Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”
—Genesis 17:17

You may have seen, read or heard how some Christians roll on the floor with endless laughter. Religious people regard this as “possession” by an unclean spirit, and the more “charismatic” ones as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit comes upon people, and “laughter for no reason” begins. In fact there is a reason, it’s just not obvious. So what is the reason? This is exactly why I love the Word of God: it has answers to all questions, so that I don’t have to puzzle it out or guess myself. Scripture also records a case when a brother in faith fell to the ground and laughed. And he didn’t laugh a religious “ho-ho-ho”, but sincerely, like a child being tickled.

I am talking about Abraham, when he fell on his face and laughed after hearing the Lord’s words. What happened to Abraham, and why did he react like that? Did the Lord tell him a joke or something funny? He did not even say anything new to Abraham, because He had said before that He would bless him and give him a son [Gen.12:1-3; Gen.15:4]. In fact, the answer to why Abraham reacted like that is found in this very verse, in the words “said in his heart”, or in simple terms, “thought”. He thought about something he had never thought of before, and had not even imagined.

Yes, Abraham knew that God would bless him and give him a son, but he thought that this son would be Ishmael, for after he had finished laughing he asked once more: “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” But he had never even allowed the thought that Sarah would bear a son, and at such an age. On hearing the Lord’s words, Abraham changed his mind. A metanoia took place in his heart. God gave him repentance! The same thing later happened to Sarah, who, on hearing that she would bear a son, “laughed within herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure?'” What happened to Sarah? She repented, she changed her mind. Before, she had not even imagined that she could bear children at such an age, let alone have “pleasure”.

True repentance, the kind that comes from grace, as with Abraham, and not as with the Jews under the law, is in fact not something outward that looks like confessions and endless pleas for forgiveness. No, it happens in a person’s heart, and the response is always joy and laughter. The “more” you repent, the harder you laugh. Notice what happened in Samaria when Philip preached Jesus Christ and everyone listened and heeded his words: “And there was great joy in that city” [Act.8:8]. So if you are “laughing for no reason”, that is not a sign of foolishness, as the saying goes… The Lord is simply giving you repentance and renewing your mind by the Holy Spirit.