Heed The Watchmen

The Humor of God

            When we think on the subject of religion, there is hardly ever humor involved; there really shouldn’t be. If we are considering the eternal destination of a person’s soul, with the possibility of endless suffering, laughter is not a thing which naturally occurs!

            Yet God did create us with humor, and to laugh; we were made in His image (Genesis 1:26,27). The Lord would certainly not condemn us for being His own creation. So what is the role of humor in a Christian’s life, or what should it be? We must not rely upon our “experiences” only; but upon the perfect Word of God.

            “Every way of a man is right in his own eye: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.”—Proverbs 21:2

            “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.”—I Corinthians 11:31

            Over the years, I have heard many attempts (by Christians) to justify humor; having “good” times, telling jokes, etc. There are many comedians, even so-called “Christian” comedians, who earn a comfortable living by entertaining their “flocks.” Humor is a very real part of our lives, and there is no doubt about this. Please don’t think this article is meant to condemn humor—we simply have to follow the Lord’s directives in regard to it.

            During most of my life, others have thought of me as a very “funny” individual. I can remember numerous introductions that promoted me in this way! But as I have “grown up” spiritually (I Corinthians 13:11), my conviction has also deepened in the area of humor. I am pleased to find that there is still much joy and laughter in our walk with the Lord—yet the focus is greatly changed, and “entertainment” itself is never the goal.

But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Matthew 12:36

            The humor of secular comedians is often derogatory and foul-mouthed. So called “Christian” humor is at many times blasphemous. I once heard a well-known Christian comedian sharply condemning Christians that he would deem “hard-nosed,” because of their witnessing approach; that of telling the lost sinners to repent. Boy, did he mock such people! But do you know who else used the “repent” approach? How about Jesus, and John the Baptist! Now, we may have some agreement in finding a Spirit-led approach when witnessing, but we certainly cannot condemn believers who follow the example of their savior and Lord! Such talk is very careless; especially when it contradicts your own professed faith.

            At one point in my life I was attending an early morning men’s “Bible” study. Yes, I found much of the emphasis to be questionable—should only men be focused upon in the issues discussed? Much of the “wisdom” used in this study was not from the Bible, but from human psychology. Trying to add the actual authority of God to these teachings was inappropriate. Yet the end came for me over the issue of fun. Our leader was teaching that “men of God” were fun. Why? Because Jesus was a fun guy! Brethren, it was too much; the Word of God never describes Jesus as “fun,” and makes it plain that servants should be as their Lord. Do you know what I thought of, when he claimed that Jesus was a “fun” guy? Passages such as these;

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. Isaiah 53:3,4

The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? Matthew 10:24,25

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Matthew 10:34-39

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. John 15:18,19

            The terms laugh, laughed, laugheth, laughter, laughing, are found 40 times in the Bible (according to Strong’s Concordance). At least 19 times are clearly referenced to mocking rather than humor; as shown with phrases such as, “they laughed him to scorn.”

            As you might expect, verses directly promoting humor are quite few—and no doubt purposely so. Other than that, being merry and laughing are viewed as an acceptable part of how the Lord made us. It is only mankind’s fallen, sinful nature that has come to revere humor far beyond what God intended.

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken. Proverbs 15:13

All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. Proverbs 15:15

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22

For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God now accepteth thy works. Ecclesiastes 9:5-7

            In Ecclesiastes 8:15 and Luke 12:19 we find the phrase “Eat, drink, and be merry.” Yet in the context of each verse we find the emphasis is not on humor, or fun; but upon the shortness of life, and the futility of “laying up treasure” here on earth (Matthew 6:19). Instead, we are to receive with joy our daily bread; for we know not what will be tomorrow. The verses listed from Ecclesiastes 9:5-7 exemplify that theme well. We must remember to always take verses in the context of the whole passage, and that of the entire Bible.

            In fact, the Word of God tends to emphasize mourning over joy, humor, and “fun.” Why? Because our Lord, Himself, wants to turn our mourning into rejoicing! What a heart of love our savior has! Consider the following in support of mourning;

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. Psalms 30:11,12

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness. Proverbs 14:12,13

It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. Ecclesiastes 7:2-4

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. Isaiah 61:3

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4

Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Luke 6:21

Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. John 16:20

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. James 4:9

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4

            While we are here on the earth, we will have trouble—we should mourn, and “hate” our lives here (John 12:25). We mourn for all the pain and suffering that sin has brought; for the injustices we see and experience; for those who die without Christ; and especially for our own tendency to grieve the Lord in the flesh, when we do so love Him and want to please Him. Jesus said that though we have tribulation in the world, in Him we would have peace; for Christ overcame the world (John 16:33). This is how we can rejoice in the Lord always, as per Philippians 4:4.

