Two out of my last three bulletin articles discussed the misuse of humor and how it often masks bullying, discouragement, and ungodliness. However, I do not what to give the impression that all humor is bad. This article discusses how humor can be a tool for overcoming sin and living a godlier life.

The most pious kind of humor is one that laughs at ourselves, particularly our ego and sense of self-importance. If you are like me, you struggle to destroy pride. We are hurt when someone tries to critique or correct us because our ego hates the attack. We hate failing, not so much because it hurts others, but because others think less of us. Our ego starves to be fed.

A remedy to this pride is to look at yourself for what you are and laugh. Am I offended and hurt because someone insulted my intelligence (intentionally or unintentionally)? My response: “Ha, ha! I am so silly. Why should I be offended? My intelligence really is poor if I think about all that I do not know. I may quasi-know how to read languages nobody speaks anymore, but I have an infinitesimal knowledge of many other subjects. I am thankful for all those who correct me and know more than me because they teach me something I did not know before.”

I should laugh at my silly, hurt ego when I fail: “Why should I waste my time trying to sooth my hurt ego over a failure? Silly, silly ego. You are just a tiny speck in the universe who lives but a moment of eternity. Why place so much importance on yourself?” When you accidentally embarrass yourself in public, own up to being clumsy and use some genuine self-deprecating humor rather than nursing your hurt ego. When you screw up at work, apologize and humbly say that you learned from the experience, and you will do better next time. Laugh at your mistake if it did not hurt anyone else.

In summary, taking yourself too seriously is likely a sign of pride. Being able to be made fun of and make fun of yourself is a godly quality, as long as it comes from a place of genuine humility.