Proverbs 17:22
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
Laughter feels good because God created us with a body and a spirit. They interact together, effecting our overall health and stability as a person. If your spirit is doing well, your body will be all the more healthy. If your spirit is broken, it will only be a matter of time before your body comes crashing down behind it.
As a Christian, and by the mercies of God, your body is now His dwelling place. 1 Corinthians 6:19 refers to it as “a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God.” The Lord is aware of how you treat your body, how much sleep you give it and what you put into it… and ironically enough, all of this has a lasting impact on your spirit. Furthermore, the better you treat your spirit, the healthier your body will be. They have been interrelated since the day God first breathed breath into dust. As Proverbs so aptly puts it, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”
How hectic is your life is right now on a scale of 1-10? If you’re anything like me, and if history proves correct, not only are you nearing the top of the scale, but it’s only going to get worse over the next couple of years. I’ve known many well meaning Christians (including myself) who, in the insanity of accomplishing their daily tasks, begin to pass over the care their spirits need to remain healthy. It’s not only easy to do, but it’s amazingly convenient as well. The problem with this quick fix to getting things done becomes evident when the body ultimately crashes due to a lack of spiritual nourishment.
I once had a mentor tell me that “burn-out is nothing more than failing to live in the power of the Holy Spirit.” The Bible teaches us that it is He who sustains us, who comforts us, and who helps us through our troubles. If we fail to spend time in God’s Word and in prayer, we will be far less prepared to deal with difficult and stressful situations when the come our way.