What Makes Me Laugh?

Have we ever thought about the fact that we humans are the only creatures of God who enjoy humor? The ability to laugh is distinctive only of human beings. Laughter can also tell something about ourselves as individuals. If a person tells us what amuses them, we can make a pretty accurate guess about the sort of person they are.

For example, if a person laughs at filthy and vulgar stories, they immediately give themselves away. If we make fun of virtue, we have embraced vice. If we laugh at another’s failure or misfortune, we have a cruel streak inside of us (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:6; Romans 1:32 NIV).

However, if we can laugh at our own frailties and mistakes, we should be able to handle life with some skill.

I fully believe that Christians have a greater capacity to enjoy healthy laughter than other folks.

Why is this?

Because we live with the promise of eternal life (1 John 2:24-25) and with the knowledge that God can use even our setbacks to move us forward (Romans 8:28; cf. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

The wise man tells us in Proverbs 15:13, that “a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance.”

Conversely, the Bible also says that the laughter of fools who are living only for this life is like the “crackling of thorns” that are burned in the fire (Ecclesiastes 7:6).

Now, in light of the above observations, let‘s ask ourselves, “What makes me laugh?”

—Mike Riley, Gospel Snippets