            We are also admonished not to waste time. When we consider how brief life is, and such vast numbers of people being eternally lost, can we really afford to be losing time in the pursuit of comedy and laughter? We have fulfilled this last days character trait very well; that men will be “lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;”—II Timothy 3:4. Let the following scriptures give us sober consideration for the use of our time;

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalms 90:12

When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Ezekiel 3:18

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Romans 13:11-14

But this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; I Corinthians 7:29

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15,16

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Revelation 22:7

            Finding direct scripture concerning humor isn’t easy. The word humor itself doesn’t appear anywhere in scripture. Still, there is plenty left within the Word to direct us.

            Simply the way that God works is often quite funny; although this is usually more in the sense of irony. His ways are peculiar, and therefore we, God’s people, are peculiar. This is confirmed six times in scripture. See Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 14:2, 26:18; Psalms 135:4; Titus 2:14; and I Peter 2:9. The Lord also testifies of this well in I Corinthians 1:29,20…25-29;

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?... Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence. I Corinthians 1:29,20…25-29

            Our God receives all the glory by working in such unconventional ways! The walls of Jericho fell by merely marching around them (Joshua 6); the Lord wanted only 300 men to defeat the Midianites (Judges 7)—these things still cannot be considered as funny, because they happened in war, and brought death.

            More unique ways are shown by God as He chose a shepherd, the youngest of 8 brothers, to lead His people (I Samuel 16:6-12). The family line of Jesus also came through David. But when the Messiah, God almighty Himself finally arrived, who was notified? Should not kings and priests have been told on the night Jesus was born? No! Instead, God sent a multitude of angels to some shepherds on duty, to announce that His Son had come (Luke 2:6-15).

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8,9

            Though humor is not exactly emphasized in the Word, God our creator knows what is funny; we find the first Biblical laughter mentioned in regard to Abraham and Sarah.

And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? Genesis 21:5-7

            There was apparently real humor in this laughter; from just the very thought that God would bring and multiply Abraham’s seed through Sarah, who was 90 years old! With the laughter in Genesis 18:11-13, however, it is difficult to say whether it was mocking, or humorous.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Genesis 18:11-13

            Yet by the time Isaac was actually born, Sarah’s laughter was of good humor and joy;

And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age. Genesis 21:5-7

            Below this are some of the scriptures revealed to me, and their relation to God’s humor; some are written out, others are referenced only—you may follow along in your Bible.

II Chronicles 7:10. The people of Israel were merry in heart for the goodness that the Lord had shown. No jokes needed!

Job 9:27,28. This passage warns against self-comfort. The Lord deals with us in affliction, and will turn our sorrow into joy. God is not happy when we indulge ourselves in an effort to turn away our difficulties.

Job 29:24a; “If I laughed on them, they believed it not;”. Only too much humor is brought forth in a hurtful manner. God has given us the ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18); putting people down works against that ministry, even in the name of fun. Job is affirming here that he did not make jokes at the expense of others.

Psalms 126:1-3. The laughter in verse 2 is plainly that of joy, not jokes. It is a rejoicing in what the Lord has done.

Ecclesiastes 2:1,2.

I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity. I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? Ecclesiastes 2:1,2

            Pursuing mirth is the same as seeking pleasure, of which humor is a part. We see here that it is vanity, and accomplishes nothing.

Ecclesiastes 2:11-13.

Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun. And I turned myself to behold wisdom, and madness, and folly: for what can the man do that cometh after the king? even that which hath been already done. Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness. Ecclesiastes 2:11-13

            The term folly is synonymous with foolish behavior; much humor is just that. This verse is a sharp put-down to foolish behavior.

Ecclesiastes 3:1…4.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:… A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; Ecclesiastes 3:1…4

            It’s good to know that there is a time to laugh. But did you notice that weeping comes first? And likewise, mourning comes before dancing.

Mark 6:30-34.

And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:30-34

            Some have tried to use this single verse to justify their leisure activities. I know of no other verse that gives such a direct encouragement to take “time off.”

            While I think that taking time apart is sometimes needful, the Lord Jesus Christ should be directing you in it. There is no support here for endless hours of laughter and jokes (many watch several hours of Television every night). Instead, you will find that the disciples’ time of rest was cut short by the needs of the people. Leisure in America today is a major, time-consuming hobby. True servants of Christ must realize that the time we have is short, and seek the Lord in prayer for making the most of it (many “keep busy” for the Lord, but are not being led by Him. It is a form of godliness which has denied the power; II Timothy 3:5).

