A Merry Heart

Humor is defined as a spontaneous response that promotes health through positive communication that helps decrease thoughts and responses. 

In today's world, where news broadcasts are often filled with stories of wars and suffering, Solomon's wisdom in Proverbs 17:22 becomes increasingly relevant: 'A merry heart is good medicine.' The inclusion of humor has transitioned from a mere option to a necessity, offering a crucial respite amidst the otherwise disheartening content. The wars and suffering in the world fill the news broadcasts and if one feels sad at the beginning, the video and the comments increase discouragement. You may have noticed that many news broadcasters have begun to include some happy, positive news to lighten the impact at the end of the news.
While Solomon did not know about chemicals such as dopamine and oxytocin that now are often prescribed for restoring humor, he did know that a broken spirit dries our bones. Today, I share with you key theories, functions and simple techniques for restoring humor. It’s my hope that your time spent reading this article is rewarded with a rise in your spirits and an encouraged heart.

Theories 

According to the experts there are four major theories that are often used to describe what creates humor and what humor is: Superiority, Incongruity, Relief, and Play. 
The superiority theory of humor suggests that humor stems from a sense of glory and superiority that is felt by a person recognizing their superiority over others. This theory is one that many modern stand up comics prescribe to as they write jokes pointing out perceived flaws in the lives and appearances of their live audiences for the sake of a laugh. It is unlikely that mean-spirited humor creates a truly merry heart, but finding unique commonalities by noticing the quirks of ourselves and others just might. 
The second theory, the theory of incongruity, is currently the leading approach to humor and hinges on humor as a response to incongruity or ambiguity. An outrageous or incongruous statement that could generate humor is something like, “There’s a purple tree.” (Flowers on a tree may be purple, but not usually the tree.) 
The third theory, Relief, is based on the observation that a relief of tensions often makes people laugh. I recall being in a post office when the patron in front of me used an endless number of pennies to pay for her stamps. Both the clerk and those of us in line were getting tired of this and when the clerk gave the lady some change, he carefully counted it back to her using all pennies. The lady did not smile, but the rest of us did.
The final theory is play. Play theorists suggest that humor is an extension of play. Table games, sports like tennis, baseball, swimming and other activities such as exercise provide a type of humor that results in a release from the tension of the day. Unfortunately, not all games stay at tension release level when money and other high physical or emotional stakes are put into winning. Then the game may no longer be play but becomes work and not effective in relieving tension.
While there is not one singular theory of humor or how to create it, understanding these different theories of play helps us dig further into the functions of this God-given emotion or mood and how we can naturally use humor as a medicine. 

Functions

Humor serves many functions in our lives, but current studies suggest that humor impacts and improves four major aspects of our lives: Physiological, Psychological, Sociological, and Spiritual. 
Physiological relief is described as internal jogging or “belly laughing.” Physiological relief often happens in a work or family setting when something happens that’s so funny that those present immediately begin to laugh. For example, people might see a big dog chasing a much smaller cat until the cat runs up a tree trunk to the safety of the branches. The tension of a possible fight turns to laughter as the cat scampers up the tree.
Psychological tension is a heavy weight to carry, but humor can provide the mental break we often need. On hearing that David’s army was coming to kill the men on Nabal’s large farm because he refused to give them food, Abigail, his wife, immediately provided food and personally went to apologize to David (1 Samuel 25:2-42). Changing the decision and a personal apology effectively diffused David’s anger. It isn’t often that we have the courage and strength to act as Abigail does, but offering up a smile and a lighthearted joke to ease the tension for ourselves and others when we face hardship is an easy and fairly sure way to break tension and find merriment in even the hardest situations. 
Not only does humor relieve psychological tension, but it also strengthens social bonds and improves relationships. As we laugh together, we create a deeper bond and foster a sense of community and belonging. Sharing a laugh brings us closer together.  
Spiritual aspects of humor use scripture and prayer to lighten a crisis experience such as chronic illness, disability or death. This function strengthens a person’s sense of faith and trust in God. Through discussion there is a mental movement (transcendence) that goes beyond the immediate painful experience the person must cope with and manage in his/her/family adjustment.

Simple Techniques

Since we are all so individual, no technique for restoring humor is likely to be useful for everyone. It’s important that we take the time to find and foster humor in each of our own ways. If you’re struggling and could use a place to start, I encourage you to try any one of the simple techniques below. 

1. Make a collection of humorous pictures, jokes, or cartoons. These could be shared with a person to help them laugh a little. 
2. Take the time to observe the humor built into God’s creation and creatures. Pets often provide good laughs. My cat has his own water bowl, but when he can he jumps to the sink to catch drops from the faucet. It’s these ordinary little moments that lift my spirits and bring a smile to my face.
3. ​Make a habit of remembering funny comments that people make. One I like is “You only need two tools in life. If it doesn’t move and should, use WD40. If it should not move, but does, use duct tape.” (I am using duct tape to support my key pad right now.) Sometimes questions work to elicit laughs. You might ask what the weatherman’s hymn is? —"There Shall Be Showers of Blessing.” You might also ask what a politician’s hymn is?—“Standing on the Promises.”
4. Try the rule of the 5 P’s —Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice, Practice. When your spirits are low and having a merry heart seems hard, focus on the blessing and beauty the Lord has shared with us all and be deliberate about practicing finding and sharing humor.

Now more than ever, it is important that we recognize the function of humor and attempt to keep our hearts merry. As we approach a trying political season and navigate life’s hardships together, I pray that you make it a goal to find the humor in God’s joyful creation and help others restore a merry heart. ​