Biblical Prescription / 圣经的处方
Dexu Xia
Biblical Prescription
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Greg and Elizabeth have a regular “Joke Night” with their four school-age children. Each child brings several jokes they’ve read or heard (or made up themselves!) during the week to tell at the dinner table. This tradition has created joyful memories of fun shared around the table. Greg and Elizabeth even noticed the laughter was healthy for their children, lifting their spirits on difficult days.
The benefit of joyful conversation around the dinner table was observed by C. S. Lewis, who wrote, “The sun looks down on nothing half so good as a household laughing together over a meal.”
The wisdom of fostering a joyful heart is found in Proverbs 17:22, where we read, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” The proverb offers a “prescription” to stimulate health and healing—allowing joy to fill our hearts, a medicine that costs little and yields great results.
We all need this biblical prescription. When we bring joy into our conversations, it can put a disagreement into perspective. It can help us to experience peace, even after a stressful test at school or a difficult day at work. Laughter among family and friends can create a safe place where we both know and feel that we’re loved.
Do you need to incorporate more laughter into your life as “good medicine” for your spirit? Remember, you have encouragement from Scripture to cultivate a cheerful heart. By Lisa M. Samra
圣经的处方
喜乐的心，乃是良药；忧伤的灵，使骨枯干。-箴言17章22节
志伟和秀婷特意每个星期都安排一个晚上，与他们四个学龄的孩子一起来个“笑话之夜”。每个孩子都会将那一周读到、听到（或自己编）的笑话，在晚餐时与家人分享，这样的传统让用餐时光充满了快乐的回忆。志伟和秀婷甚至注意到，孩子们因欢笑而更加健康，面对困难时也能很快就振作起来。
关于餐桌上欢乐对话的益处，鲁益师也曾写道：“在日光之下，没有什么比家人在吃饭时一同欢笑更好的事了。”
培养喜乐的心是有智慧的，如箴言17章22节说：“喜乐的心，乃是良药；忧伤的灵，使骨枯干。”箴言提供了一个促进健康的治疗“处方”，就是让喜乐充满我们的心。这确实是花费极少，却有极大效果的良药。
我们都需要这份圣经提到的处方。当我们带着喜乐的心与人谈话，可以帮助我们正确地看待各种分歧；也让我们在面对学校考试或工作的压力时，仍经历平安。家庭或朋友间的欢笑，能创建彼此了解、感受到被爱的安全氛围。
你是否需要在生活中注入更多欢笑，作为心灵的良药呢？别忘了，你能从圣经得着激励，培养一颗喜乐的心。
全能的上帝，谢谢祢赐下喜乐充满我们的心。
感谢祢，即便在困难的时刻，
祢仍应许要使我们的心与口充满欢笑。
保持开朗如何帮助你面对挑战？
对你而言，何谓充满主的喜乐呢？