Luke 6:25b. “Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.” This is just another observance that it is better to mourn than laugh, as mentioned earlier. Jesus confirms this truth directly.

Luke 21:34-36. This section is an “end times” prophecy, and warns us about being over-involved (overcharged) with the “cares of this life” (see also II Timothy 2:3-5); and also not to be overindulgent (surfeiting). Of course in this article we are talking about an overindulgence of humor. Biblically, it can refer to any earthly thing.

            Verse 35’s admonition to “Watch ye therefore, and pray always” is certainly supportive of the more serious outlook we ought to have.

Galatians 5:21; I Peter 4:3. Both of these verses condemn “revellings”; which are parties or celebrations. Such events are filled with self-indulgent humor, and wasted time.

Ephesians 5:4. Of things that should “not be once named among you, as becometh saints,” foolish talking and jesting are directly spoken against. We are also told just 12 short verses later to redeem the time.

I Timothy 3:2,11 and Titus 2:2-4,12. These verses deal with behavior in the body of Christ, specifically for a bishop and his wife, aged men and women, young women and young men. All of these are instructed to be sober, or sober-minded (this is opposite to “having a good sense of humor.”).

James 3:8-10. As mentioned before, much jesting is geared toward a put-down of someone else. This is clearly outside the parameters of Christian behavior (see also Ephesians 4:29). Of course, here, we are talking about purpose. The very purpose of much humor is to put someone else down. People may still not like what the Lord directs you to say, but there is a good reason for the communication. The conviction of sin brought by the Holy Spirit is not a put-down of God’s creation.

James 5:13b. “Is any merry? Let him sing psalms.” No laughter, mirth, folly, jesting or the like—we are plainly told here how to respond to the emotions of “being merry.”

            Sometimes we find things to be humorous, when we really shouldn’t. Conditions in these last days have truly de-sensitized us to tragedy and pain. Often we joke about such things, trying to minimize any emotional damage to ourselves. We need to let the Lord comfort us.

             One very bad example of so-called humor comes to my mind, and that is concerning Noah, the Flood, and the ark. I have heard several comedians, even professing Christians, make light of this subject. As a teenager, I experienced Bill Cosby doing a “stand-up” routine concerning Noah and the Flood. I’m sure that I laughed at the time, but now I can’t imagine why I would! When we look at this subject Biblically, as lovers of God and His Word, it is impossible to think it funny. Sin is not funny. God’s judgment is not funny. The destruction brought upon all of mankind (except for Noah & family) is not funny. Just read Genesis chapter 6 and try to find some humor! Brethren, we should not be amused by this event. If we are Christ’s, we hate sin, and have some idea of how deeply grieved God was at this time- we should be grieved, too. And we have been warned that these last days will be such as the days of Noah were; God’s judgment is coming again, and we had better not be laughing! Joy is wonderful, laughter does the heart good, but it still needs to honor God continually.

            The following are examples from scripture of what may be signs of God’s humor. Yet even in these, God has a reason. There are many things that could strike us as funny, individually. Whether or not they should be considered as funny, is something else! That will be between you, and the Lord.

Numbers 22:24-33. Probably many people have found this funny—the Lord actually uses a donkey to rebuke a person! It should have been quite humiliating for Balaam. In fact, Balaam’s reasoning was so messed up (II Peter 2:16), that he showed absolutely no surprise that a donkey was speaking to him!

            There is definitely a humorous element to this story—but the overall message is very serious. For myself, I can’t really laugh at this story. Balaam’s ways were perverse to the Lord, so He had sent an unseen angel to withstand him—and to strike him down! Without the Lord mercifully revealing Himself to us, we all are lost in our ways, and apt to be struck down.

I Samuel 19:18-24. Saul was the first chosen King of Israel, but because of disobedience to God he was rejected; David was then anointed to be Israel’s king. Yet for a time Saul was pursuing David, trying to kill him due to his (Saul’s) own envy & hatred. In this passage, David had taken refuge with God’s prophet Samuel while fleeing. Saul discovered David’s whereabouts, and sent messengers to take him-3 times! Each time they came close to David and Samuel, God’s spirit came upon the messengers; and they began prophesying! When Saul finally came directly to take David, the same thing happened to him. But Saul also stripped off his clothes, and lay down naked for an entire day; kind of humiliating, isn’t it? The situation was deadly serious, but God’s deliverance for His chosen one David had an air of humor about it. After all, this is the same God that opened the earth in defending Moses (Numbers 16), and brought forth fire when defending Elijah (II Kings 1). It is indeed a sobering situation that we find here in I Samuel 19, but God’s response displays both mercy and humor.

