“A merry heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).
Although every human has three components (body, soul, and spirit—1 Thes. 5:23), each of us is one identity. These three components are not three separate compartments which function independently of each other; rather, each of us is a mysterious psyche-soma-pneuma organism.
There are illnesses which physicians accurately diagnose as “psychosomatic” (i.e., bodily symptoms caused by disturbances in the soul). David experienced physical distress—his bones grew old and his vitality was turned into the drought of summer—while living with the guilt of his horrible sins of adultery and murder (Ps. 32:1-5).
According to research done by Dr. Lee Berk and Dr. Stanley Tan, laughing lowers blood pressure. It can also boost the immune system and trigger a flood of pleasure-inducing neurochemicals in the brain. The natural killer cells which destroy viruses and tumors increase during a state of mirth. Laughter provides a safety valve that shuts off the flow of stress hormones, thus reducing the likelihood of a heart attack.
A merry heart is good medicine. Thousands of years before the American Association for Therapeutic Humor was formed, God’s word declared this.
