A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones. Proverbs 17: 22, NKJV.
Gracious God, we need a word from You as we continue in the study of this topic. Help us we pray, for Christ’s sake. Amen.
Today we continue with our study on the positive effects of a “merry heart.” I am sure that many of us have heard of the positive effects of laughter. The effects are so visible, that studies have been conducted on the “how,” and “why,” laughter is good for us. Let me share with you some of the excerpts from the article, Laughter Benefits: The Three C’s. This article was published on LifeScript Connect Network, by E. E. Kane. I have provided the sub-topics.
Overall Health
“Some doctors now recommend getting 15 minutes of laughter everyday, in addition to eating a healthy diet and exercising.”
“Good Hormones – Laughter produces the natural feel-good endorphin hormones, which can help reduce stress, aid relaxation and sleep, and produce a natural “high.” It is also thought that the laughter-producing endorphins build up the body’s immune system.”
Relationships
“The most satisfying laughter is shared. Think back to the last time you really laughed. Were you alone? Probably not.”
“Couples know that laughter is a superglue-like bonding experience, able to achieve intimacy and and smooth over ruffled feathers with a single snort. Laughter in the context of love outs you at ease with one another. You can feel perfectly comfortable being ridiculously silly with one another, in ways you would never dream of with anyone else. Couples who frequently make each other laugh are blessed with long, happy marriages…. Families benefit from shared laughter as well… Reminiscing and laughing about the past has a way of soothing hurts and grudges, and cements those relationships into some of the strongest bonds we can experience in life.”
Laughter is not a substitute.
“Laughter can be used as a Band-Aid treatment instead of dealing with the real causes behind stress, anger, bitterness, or even grief. Over 3,000 years ago, wise King Solomon said, “Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief.” sic (Proverbs 14: 13) Laughter should never be sought as the cure-all for every ailment of the body or heart. We as human beings react in different ways to emotions, many of which are beneficial. Thoughtful meditation and having a good cry are equally beneficial. When the feelings subside you may reach the ability to make necessary and positive life changes.”
I hope that sharing portions of this article which I considered good reading on the topic under consideration, has been helpful. May God bless us, as we seek to use one of the natural remedies that God has given us to preserve a merry heart.
(In these quotes, double underscore has been substituted by bold.)