II Kings 6:15-23. Elisha the prophet was a thorn in the side to the King of Syria. Every time that he went to attack the King of Israel, God used Elisha as an early warning system to save him!

            So the King of Syria sent a considerable armed force to surround the city where Elisha lived, and to take him. Then using Elisha, the Lord strikes these enemy troops with blindness; Elisha then volunteered to lead the Syrian army to the place they wished to go…

            When the Lord restored the sight of the Syrians, they were in the midst of Samaria—surrounded by the Israelites! But this didn’t turn out as expected; with a great military victory for Israel. Instead, God’s people treated their enemy very well; they gave them a “great provision” of food and drink, and sent them peacefully on their way home!

            To me, this story truly shows God’s humor. A soldier might return home from assignment, and tell stories of a great battle. These Syrian soldiers could only speak of a great feast! Perhaps their friends would say, “Oh, those cursed Israelites—what evil things did they do to you?” The only honest response might be, “Well, they gave us a big meal, and let us go home. But now that you mention it, the beef really was overcooked!” I do well laugh with this account, but it also shows God’s greatness and mercy. And the Israelites’ behavior in this matter well exemplified the Lord’s instruction through Solomon, in Proverbs 25:21,22.

If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee. Proverbs 25:21,22

Matthew 17:24-27.

And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. Matthew 17:24-27

            Taxation (tribute money) is a serious fact of life that everyone must deal with daily. It is, or can be, and incredible burden.

            Jesus does not want us to be neglectful in paying our taxes. He is giving us here an example to follow, and a promise of supplying our need. You see, Jesus and Peter were not obligated to pay tribute, but they did. Many churches today could learn a lesson from this; that they should not use their “faith” as a tax shelter, which puts a greater tax burden on home-owners. They should at least consider forwarding a tax-relief payment for their properties. Thankfully there are a few churches that do this.

            Still, I think the Lord is poking fun at the world’s monetary values here. Many work long hours to come up with payments for the debts they owe, and worry considerably. Jesus told us that we cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). We are instead to seek first the Kingdom of God, and our needs will be provided (Matthew 6:33). We should have peace, trusting in the Lord for His promised provision (Matthew 6:25,31,34). By taking money from the fish’s mouth, Jesus is showing us just how easy it is from Him to supply our need (Philippians 4:19).

John 21:3-9. Please read this for yourself. There are elements of the account that I find humorous, though it doesn’t really produce outright laughter. Let me share what I have seen.

            First, I find it funny when Jesus is asking them about their catch (verse 5). If you had been fishing all night long, catching nothing (verse 3), would you like to be asked about it? The disciples were also probably very hungry, as it seems likely that this was the motivator for them to go fishing in the first place.

            Secondly, it’s funny because Jesus already knew (He is God) that they hadn’t caught any fish. Of course, the disciples didn’t know that it was the Lord; sometimes God withholds revealing Himself until He has taught us that which we need to know.

            Thirdly, while the disciples still did not know that it was Jesus, this unknown man on the shore tells them where to cast the net (verse 6), for a catch. If you had been up all night fishing, motivated by hunger (probably), wouldn’t you have thrown your net everywhere? Thankfully they were desperate enough to listen! Sometimes that is the place where we each need to be brought to—desperation. When we are at the end of ourselves, then God can really move!

            Finally after all that, when they get to the shore, Jesus already has a meal prepared for them. Did they need to labor for fish all night? Blessings of the Lord will happen; when we put Him first. Jesus’ provision for His own was not dependent upon their labors, but on obedience to the Word He spoke. I find it humorous that the disciples had labored so hard for their own provision, and failed; when the savior already had their needs well in hand.

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. John 6:27-29

            Maybe you can tell from these examples; there are things that may strike us as funny according to the flesh (superficial considerations)—but the Lord will use it for a spiritual purpose. This is a type of humor that happens “along the way,” rather than it (humor) being a goal in itself.

            You will also find much to laugh about in your walk with the Lord; He will act as a parent who is lovingly raising a child in the way of holiness.

