By Mark Collins
Pastor
Meadow United
Methodist Church
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
Proverb 17:22 KJV
A merry heart or a cheerful heart in this proverb is being compared to medicine.
The word medicine is used here to represent a cure, something that would promote healing for the body. But the opposite of this joy and healing would be a broken or crushed spirit, which brings sorrow and even sickness to the body.
This proverb may seem like just an old wives’ tale; however doctors and research have proven it to be true. One’s attitude and sense of humor has a direct impact on healing.
If you do a search on laughter and healing, you will find there are numerous research articles on this subject. All that I have read say the same thing, “laughter is the best medicine”.
It is great to know that the truths we find in the Bible are being confirmed and used in modern
today. Even though many may not admit to it and may even believe they have stumbled onto some new medical mystery, the Bible has revealed this secret years ago.
Proverbs teaches us in several verses that we need to be happy, cheerful; use pleasant words, and good news even gives us good health. On the other hand; envy, heartache, and being down and negative brings sickness upon the body.
Being a cancer survivor, I have seen and experienced this. I have seen people with no hope or desire to live and they let the disease win, and I have seen others who have fought with treatment after treatment, year after year, with a smile on their face and joy in their voice. Some are still with us today and some have won the victory and gone to be with our Lord.
I was shown by a caring and loving nurse that a lot of my sickness could be conquered within the mind. So laugh and be happy because as Christians, we have a great reason to have joy!
We have been forgiven and promised a life of eternal happiness, with no more sorrow, sickness, disease, or heartache. Ultimately sin is the disease and Jesus is the Cure.