. Laughter is a stress reducer. It promotes a positive attitude and brightens our day. If you can’t laugh, smile and watch yourself feel better.

Prayer: Father, I thank you that laughter relieves my stress and anxiety. Amen.

  • Share an experience when laughter rescued you from depression, sadness, or other bad feelings.

  • Reprinted with permission, this week’s blog is an excerpt from “Praise from the Pews: A 70 Day Devotional” (2017). If you were encouraged by this devotional, you will really be blessed by the other 89 devotionals offered in “Praise from the Pews.” It may be purchased on the home page of this web site and will be shipped to you speedily.