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1. Take Time to Laugh \n\nFor everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:\xa0a time to weep, and a time to laugh;\xa0a time to mourn, and a time to dance.\xa0\u2014Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4, ESV \n\nIf you\u2019ve been on this planet for more than a few years, you know life isn\u2019t one big laugh. It\u2019s filled with difficult trials. Even so, the Bible declares there is \u201ca time to laugh.\u201d Some ways to incorporate more laughter into your life: Talk to a friend with a good sense of humor, retell a funny story from the past or play a practical joke on a good friend or family member. Need another idea? Spending time around children or pets is typically a surefire way to ramp up the laughter.\n\n\n\n2. Share Joy \n\nA joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.\xa0\u2014Proverbs 17:22, ESV \n\nDon\u2019t keep joy to yourself. Share the \u201cgood medicine\u201d of a joyful heart with others. Have you brought joy or laughter to someone today? If not, think of a way you can make one person laugh. It\u2019ll bring joy to both of your hearts.\n\n\n\n3.\xa0Lighten Your Load \n\nBlessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.\xa0\u2014Luke 6:21b, ESV \n\nHave you ever been so sad that you thought you\u2019d never laugh again? If you are a follower of Christ, you are blessed to be part of God\u2019s kingdom. The God of the universe can bring\xa0you comfort and inner peace even as you struggle with a heavy heart. \n\nBeing\xa0\u201cblessed\u201d is about experiencing hope and joy regardless of circumstances. King David once wrote about it this way: \u201cYou have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness\u201d (Psalm 30:11). Feeling burdened today? Ask God to lighten your load.\n\n\n\n4. Savor Surprises\u2014And Don\u2019t Be Afraid to Laugh at Yourself \n\nAnd Sarah said, \u201cGod has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.\u201d And she said, \u201cWho would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.\u201d\xa0\u2014Genesis 21:6-7, ESV \n\nAbraham\u2019s wife, Sarah, waited 90 years to become a mother. Thinking there was no way she could provide a family heir herself, she was downright\xa0dumbfounded when told she would have a son. She had to laugh out of pure joy. Think of a time when\xa0you\xa0were pleasantly surprised by God\u2019s timing.\n\n\n\n5.\xa0Expect Great Things \n\nThen our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;\xa0then they said among the nations, \u201cThe Lord has done great things for them.\u201d\xa0\u2014Psalm 126:2, ESV \n\nWhen God led His people out of captivity and brought them back to their homeland, they were so relieved and thankful that they laughed and shouted for joy. After spending 70 years as captives, one of the first things they did was build an altar and worship God. \n\nIt can be easy to dwell on things that aren\u2019t going your way, but remember the verse above\u2014God does do great things. Keep an eye out this week for the great things He is doing in your life, then take a moment to thank Him for it. \n\n.\n\n--- \n\nSupport this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pastor-lucy-paynter/support