Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy (Psalm 43:4).
I been reading about the Toronto Blessing of the 1990s, which was known for the phenomenon of holy laughter. I remember being in a seminar at Church of God Theological Seminary (now PTS) with the late F. J. May during this time. Someone asked him of his opinion about Toronto and holy laughter. He responded, “My God, I can’t think of anything the Church of God needs more than a revival of joy.”
Before the Toronto Blessing, about 1986, I was pastoring a small church in Colquitt, Georgia. A gentleman in his mid fifties sometimes attended. He was consumed with anxiety and depression. He would sometime sit and weep throughout the entire service. One Sunday evening he showed up for worship. During the altar call, I invited him to let me pray for him. He hesitantly agreed and came forward. I laid my hands on him and prayed, “Dear Jesus, please heal this man of anxiety and despair; please fill him with the joy of the Holy Spirit!” Immediately, his countenance changed and he began to softly giggle. Within minutes he was belly laughing.
About ten years later, I was pastoring in Thomasville, Georgia. There was a wonderful lady who had suffered the death of her husband in an accident, and two other close relatives died of cancer within just a few weeks. She was overcome in grief. One Sunday, she was in the altar praying. I approach her, laid hands on her, and prayed: “Lord, please restore the joy of your salvation to my sister!” After a few more minutes of intercession, she began to laugh uncontrollably. She laughed in the altar for about thirty minutes.
An ancient sage declared, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). Nehemiah exhorted, “The joy of the Lord is your refuge” (8:10). Jesus said, “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh” (Luke 6:21). The Apostle Peter declared, “and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory” (1 Peter 1:8). Luke reminds us that even in times of tribulation and rejection “the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52).
Death and sorrow are real. Tribulation is real. When our hearts are crushed, we cry. When we don’t know how to pray, we groan in the Spirit. When we don’t understand, we pray for wisdom. Scripture never suggests that we should deny our sorrow or despair. Even so, the joy of the Lord is God’s remedy for despair.
In this cultural moment, too many Christians have lost the joy of the Lord. Christians are filled with anxiety, and preachers sound angry. Conspiracy theories and political intrigue are devouring the soul of God’s church. There is precious little laughing, dancing, and celebrating. In the midst of cultural conflict, Christians do not pray for one another, do not dialogue with one another. Instead, we cast accusations and spread rumors. We should be reminded that schism is always the work of the sinful flesh. Paul said, “But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Galatians 5:15-16).
I sincerely pray for a revival of the fruit of the Spirit – Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I long to hear laughter. I long to see smiles. I long to see brothers and sisters celebrate the goodness of God. Lord, please restore to us the joy of your salvation!
