Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Often one of the most overlooked areas in recovery, humor goes hand in hand with hope. While the purpose of the Gospels wasn’t to record outburst of hilarity, one can imagine Jesus and his twelve closest friends enjoying moments of humor- practical jokes, Peter stepping in camel crap, John hitting his funny bone, the donkey gumming James’s hair as he slept. If you read between the lines, you can see the joy of the Lord and the freedom and peace that rejoicing and laughter bring.
The thought reminds me of Trent, an Arms of Mercy graduate who we sent to the Mission of Hope for some additional time. When it came time for him to graduate their program, Major and I drove down to Mobile to make a surprise visit. Upon arriving, we approached a group of men loitering on the dorm’s porch. We asked where James was and, apparently thinking we’re law enforcement, gave us vague directions to him. This is after first denying that they even knew him. We walk in the direction they pointed and stumble into a softball game. We spot Trent sitting on the bench with five or six friends. We approached from behind and Major summons his authoritative and booms, “You know why we’re here. Come with us please.” Everybody but James leaps from the bench and sprints away, apparently thinking we’re issuing arrest warrants or something. Accepting his fate, Trent simply lowered his head. Then, with a sudden jerk of recognition, Trent spun around and jumped up to hug us. We laughed and laughed as he told us how his heart stopped, then he remembered he had nothing to be guilty of any longer. Maybe you had to be there, but the humor increased the hope of the moment.
Discussion Questions:
1. How is joy and laughter vital to the recovery process?
2. What are some stories that you could perceive as joyful experiences now?
3. Why should we rejoice when one sinner comes to walk with Jesus?
