MEDICINE OF A MERRY HEART

“A MERRY HEART does good, like MEDICINE, but a broken spirit dries the bones” – Proverbs 17:22

An important accompaniment to the Covenants of Health and Healing is the MEDICINE of a MERRY HEART: “A MERRY HEART does good, like MEDICINE, but a broken spirit dries the bones” (Pro.17:22). Nothing can take the place of the WORD of GOD as the most efficacious Medicine provided in His Covenant of Health: “My son, give attention to my WORDS; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and HEALTH to all their flesh” (Pro.4:20-22). However, encapsulated within and deriving from the same Word, is the Medicine of a Merry Heart, a divinely-approved medicine that perhaps few believers take advantage of.

Although the Covenants of Health and Healing are assured in God’s Word, we should seek to maximise every scriptural provision for these covenants to practically manifest in our lives. Merriment infers cheerfulness, delight, elation, excitement, gladness, high-spiritedness, joyfulness, liveliness, laughter, mirthfulness, rejoicing, and zest. This is not the merriment of silliness, giggling or idle chatter associated with cruel or inappropriate jokes and gossip. Laughter that comes at the expense of other people does not create a merry heart and is not health-producing. The Medicine of a Merry Heart refers to habits of JOY, rejoicing, and authentic laughter, which are distinctive qualities of the Christian, and the peculiar atmosphere of the Christian life. The word “joy" – chara in Greek – is a robust and overflowing word, which occurs close to sixty times in the New Testament.

The summons to rejoice is sounded more than seventy times in the New Testament. Yet, some ‘artificial’ believers know little or nothing of Joy. Rather than exude bold excitement, they are under the whip of duty. Someone described them as walking the road to glory, but not walking the glory road. It is easy to fall into the trap of melancholy, believing that we are supposed to go around looking miserable in the guise of being humble and holy. Some go as far as to suggest that “true” Christians should always be dismal and never laugh. Nothing could be more injurious to health and well-being. Merriment is therapeutic: ““A MERRY HEART makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken” (Pro.15:13).

Joy is always present in the heart of a Christian even if it is not always felt or recognized. Once triggered, it will break the surface, no matter the circumstances. There are therapeutic benefits to the body when the heart – the inner being – is filled with Joy. In contrast, extensive depression or sadness is detrimental to physical health and strength: “The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?” (Pro.18:14); “a broken spirit dries the bones” (Pro.17:22b). Life may not always be a feast of pleasant experiences. We may not be able to control the ways our days unfold or muster up a cheerful heart on our own, but we can pour our energies into knowing and loving Jesus, the Source of all joy, lifting His Name high no matter what comes. Then, He’ll fill us with true cheerfulness, hope, and joy and heal every broken heart.

Scientific research supports the health-giving value of being merry. Having a merry heart is more than just being happy and content. It includes having a sense of humour and the ability to laugh. A merry heart makes one less likely to get sick because it improves the functioning of the immune system, making the body better able to prevent and fight disease. Someone with a cheerful attitude toward life is less likely to develop stress-related health problems than is someone with a gloomy outlook. “Mirthful laughter” reduces the chemicals associated with stress, enabling the body to heal itself faster.

I believe God for continual feasting at His Covenant Table: “All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a MERRY HEART has a continual feast” (Pro.15:15). By His grace, I’ll sustain a Merry Heart, cheerful countenance, and vibrant spirit!