“In everything the prudent acts with knowledge, but a fool flaunts his folly.”
– Proverbs 13:16
Watch any given movie or television show and one quickly realizes that the above Proverb is often ignored in our society. Most laughs are had at the expense of someone’s foolish ways – regardless of whether they object of our ridicule “realizes” that we are laughing at their expense. Folly is most definitely flaunted – oftentimes quite explicitly as the mire that the antagonist finds themselves in is often the source of their own amusement as well as ours.
The challenge for the Christian is to not give in to this cultural norm. When we experience the consequences of our sin, it shouldn’t cause us amusement. Instead, we should be motivated to act wisely, to be known for our prudence rather than the spectacle we make of ourselves. Our actions don’t merely affect our reputation; they affect how others perceive the One we profess to serve. Laughing at our sins demonstrates an unwillingness to take a violation of God’s standards seriously, which consequently indicates we don’t take God very seriously either.
This doesn’t mean that we can’t laugh. Laughter and joy is a gift from God. However, let us be mindful of what causes us to chuckle and make sure that the things we laugh at are the same things that the One who gave us the gift of laughter would also find amusing. Let us, therefore, act prudently – in our life and in out laughter.