Recently I’ve been listening to Christian comedians on YouTube while exercising. They help distract me during this most distasteful half-hour of each day.
The best part of exercise: when it’s over.
So far I can recommend the antics of Tim Hawkins, Jim Davis, Kenn Kington, and Ted Cunningham to keep one entertained.
However, be forewarned: it’s impossible to do crunches while laughing.
Here’s a sample of Kenn Kington. Start the video, start crunching, and you’ll see what I mean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YZ8tAbI5fw
No doubt you’ve heard some of the benefits of laughter that researchers have identified, including:
- Decreased tension
- Lowered blood pressure
- Improved immune system
- Increased feel-good endorphins
- Renewed energy [1]
Laughter is good medicine, just as God inspired King Solomon to write eons ago (Proverbs 17:22). It also produces healthy servings of joy into our spirits.
But laughter isn’t the only action that produces health benefits and joy. So do gratitude and praise.
According to the Mayo Clinic, gratitude:
- Decreases depression
- Lessens worry
- Improves sleep
- Enhances immunity
- Reduces chronic pain [2]
The ability to express gratitude and praise is a gift from God, intended to accomplish much good for mind, body, and spirit.
So what might we give thanks and praise to God for today?
A quick perusal of my gratitude journal provides the following possibilities that anyone can embrace:
- Watching children on a playground, running, climbing, sliding, and whooping with glee—and finding my own glee expanded
- Tackling a challenging project and reveling in the moment when it’s finally complete
- Partaking a delicious meal with family and/or friends, enhanced by caring conversation, shared memories, and of course, laughter!
- Marveling at the masterpieces of nature: the wings of a butterfly, the camouflage of a deer, the leap-and-grab abilities of a squirrel
- Delighting in a bargain purchase that God surely provided (James 1:17)
Both of these practices, laughter and gratitude, will take us only so far into health and joy without one all-important element: faith.
When Paul wrote from prison to his dear friends at Philippi, he hoped to be released and visit them soon. His heart’s desire was to contribute further to their spiritual growth and to their joy in the faith (Philippians 1:25), considering its numerous benefits.
Which come first to your mind? See if your thoughts correspond with a few of these blessings:
- God’s unfailing grace, compassion, and love
- His inexplicable peace, comforting presence, and absolute strength
- The wisdom of his Word to guide us through every situation
- God’s promises that offer hope
- His help that sometimes manifests itself in a surprising God-incident
- His encouragement at unexpected moments through unexpected sources
- The undeserved gift of eternal life yet to come
Researchers have also verified that faith in God also provides physical benefits, including:
- Reduced stress
- Lowered blood pressure
- Enhanced mental health
- Improved emotional health
- Decreased depression [3]
It stands to reason, the stronger our faith in a God–who provides so much–the greater our contentment.
And when enthusiastic laughter, heartfelt gratitude, and praise-charged faith are part of every day, we’ll find ourselves overflowing with a sense of well-being and joy—an overflow that also impacts others.
[1] https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/laughter-is-the-best-medicine.htm.
[2] https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/can-expressing-gratitude-improve-health#:~:text=Expressing%20gratitude%20is%20associated%20with,pain%20and%20risk%20of%20disease.
[3]https://www.bethesdagardensloveland.com/blog/the-health-benefits-of-faith#:~:text=The%20health%20benefits%20of%20faith%20have%20been%20a%20hot%20topic,reduced%20dependency%20on%20addictive%20substances and https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/surprising-links-between-faith-and-health/ and https://www.christiantoday.com/article/believing.in.god.is.good.for.your.health/27902.htm.
Photo credits: http://www.rawpixels.net; Nancy Ruegg; http://www.canva.com; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.pexels.com (Sidney Lima); http://www.canva.com.
From the Inside Out 