Christian singles are sometimes so preoccupied with their social status that they become stressed and too serious. They lose an essential ingredient in life: laughter! It’s time to put out your beautiful smiles!
Although following Christ is a serious mission, the Bible speaks of joy and even laughter in several passages. In Proverbs we read that laughter is good for health (Proverbs 17:22). In Ecclesiastes, laughter is part of a balanced life (Ecclesiastes 3:4). God Himself laughs at His enemies because He knows He has the last word (Psalm 2:4). And since we are His children, we know by faith that we have the same victorious destiny, and therefore we can rejoice in advance no matter what (Matthew 5:11-12).
Sarah laughed when she heard an impossible promise (Genesis 18:12). Elijah mocked his enemies (1 Kings 18:27). Even Jesus teased His disciple by asking Him how He would manage to feed the crowd. “Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do” (John 6:5-6 NKJV). Philip was a logical person. Jesus knew what He was going to do, but He chose to question none other than Philip because He knew his mathematical mind was going to overheat! A gentle way to tease him.
Laughing at circumstances by faith, teasing those around us a little, is a way to make our life lighter. But to that, we should also be able to add, laughing at ourselves, which is much more difficult. Maybe even more difficult for Christian singles. Why?
First, when we’re single we want so much to make a good impression, to be noticed, that we don’t allow ourselves to make mistakes. We want to show that we are a good potential partner, so we hide our weaknesses. Sometimes we prefer to deprive ourselves of participating in certain activities if we know that we will not be at our best. “I won’t be attending this game night, I might look silly if I can’t play certain games.” “I’m not going to this potluck, everyone will know I don’t know how to cook.” In doing so, we deprive ourselves of great opportunities for meeting people. We could instead think about these events saying, “Oh, I’ll be laughed at, so what! It’s good for people to laugh a little!” Let’s put our pride aside and put on our best smile. All we need to do is be available.
As Christian singles, we sometimes lose our smiles because we take the marriage process far too seriously. When our dream of getting married becomes a goal to accomplish. We analyze all our encounters and try to decipher messages everywhere. We are on a mission. We are no longer relaxed, enjoying new conversations. We should remember that we will eventually marry our best friend; therefore, it is necessary to make new friendships. We don’t have a list of criteria for making new friends. Bonds develop naturally, often with a few bursts of laughter during spontaneous conversations. When we stay in this state of rest if we keep smiling. We will make friends more easily.
Finally, we can also lose our smile when we forget that our life belongs to God. When our personal goals become more important than God’s goals, we become stressed and very serious. By taking our life, God has also freed us from the demands of this world. When we step into the Presence of God, we find peace, joy, and the freedom to enjoy the present moment. Our actual difficulties lighten as we look forward to our eternity (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). And that’s what God wants for us. He wants us to remain at rest, keep smiling while thinking of His kingdom and leave our lives in His hands.
Were you too serious? Take a deep breath, keep your eyes on your eternal salvation, and have fun!
(This article is a summary of the conference presented on September 25, 2021.)