Lead him gentle—don’t push none. He comes to life real sudden when he’s shoved.”
–Clarence Mulford (Bar-20 Days)
“When a wise man has a controversy with a foolish man, The foolish man either rages or laughs, and there is no rest.”
–Proverbs 29:9 (NASB)
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I know this is the national holiday for fools, but some out there will take it too far. Merriment, light-hearted joking is one thing, but stupidity and foolishness is another. True the Bible says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22, NASB) However, a joke or prank can be carried too far and be hurtful rather than humorous.
It is interesting that most of the time laughter is mentioned in the Bible, sorrow or suffering is next to it. The only time we see that God laughs is when He looks down and sees people mocking or scorning Him. What is man that he can even begin to mock God? That I do not understand. It is fortunate for mankind that God is so loving, patience and full of mercy and grace.
A prank isn’t what we need. A person who is down needs to look into the face of the Lord. The Psalmist wrote, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalm 43:5, NKJV) Perhaps we need peace rather than a laugh or a prank pulled on us. We need to turn to God in our down times, and we need to rejoice in Him when we are up and exuberant.
“‘In God I shall see my flesh.’ Get the soul and you will get the body too. Get peace and you will lessen pain. Get faith and you will diminish fever. Get wisdom and you will strengthen weakness. Get love and you will dispel lassitude. The hope in God is the health of the countenance.”
–George Matheson
I would say, be careful of your pranks or you might end up like the fool and hurt someone. They may not think your joke is so little or funny. Be careful of laughing at someone else’s expense. Remember what is sought for is a joyful heart, not one that is hurt by a joke or prank. Be an encourager not a mocker or someone who tears down. Lift up and build. We live in a world bent on deconstruction of the soul, therefore, as Christians we should be continuing to construct the soul built for the Kingdom of God.
———————————–
I know this is the national holiday for fools, but some out there will take it too far. Merriment, light-hearted joking is one thing, but stupidity and foolishness is another. True the Bible says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22, NASB) However, a joke or prank can be carried too far and be hurtful rather than humorous.
It is interesting that most of the time laughter is mentioned in the Bible, sorrow or suffering is next to it. The only time we see that God laughs is when He looks down and sees people mocking or scorning Him. What is man that he can even begin to mock God? That I do not understand. It is fortunate for mankind that God is so loving, patience and full of mercy and grace.
A prank isn’t what we need. A person who is down needs to look into the face of the Lord. The Psalmist wrote, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalm 43:5, NKJV) Perhaps we need peace rather than a laugh or a prank pulled on us. We need to turn to God in our down times, and we need to rejoice in Him when we are up and exuberant.
“‘In God I shall see my flesh.’ Get the soul and you will get the body too. Get peace and you will lessen pain. Get faith and you will diminish fever. Get wisdom and you will strengthen weakness. Get love and you will dispel lassitude. The hope in God is the health of the countenance.”
–George Matheson
I would say, be careful of your pranks or you might end up like the fool and hurt someone. They may not think your joke is so little or funny. Be careful of laughing at someone else’s expense. Remember what is sought for is a joyful heart, not one that is hurt by a joke or prank. Be an encourager not a mocker or someone who tears down. Lift up and build. We live in a world bent on deconstruction of the soul, therefore, as Christians we should be continuing to construct the soul built for the Kingdom of God.