Devotionals by Jill Briscoe

A time to cry and a time to laugh. - Ecclesiastes 3:4

Listening to some people talk, you get the impression that tear ducts are supposed to dry up the moment you become a Christian. Looking at some people’s faces, you get the impression that at the moment they are born again, Christians’ mouths are frozen into a line of disapproval. But there is a time to laugh. We laugh when we celebrate life. I believe Jesus laughed, too.

There is a balance in life. The Bible says that there is a time for everything: “A time to cry and a time to laugh” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). There is a time when it is perfectly permissible for Christians to weep. There is far too much injustice in our world to stay a dry-eyed disciple. On the other hand, you love Jesus no less if you enjoy a season of celebration. There is a time to laugh; thank God for that!

As we build our bridges of friendship with unbelievers, we can build them under sunny skies. The time will come when the clouds gather and the rain falls. Then, after sharing laughter with them, we can also share their tears. Christian compassion doesn’t begin only when tears fall; it begins as we laugh and rejoice when things are good. Then, when others face times of struggle, we weep as they weep. When we’ve shared both the joy and the tears with our unbelieving friends, we can introduce them to our friend, Jesus, who can give them the comfort they need.

For Further Study: Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

Excerpted from The One Year Devotions for Women, Copyright ©2000 by Jill Briscoe. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

For more from Jill Briscoe, please visit TellingtheTruth.org.

SPECIAL OFFER