Laughing Without Fear

There’s a woman in the Bible who’s described as “clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” (Proverbs 31:25). Honestly, that line always makes me pause. Laughing? At the future? With everything going on in the world, it feels almost ridiculous.

Turn on the news and there’s enough doom and gloom to wipe the smile off anyone’s face. Floods, shootings, politics, division — the list goes on. And yet, here she is: this Proverbs woman, chuckling with confidence, grinning like she knows something we don’t. And actually… she does.

Her laughter isn’t denial. It’s not nervous laughter either, like the kind I let out when I can’t remember why I just walked into the kitchen. (Was I after coffee? Or the scissors? Still a mystery.) No, her laughter is rooted in trust.

The key shows up a few verses later: “A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” (Proverbs 31:30). That kind of fear isn’t about God lurking with a big stick. I used to think that way as a child — that God was ready to pounce on my every mistake. But then came the truth: God so loved me that He sent Jesus to die for me. When I believed in Him, He adopted me as His daughter. That’s not a God to cower from. That’s a Father to stand in awe of.

The fear of the Lord means awe. It means reverence. It means knowing He is big enough, wise enough, loving enough to hold my life and my future in His hands. “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life.” (Proverbs 14:27). It’s not chains of fear — it’s freedom.

So yes, even when the world shakes, we can laugh. Not because life is easy, but because God is faithful. Because His love is steadfast. Because He’s already in the future, making a way.

So go ahead, let a little joy leak out. Giggle. Chuckle. Belly laugh. After all, if God is holding us and our tomorrow, why not laugh out loud? Let’s laugh out loud in trust today.

#NoFear #proverbs31