(Note: This first published on October 12, 2023 and is an adapted transcript from one of my former iBelieve video devotions.)

I’ve found, I most need to laugh when I least feel like laughing. For my mental health, for the health of my relationships, and sometimes for the perseverance to push through challenges. When I feel anything but cheerful and humorous, that’s precisely when I need to find a way to intentionally bring sunshine into my day. 

Years ago, when my husband and I were fighting for our marriage, and I mean fighting–for a relationship we’d mentally given up on only months before, we learned we needed to take time for fun. Especially when working through difficult stuff. And I have to tell you, that was hard. My pride tempted me to isolate myself, but our counselor told us we needed to take time to play. Otherwise, she warned, we might forget why we fell in love and that we weren’t enemies, regardless of how we felt in that moment. 

While I wish I would’ve done this more, I intentionally found ways for us to laugh, together. I purposefully cultivated silliness into our relationship and our home. I believe this became the glue that held us together and kept our hearts soft toward one another when the stress of life could’ve pulled us apart. 

When life feels really stressful, like I have more to do than time to do it in, I know I need to intentionally set an afternoon aside to fortify my soul with laughter.

A joyful heart is good medicine,  but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Maybe you’ve felt the last half of that verse. Maybe your life this year has felt anything but cheerful. Maybe laughter has all but disappeared from your home, from your relationships, and your heart. I’ve been there, and man, is it hard. Much too hard, in fact. And when I land in that place, I intentionally find reasons to laugh. 

At first, it might feel fabricated, forced. But soon, it becomes a habit, one that fills my heart with joy and soon spills from me, contagiously. It changes the tone of my home and my relationships for the better. 

Try it, because right now we could all use all the sunshine we can get. 

These videos may help:

And make sure to catch this week’s Faith Over Fear episode:

Why God Might Feel Distant and How to Connect With Him More Deeply – Faith Over Fear

Have you ever wondered why God can feel distant even when you genuinely love Him and want a close relationship with Him? Past experiences of rejection, emotional distance or unmet needs can affect how we relate to others—and how we experience our relationship with God. Jennifer Slattery talks with author, speaker and Anglican priest Reverend Summer Joy Gross about attachment, anxiety and the fears that can leave us questioning whether God is truly attentive, responsive and engaged with us. Summer shares how understanding attachment helped her recognize some of the fears beneath her own people-pleasing and anxiety and how God has been leading her toward greater security in His love. Together, she and Jennifer discuss the pressure to approach God correctly, why we don't have to chase Him or earn deeper connection with Him and how healing often occurs slowly, one encounter with God at a time. Discover how you can bring your full, messy self to God, receive His compassionate presence and increasingly experience the secure, unchanging love of the One who continually draws near. Scripture discussed or referenced: Ezekiel 36:26; Psalm 46:10; Luke 15:3–7, 11–32; Psalms (David’s laments); Mark 10:13–16; Philippians 1:6; Isaiah 51:14 Resource referenced: Emmanuel Promise: Discovering the Security of a Life Held by God by Summer Joy Gross Find Summer Joy Gross: On her website On Instagram On Facebook Find Jennifer Slattery: On her website Instagram Facebook Amazon Subscribe to her free newsletter Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

1. Why God Might Feel Distant and How to Connect With Him More Deeply 40:13
2. How God Redeems Our Deepest Regrets (ft. Dustin Lolli, lead singer Sanctus Real) 38:18
3. How God Helps Us Repair Broken Relationships 29:47
4. How to Stop Letting Fear Drive Your Need for Control (ft. Lysa TerKeurst) 28:17
5. How to Trust God When You Need a Miracle 36:55