A Merry Heart

A Merry Heart

Destroying marriages is one of Satan's most ardent missions. But the Lord offers many great tools to bless and prosper a marriage, and a big one is good humor.

A Merry Heart

"A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones."


(Proverbs 17:22)

A couple weeks back, our church hosted a pastors and wives retreat put on by the SBTC (Southern Baptists Texas Convention).
There were around 150 people for the Thursday evening banquet during which pastor and comedian Ted Cunningham spoke. (On Friday morning, I taught the pastors, and my wife Ashley spoke to the ladies.) Ted did a great job; he was funny, entertaining, and very practical. He shared many helpful lessons for married couples. Here is a picture of Jeff and the seven advantages of humor:
So many marriages are under attack. It is one of Satan's most ardent missions to destroy marriages. He seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, as Jesus taught us in John 10:10. Christian marriages are especially under attack. If the enemy of the Church can split Christian couples, it brings harm not only to that family but also the church family.

One of the best ways we can guard our marriages, bless them, and prepare them for testing times is by attending retreats and seminars like the one taught by Pastor Ted. He showed us how to bring some levity and merry hearts into our marriages with humor. He lists many benefits that humor can bring to the marriage. His fourth principle is, "Humor reduces stress and tension." I agree. Laughter is medicine for the soul. When you are laughing together as a couple, you are not arguing. It is a good thing to find joy in everyday occurrences and just laugh periodically. Don't take yourself so seriously; be willing to laugh at yourself.

Ted shared that the sixth blessing laughter brings to marriage is making you more relatable. Whether it is in relationship to our spouses or people in general, to laugh and bring humor into the relationship is a blessing. When you laugh with others, it communicates that you are just like everyone else. It shows a vulnerability that is winsome.

Ted's last point is just funny within itself: he says laughter makes shopping enjoyable. Now, some folks truly enjoy shopping. My wife likes it much more than I do. But instead of being grouchy and impatient with our spouses who like to shop, a better approach is to find something humorous to laugh about, as long as that is not your spouse!

As stated earlier, marriage is under constant attack. The devil would love nothing more than to tear your family apart and bring much pain and shame. Men and women, let us fight back and use every weapon we have to defend and protect our marriages; yes, let us even use laughter!

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Strongman for Jesus: Devin Wyman on Evangelism, Overcoming Obstacles, and More

Pastor Danny welcomes to the show strongman, evangelist, and motivational speaker Devin Wyman to share his powerful testimony of God's grace, redemption, and guiding hand that took him from staring down the barrel of a prison sentence to the NFL to now using feats of strength to open the door to sharing the gospel all across the world.
 

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Chris Williams