HOPE FOR THE HOME: Laughter is needed in the home

Husband and Wife: We would like to share with your readership a secret we discovered in the first few years of our marriage. It is laughter; genuine, sincere laughter both at yourself and at those who live in your house. Where you have two or more people living under one roof you have the perfect setting for humor. We just wanted to pass this bit of personal observation and practice along. We are living proof that laughter is more beneficial than anger.

Jerry: Thank you for sharing what is truly an essential ingredient in marriage and family life. Laughter helps to diffuse anger, quench frustration, and reduce tension. It can lower the emotional temperature in a room and replace agitation with calmness. As we read in the scriptures, “A merry heart does good like a medicine,” Proverbs 15:13a. There are over forty scriptures regarding humor and laughter. We read in Psalm 59:8, that God laughs, “But You, O Lord, shall laugh at them; You shall have all the nations in derision.”

Becky: What you shared is so true. If we did not laugh in the Drace family, we would be a poster family for Zantac. Like most families, we have faced countless moments when humor defused a tense situation. Looking back over the years, we remember those moments with laughter rather than regret. We are reminded in Job 8:21, of what God will do for the individual and family who put their faith and trust in Him, “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.” A family with healthy humor and laughter will have little time for shouting and screaming. Throughout the years we recorded occasions which were filled with joy and laughter which now serve as treasured reservoirs of cherished memories.

Jerry: Laughter is an overflow of contentment which is a priceless jewel in this world of disagreement and discontentment. It is even a form of worship and thanksgiving as we reflect on Psalm 126. Church and worship should be anything but dull and boring. Jesus was certainly not dull and boring. Can you imagine Him going to dinner parties and never laughing? Do you think He giggled when He turned water into wine at a wedding party? Can you imagine Him not laughing as He held children in His arms and told them amazing, incredible stories? A child once said he knew that Jesus laughed because He made the duckbill platypus. Enough said.

It has been said, “A family that prays together is likely to stay together.” I would add this observation: “A family that laughs together is likely to rejoice together.” Now that our children have families of their own, I miss the days when their laughter filled our home. Cherish every opportunity to laugh with your children while you can. Nothing is so loud as empty bedrooms.

Dr. Drace and his wife Becky are on American Family Radio weekdays at 4:20 PM (CT) and on Sundays at 5:35 PM (CT). You can freely subscribe to their podcast at Apple Podcast, Spotify, or directly at HopoefortheHome.org/podcast. Check out their resources for the family at HopefortheHome.org. Becky’s latest book, “The Bright Side of Blue” and Dr. Drace’s, “44 Ways to Strengthen Your Marriage” offer biblical principles and timely advice for dealing with the challenges and trials of life. You may order these and other resources by contacting them at: hopefor thehome.org, or directly at: jdeainc@juno.com.