Laughter in Marriage: Holy Joy
There is a kind of laughter that fills a room.
And there is a kind of laughter that fills a marriage.
One entertains.
The other heals.
The Bible speaks more about joy than we sometimes realize. And not just surface-level happiness — but a deep, settled, soul-rooted joy that comes from God Himself.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine…” — Proverbs 17:22
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10
“Rejoice always.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:16
Joy is not optional in the Christian life. It is commanded. And that means it belongs in marriage too.
Young Couples Need to Hear This
There will be seasons when money is tight.
Seasons when pride gets loud.
Seasons when exhaustion steals patience.
We’ve walked through Marine Corps years.
Financial stress.
Near-divorce tension.
Health battles.
In those seasons, you don’t survive because everything is romantic.
You survive because you remember you’re on the same team.
Sometimes that looks like prayer.
Sometimes that looks like counseling.
And sometimes… it looks like laughing over something as ridiculous as dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets.
The world says, “Take everything seriously.”
Wisdom says, “Don’t take yourself too seriously.”
Laughter Protects a Marriage
Researchers like Dr. John Gottman have found that couples who maintain positive interactions — especially humor — are far more likely to stay connected long term.
But Scripture said it first.
A cheerful heart is medicine.
Medicine heals what sickness tries to weaken.
Criticism weakens.
Sarcasm wounds.
Public shaming destroys trust.
But shared laughter?
It binds.
When a wife chooses to laugh instead of belittle, she strengthens her home.
When a husband chooses to receive correction lightly instead of defensively, he strengthens his covenant.
Holy joy is not childish.
It’s disciplined grace.
What We’ve Learned
Marriage does not fall apart because of burnt toast or imperfect dinners.
It falls apart because tone becomes sharp.
Because grace becomes scarce.
Because pride refuses to bend.
Younger couples need to understand this:
The ability to laugh together is often a sign that humility is still alive.
If you can laugh together, you can talk.
If you can talk, you can forgive.
If you can forgive, you can endure.
And endurance is what builds 30-year marriages.
Holy Joy Is Witness
A joyful marriage stands out today.
In a culture that broadcasts outrage and shames imperfection, a husband and wife who laugh together quietly preach covenant.
Not perfection.
Covenant.
They show that love is not fragile.
It’s anchored.
And anchored marriages are strong marriages.
Closing Thought
As couples move into the later seasons of life, something becomes clear:
The moments remembered most aren’t the expensive ones.
They’re the ordinary ones.
Kitchen laughter.
Shared jokes.
Grace in small failures.
Protect that joy.
Guard it.
Because holy joy is not accidental — it is cultivated.
And marriages that cultivate joy tend to last.
Prayer for Couples
Father,
Teach husbands and wives to guard their tone and protect their joy.
Help them choose laughter over criticism and humility over pride.
Restore lightness where heaviness has settled.
Give them the strength that comes from Your joy.
And may their marriage reflect the steady, quiet beauty of covenant love.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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