Sorrow or Laughter?

 Most of us would choose laughter over sorrow. We would much rather be laughing than sad. We would rather go to a party than to a wake. However, if we stop and think about it, that might not be the right way to look at our life. It just could be that sorrow is better than laughter.

God's Word says it is. (Ecclesiastes 7:3) Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us. Believe me, we all need a lot of refining to make us pure before God, and we do not benefit from laughter nearly as much as we might think.

Yes, laughter is good for us, like a medicine, the Bible says. It lifts our spirits and causes us to be healthier, because of the boost it gives to our bodily systems. So, I don't want us to think that laughter is bad. It is not. However, those changes are temporary improvements that have to be repeated over and over, as we live in the joy of the Lord.

Sorrow's effects, on the other hand, are lasting. When we are sad, we are drawn to call out to God. Then, He is able to teach us things to make us more like Jesus. He is able to refine away our weaknesses and sins that may have caused our pain and sorrow. While we are listening to Him, He is able to teach us lessons that make us stronger in our faith and in our practice of godliness.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Ecclesiastes 8-10.