Let's get back to this topic of laughter and what perhaps a believer should and should not find humorous. There are plenty of opportunities to use God's gift of laughter in an appropriate manner, so let's be clear that I am in no way suggesting we should tag the ear of merriment with some sort of law that prevents liberty in stretching our funny bone. I am simply offering a thought on the different types of laughter that can reveal much about our character and what lies within our heart.
I'd like to propose 4 different kinds of laughing: 1.) The laughter of a joyful heart that I mentioned in the previously related blog post. 2.) The laughter of the delighted heart. 3.) The laughter of the silly heart and finally 4.) The laughter of the cynical heart.
1.) The joyful heart takes pleasure in what makes glad the heart of it's Maker and without regard for dignity, will express itself through liberal laughing. For example, the heart realizes the depraved state from which it was rescued and cannot contain its exuberance as laughter pours forth as easily as water from a twenty-foot fall. Perhaps it is in the rare moment of glimpsing the Creator in the created as a young father and mother cannot contain their own heart's laughter immediately after the birth of a child. Ironically, quite often these types of expressions are a magnificent all-at-once mixure of both laughing and weeping.
2.) The delighted heart is similar to the joyful heart but must be cautious in what, when and where it takes delight, for the purpose of it's merriment may conflict with God's present designs. For instance, there is nothing wrong with laughing with a friend during a game of Wii golf or enjoying a day at the beach with some buds and a frisbee, but there are times that this may interfere with kingdom work. Clearly, this is more of a timing issue where toil or rest or some other God-centered activity may be a better choice than the chuckling.
3.) The silly heart lacks self-control and will laugh at anything it finds amusing. This may reveal immaturity as Godless opportunities are presented for our own self-gratifying entertainment. The watching of particular sit-coms or a stand-up comedian who may be "dirty, but he's hilarious"...and so we laugh without thought as to what we are finding so enjoyable. Perhaps the course-jesting is of a sexual nature or a poke at Christianity or children or women or men etc. We begin to laugh, not realizing that this may be no laughing matter for the follower of Christ.
4.) The cynical heart is the worst of all. It has missed the mark of humor and landed in the mire of superiority. The joke is on everyone but the one telling it. This type of humor is always at the expense of whoever gets caught in its cross-hairs and those who do not laugh, do not do so because they are too simple-minded to "get it". They are the most likely to become the next victims. Laughter of this sort is not at all interested in joy but rather in cruelty. It leans forward and whispers its venom while continuing to entertain itself by bending the ear of the amused until everyone else has become the inferior brunt of its self-serving guile.
Jesus, I pray for opportunities to laugh at what amuses and delights You and express our joy through this glorious gift You have bestowed upon us. May we be led away from the temptation to chuckle at what stands against the cross of Christ, and moved into the undignified laughter that flows from the throne of grace!