            Once on a summer-time Sunday night, my savior made me to laugh. It had been very dry, as is typical for our summers here. Inside the church, I was joining with others in the praise and worship of my savior. Faith welled up inside me, and I began praying for rain, to relieve our dry spell. 20 minutes later I was leaving the church; in the rain! The funny part came when I got to my car. With the dry, warm weather, and no forecasted showers, I had left my car windows turned down; and the “sun” roof open! My heart laughed, and I sang praises to God for His goodness, even though I got soaked just from sitting in my car! The dark rain cloud area that the Lord had brought was only about a half-mile in diameter; centered directly over the church.

            Then just 2 years ago, my favorite baseball team had finally made it into the playoffs, after a 14 year absence. I was praying for them all the way, though I knew the outcome to be spiritually unimportant (I’ve since surrendered it for Christ).

            The Lord actually answered several specific prayers I made in regard to my team; it encouraged me to keep asking. I was watching one of the playoff games on television, and during this inning, my team was in trouble. The opponents had the bases loaded, but there were two outs; only one more needed. The pitcher for my team was young, and often got into bad situations like this; but he also had a good reputation for working his way out of trouble like this!

            Not wanting to leave things to chance, I decided to pray. So I lifted up that young pitcher, asking the Lord to “get him out of this inning.” Of course, what I meant was that God would help him to get the third out; without the opponent scoring more runs (we were ahead 3-2 at the time). But that isn’t exactly what I said…

            The next thing I knew, the manager for my team came and took that young pitcher out of the game!! The Lord had answered the words of my prayer; but not the intended meaning! Yes, it was funny—this situation was not really life and death, and it seemed that God took time to jab me in a fun way. So what happened? The relief pitcher came in, and gave up a grand-slam home run. I’m glad my eyes were on the Lord!

            Hopefully, by examples and scriptural instructions, you will gain better insight into what God expects from our behavior in regard to humor. All should be taken before the Lord in prayer; that His own Spirit may guide you in applying it in your own personal life.

            What follows next are some guidelines that I would suggest in helping your consideration. You may wind up with your own guidelines, or re-phrase these differently. Remember that it is the natural way of man to attempt to justify all his actions (rather than change). As believers, our only justification is Christ; and we must found the spiritual house of our lives upon the rock of His Words (Matthew 7:24,25).

1) Avoid put-downs. Many “jokes” are built upon insulting others. Don’t do it! And don’t justify it by claiming you are “only kidding.” If you don’t mean it, why say it? What’s really bad, is that the people we insult like this are usually those that we love the most! Take James 3:8-10 to heart.

2) Watch out for sinful content. Much humor revolves around points of sin, that we believers should be avoiding! It can also be hard not to laugh, when everyone else is. Ask God for help with this—you will get it! We really need our minds to be transformed (Romans 12:1,2) so that our values themselves can change. Walk away from that joke! Turn off that evil television program! Pray—pray—pray.

3) What about wasted time? We will give an account of every idle word that we speak—remember this. What should have been spoken of, instead of that “funny” story? How many will never hear about Christ, because of the time we spent watching television comedies? We could at least pray, or study God’s Word instead. Let Jesus be the Lord of your time management, as well (Luke 6:46). Ask God for wisdom (James 1:5).

4) Humor that makes a point. Jesus used parables greatly during His earthly ministry. These stories related ordinary life to spiritual teachings. Humor can be used in this way, also. Brief, funny stories can bring about a lighter moment, while expounding a spiritual truth. Brief, however, is the key word.

5) Supplying a lighter moment. Let the Holy Spirit give leading and guidance in this. In the midst of heavy, oppressive circumstances, it can be good to supply a humorous moment (Proverbs 17:22). Perhaps it can even be a word of encouragement, spoken in such a way that brings laughter to the afflicted. This humor is of real benefit!

6) Plays on words. This is where much of my humor lies. Using words that sound alike, but have very different meanings. This type of humor is mostly spur-of-the-moment; it occurs during on-going conversation, so it doesn’t lend to wasting time. Moderation must still be used; be sensitive to God’s leading, and the feelings of others.

7) Witty observations. Children provide much in the way of humorous observation, and give us much joy and laughter as we watch them learn about life. These observations are also not “time wasters,” for they require no pre-planning. They are also based on real life. For example, our pants are purchased in pairs—even if we only get one. Pointing this out would be a witty observation (but you don’t have to laugh!).

8) Look for the fruit. What does the humor accomplish? Did it help in a situation, or simply waste time? Was any glory to God brought forth? These are mostly questions to ask yourself before the Lord in prayer; as you seek to know what is good and acceptable in His eyes, regarding humor.

            May the Lord richly bless you with true joy and peace, as you discover the truth He has on this subject.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Matthew 7:16-20