How many jokes have you seen or heard pertaining to the storm, Melissa? Jamaicans have a knack, even a reputation, for making jokes out of serious matters. Is it in our blood? It could be, and I’ll explain (later in this article) why that can be the case for some of you. Long before social media’s existence, natural disasters and elections, among other situations that grab the nation’s attention, have been the bait of comedic/satirical inspiration.
Is there anything wrong with laughter? Absolutely not. After all, the Bible says,
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them. (Psalm 126:2 NKJV)
As youths, we love to laugh and make others laugh. It certainly is no surprise then that with a quick flick of the thumb through our social media feeds, we can find myriads of content intended to give us a good chuckle or even stomach-wrenching, breath-taking, tears-streaming laughter. Nevertheless, in the midst of this comes a great concern to which many, even Christians, are blind.
WHY ARE YOU JOKING?
While sharing jokes in and of itself is not a sin, the source/heart behind the jokes we share or laugh at can be spiritually damaging. Therefore, we must examine them carefully. Sometimes, joking or seeking “comedy relief” may be a coping strategy/type of managing a situation in your own wisdom. Ironically, such laughter is actually not wisdom but a mere distraction from reality. It is false comfort and ultimately a sign that you are not trusting God or seeking His wisdom/perspective in that situation.
I can recall a famous comedian whose suicide shocked many people. But truth is, many who are almost never serious are actually suffering inwardly, and it takes someone who is spiritually sober to see beyond their appearances and discern their true state and minister to them. Someone shared with me the experience of a schoolmate who was popular for always joking and seemingly having masses of other students under the influence of laughing gas. Today, that individual has been diagnosed with a mental illness, and in hindsight, her “light” behaviour at school was only the beginning of her sorrows.
Another mindset that underlies some of the jokes we may invent is pride, which serves as a direct method of drawing attention to oneself. Some of us are in love with the idea of being called funny, jovial, and light-hearted so much that it becomes like a drug. Therefore, what may have started out as an innocent moment of sharing our perspective and bringing humour evolves into a needless pursuit of pulling something comedic out of situations—all aimed at getting likes, subscribers, and praise from your audience. Isn’t this one of the traps of social media?
A PEACEFUL MIND
There are times when joking about a matter is a lack of peace, and should that same situation intensify or worsen, the jokes will be traded for complaints and despair. Consider also that if the subject or situation conveyed in the joke were a reality, would it really be something to smile about, much less laugh? Are the implications an offence to God? If the answer is no and yes, respectively, then that means, my friend, the joke is not pure and therefore is evil and worth shunning.
Hear me well, being sober doesn’t mean walking around with a sour face and the weight of the world on your shoulders. It’s God’s desire for all to experience His pure peace and joy, regardless of the situations that arise. These, however, come first through having a personal relationship with Him, then are maintained by our obedience to His Word.
These things I [Jesus] have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33 (NKJV)
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. James 1:2-3 (KJV)
If you notice in the above Scriptures, the joy spoken of comes from a place of both understanding and believing in who Jesus is, as well as His purpose for the situations He allows in our lives.
Just contemplate some of the comments or jokes you normally hear around you. If you’re a Christian, the Holy Spirit listens beyond the words and sees the heart of the matter. In fact, even without the Holy Spirit, one can hear a joke and easily identify the underlying intent of condemnation or indecency in it. Laughing at it then is a form of agreement, which also becomes sin.
[Love] does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 1 Corinthians 13:6 (NKJV)
LAUGHING YOUR WAY INTO HELL
Rather than agreeing, pause and consider what is being said and whether those words are actually beneficial to you or others. This may result in you praying about or even rebuking the joke, while the majority consider it humorous. The Word of God describes this as having a sober mind, and while others might label you as a “killjoy” or boring, a sober mind you must always have if you desire to glorify/please God.
In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. 1 Peter 4:4 (NKJV)
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)
My heart for everyone who reads this article, especially youths, is to bring to your attention one of the supposedly subtle trappings of the enemy, designed to desensitise, distract, and destroy you and your purpose. If we do not take our way of thinking and entertaining jokes seriously, we will idly joke and laugh our way into hell, demonstrating that it is not a laughing matter.
If you are not saved, it’s understandable, though not excusable, for you to not be able to walk in a truly sober mind (a mind that perceives and obeys the will of God). Without the Holy Spirit living inside, it is your nature (“in your blood”) to sin in this manner. The Bible says this about the mind of those not yet saved:
…Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Ephesians 4:18 (NKJV)
Thankfully, that can all change in the very moment you not only acknowledge your sinful state but also repent and wholeheartedly ask the Lord Jesus to fill you with His Spirit.
If you are already saved, allow the Word to be the law of your life so that in every moment, your heart remains pure and filled with the true joy of God’s spirit, fearing Him and remembering you will be judged for every idle word (Matthew 12:36). Remember also your call to reconcile those who may be caught in the snare of idle jester. As a final word of encouragement:
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. Ephesians 4:29 (KJV)
Darien Callum is a psalmist and member of Passion and Purity, a school-based Christian ministry.