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Jim holds a PhD from Michigan State University, teaches philosophy at Upland, Indiana-based Taylor University, and has written several scholarly books. But he is also the father of Bailey and Sam, and has written Gum, Geckos, and God to answer questions of theirs such as "Can we hug God?" "Will geckos go to heaven?" "Was Jesus fun to be around?" and "Does God know how many spiders there are in all the basements in the world?"

Wit has much social value when used appropriately. Humor can be useful to restore proper perspective when we're taking a situation or ourselves too seriously. Recently, my softball team was badly trounced, and we all felt a bit down about our performance. Then someone said, "Well, at least we weren't fighting for our country." This remark brought some smiles back to our faces as it put the loss of a softball game into better perspective.

Wit calls for a certain amount of objectivity, which enables a person to see situations in their proper light and not become overwhelmed. For this reason, wit is an antidote to stress. If we make people laugh when they're feeling down or uptight, the improved perspective we provide is calming. This literally helps them physically, as stress contributes to numerous medical problems.

It's no wonder that the proverb [17:22] informs us, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength."

Adapted from How to Be Good in a World Gone Bad (Kregel, 2004) by permission.

Copyright © 2009 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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