By: Rhett Seitz
Last Wednesday was April Fool’s Day. Although not an official holiday or even a big commemorative event as Easter was this past Sunday, many people still recognize the day and take the time every year to participate in its “foolishness.”
In fact, one of the things I fell for last week was a message from someone in my LifeGroup. I saw the arrow icon for a video, and naturally, I tapped the play button. Nothing happened. I tapped it again. I spent almost a minute mashing my screen, trying to get that video to load.
Finally, reality dawned on me. It wasn’t a video at all. It was just a screenshot of a black screen with a play button centered. April Fools!
Instead of getting annoyed, the entire group chat erupted in digital laughter. That tiny moment of shared foolishness didn’t divide us; it united us. It was a classic, harmless example of the profound power of humor.
April Fool’s Day highlights something vital to the human experience. Humor is the social glue that keeps us connected and, frankly, keeps us sane. Anyone who knows me well knows that I can be a massive goofball, sometimes to my own detriment. If you need proof, ask any of my closest friends.
I love humor, but not because I want the spotlight or want people to think I am the smartest guy in the room. I love it for the opposite reason.
I love humor because of how it makes others feel.
When you make someone laugh, you are temporarily lifting the weight of the world off their shoulders. When you use humor, you bring unique joy to other people’s lives and create shared memories for them.
When people think of those like me who constantly use humor, they hope to be reminded of the fond, fun memories shared together. Humor often makes someone more memorable.
Maya Angelou said in her famous quote: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Humor is one of the fastest ways to make someone feel seen, safe and joyful.
Of course, humor goes far beyond just breaking the ice. It actively improves our quality of life and builds our self-esteem.
We live in a high-stress world driven by deadlines, anxiety, conflict, heartbreak and tragedies. In the middle of all that chaos, humor acts as a biological shock absorber. It lowers our protective walls.
And on the flip side, when you learn to laugh at yourself, your self-esteem skyrockets. Why? Because the moment you stop taking yourself so seriously, you stop being paralyzed by the fear of looking foolish. You own your mistakes instead of hiding from them.
Whenever I meet someone who is wonderfully eccentric, unapologetically themselves and unafraid to be a little weird, I always make a point of telling them how much I appreciate their energy. Almost every time, they respond with some variation of the same wisdom: “Life is too short, man. You can’t take it too seriously.”
Of course, like any powerful tool, using humor requires wisdom and discretion. I have had to learn the hard way several times that humor can be a detriment when taken too far.
Sarcasm and jokes made at the expense of someone else’s insecurities aren’t true humor; they are just cruelty with a laugh track. True humor uplifts; it never tears down.
Scripture prescribes laughter as a medical necessity. Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
I genuinely believe there will be humor in heaven. It won’t be the cynical, mean-spirited comedy that we sometimes rely on here on Earth. It will be the kind of pure, lighthearted joy that makes your stomach hurt and brings tears to your eyes. It will be the kind of laughter that perfectly unites us.
So, even though April Fool’s Day has passed, keep making those jokes. Keep finding the absurdity in stressful moments. Give yourself permission to be a little foolish, because a good laugh might just be the most productive thing you do all day.
