.....struck

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones Proverbs 17:22

During a high school science class, the teacher was covering a lesson on electricity and storms. She asked the class a question: “Does anyone know the first sense you lose when struck by lightning?” One student raised his hand and said, “Your sense of humor?”

He’s not wrong! Life can hit hard sometimes. Maybe not quite like lightning, but close: a sudden illness, a broken relationship, a job loss, or even just the relentless stress of daily life. And one of the first things we often lose in the middle of all that? Our joy. Our sense of humor.

But Solomon reminds us, “A joyful heart is good medicine.” God doesn’t ask us to ignore our pain or fake a smile. He’s not expecting us to be constantly upbeat or to put on a brave face when everything feels like it’s falling apart. But he is reminding us that joy is powerful. It heals in ways that go beyond what we can measure.

Joy and faith are often linked in the Bible. Think of Paul and Silas, who sang hymns in prison after being beaten and locked up Acts 16:25. They weren’t singing because their situation was great. They were singing because they knew God was still with them.

Laughter doesn’t mean everything is fine. It means we remember who holds our future, even when today feels dark. Maintaining a sense of humor is a quiet act of faith. It says, “This isn’t the end of my story. God is still good, even when life isn’t.”

So, if life has struck you like lightning lately, don’t let go of your joy. Don’t underestimate the power of a light-hearted moment, a joke, or a deep belly laugh with a friend. These aren’t distractions from faith; they’re sometimes evidence of it.

God made us for joy. And even in the midst of our pain, laughter can remind us that the story isn’t over yet — and that we are on the road to healing.

Father, thank you for filling my life with joy. Thank you for the gift of laughter and the reminder that you are with me even during the storms. Help me to not lose my sense of humor — even when the lightning strikes. In Jesus’ name, amen.