I am certain that a great many people reading this (most of whom are my friends or colleagues) have not only distinguished themselves in the professional world, but were probably very successful in academia. They might have been valedictorian, voted “most likely to succeed,” or been the captain of a championship debate team. 

Not me. In high school, I was given a very different distinction by my fellow seniors: “class clown.” (My parents didn’t think it was funny, since that honor did nothing to help me get into college.)

To be sure, there is a time to be serious, but not all the time. One day I walked into a store and the checkout clerk looked at me with a big grin saying, “Do you know who you look like?” Since I had red hair at the time, I expected her to compare me to famous redheads like Ted Koppel, Ronnie Howard or Howdy Doody. “You look just like Margaret Thatcher!” she declared with a laugh. Now, I could have taken offense and walked out in a huff, but instead I chose to laugh, even at my own expense. After all, not everyone can say he looks like a female British Prime Minister. 

Let’s face it; life can be overwhelming, and humor is important to help us cope with the challenges, stresses and trials of everyday life. Otherwise, we’d all be so uptight that our lives would fall apart under the weightiness of it all. As the witty Erma Bombeck once observed, “When humor goes, there goes civilization.”

But there are medicinal benefits to humor, as well. Laughter can actually keep you healthy. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found that laughter can increase oxygen to the heart, lungs and muscles, increase the endorphins that are released by your brain, improve your mood and reduce physical pain. 

When Norman Cousins, editor of the Saturday Review, was told that he had a one in 500 chance of surviving cancer, he did two things – he took massive intravenous doses of Vitamin C and took a powerful drug called laughter. Part of his therapy was watching non-stop episodes of Candid Camera and other comic films like the Marx Brothers. And it worked. It’s no wonder Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

Actor Carl Reiner said, “Laughter is my first priority. I watch something every night that makes me laugh. I don’t think there is anything more important than being able to laugh. When you can laugh, life is worth living. It keeps me going. It keeps me young.” He lived to be 98.

The good news is that you don’t have to be a comedian to laugh more. You don’t even have to be good at telling jokes. The goal is not to be funny or clever, but to find humor in everyday situations, including laughing at yourself.

The Bible says God made us in His image, which means God also loves humor. In fact, I’m sure He gave us humor because He knew it would be good for us. He even promises that whatever life throws at us, “He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy” (Job 8:21).

And that’s no joke!

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