Just What The Doctor Ordered

“A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22, NKJV)

Do you happen to know someone that no matter what they say, it always comes out funny as all “get-out”? Well, I do.

There’s this friend of mine who is very witty. We can be having a sincere discussion, and before you know it, he throws this 1-liner into the conversation. We laugh, and then one sentence later, another zinger. It’s like that every time we talk. Humor rolls off his tongue and out of his mouth. I often tell him that he missed his calling. He should have been a stand-up comedian. But the more I think about him and how he interacts with people, I ask myself, did he miss his calling? Is it possible that he is fulling the life God ordained and purposed for him?

Over the years, I have come to realize the thing we tend to do without effort is the calling God has placed upon our lives. So, why do we think it is only the big titles or the big things that count? Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Bishop, Doctor, and the list could go on-and-on. If that were the case, then would we all be Apostles? Would we all be Bishops, or would we all be Doctors? But that’s not true. You see, just as there are many members in the body, there are also different giftings. My friend, who always has a joke, is fulfilling his purpose in life –– making people laugh.

Our scripture for today lets us know that a merry heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. The last part of this verse, in one translation reads, “drains our strength.” A broken spirit can leave you feeling tired and drained. But a good laugh can lift that burden causing you to feel refreshed and lighter. Ezra said as he stood before the people in the book of Nehemiah, “the joy of the Lord is your strength.” I take that to mean, the more I allow God to bring joy into my life, strength, and endurance will be my portion.

Perhaps, that’s what we need right now –– a good laugh. No, it won’t take away the problem, but it will saturate our bones.

There’s a song that we sing in the African American church entitled, This Joy. The first verse of the song goes like this:

This joy that I have the world didn’t give to me.

This joy that I have the world didn’t give to me.

This joy that I have the world didn’t give to me.

The world didn’t give it; the world can’t take it away. (AllGospelLyrics.com)

How comforting to know there’s at least one thing the world can’t take away –– your joy.

I’ve concluded that God knew what He was doing when He created my friend and the jokester you have in your life. He’s just sovereign like that.

My challenge for you today is to find something to laugh about. Or find someone to laugh with. It may be the only prescription that you need.

Join me next week for Coffee on The Couch.