“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.” Matthew 6:22

Jesus used the eye as a metaphor for our inner focus. What we choose to look at shapes how we see everything around us. When our attention rests on God’s goodness and the blessings around us, our outlook begins to change. The shift of focus gives birth to gratitude. Gratitude becomes more than a feeling; it becomes the lens through which we see life.

What Are You Looking At?

When life feels heavy or progress seems slow, I often hear God ask me a familiar question: “Famia, what are you looking at?”

I remember one time when I answered Him honestly. I told Him about all the things I was seeing, every worry, every problem my children were facing, every situation that seemed impossible. I listed them all, one by one, until my heart felt heavier just from speaking them.

Then the Lord spoke to my spirit and said, “Your eyes are on the wrong thing. If you look up to Me and trust Me with those burdens, you will not feel so weighed down. I never meant for you to carry this alone. Let me take the weight you have been trying to bear on your own.  I am your Shepherd, and I will lead you on the path to peace. You only need to follow me.

That moment changed my focus. I realized that which fills my vision shapes the condition of my heart. Gratitude did not come easily. I had to learn it. I had to make a choice each day to look for reasons to thank God. Overtime, that intentional focus began to reshape how I saw my life.  Gratitude is what helped me shift my focus toward His faithfulness. I started to notice blessings I had overlooked.  It turned my attention from what was missing to trusting that God was working even when I could not see it.

Gratitude and the Mind

Science continues to confirm what Scripture has long taught. Gratitude can literally rewire the brain. When we practice thankfulness, the mind releases dopamine and serotonin, chemicals that create a sense of peace and joy. Over time, these pathways grow stronger, helping us notice what is good instead of what is lacking.

Studies have shown that when people think about something they are grateful for, their minds shift away from pain. Gratitude redirects attention from what hurts to what helps. It activates areas of the brain connected to comfort and healing, allowing peace to settle where tension once lived.

Romans 12:2 reminds us to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Gratitude is one way that renewal happens. Each time we choose to thank God, we strengthen a pattern of trust and hope. Gratitude does not remove pain, but it brings peace into it. It calms  the mind and anchors the heart in truth that God is still working, still providing, and still faithful.

When We Lose Focus

An ungrateful heart often stares at what is lacking. We see other people’s blessings and forget our own. That kind of vision breeds envy, resentment, and comparison. It clouds our perspective like a darkened room.

When I began writing down small blessings, a sunrise, a kind word, an unexpected moment of laughter, I noticed joy returning. What I looked at changed what I felt. Gratitude taught me that peace grows when I pay attention to God’s presence, not my problems.

Gratitude as Spiritual Light

Gratitude changes how we walk through life. It turns our attention to God’s presence in every moment. Gratitude fills the heart with peace and brings the mind to rest in truth. When we look for His goodness, joy begins to rise. God remains with us through every struggle, and gratitude keeps our focus on Him and fills the heart with peace. We notice Him everywhere. During the fall season in western North Carolina, the Blue Ridge Mountains are covered in God’s glory. People travel from all over just to stand awe of it. Yesterday, while walking to my car, I noticed a tree glowing in the most vivid orange I have ever seen. In that moment, I felt joy and gratitude for simply being allowed to witness it. I was amazed at all the people that walked right by and didn’t give it a second glance.

Jesus knew that where we fix our eyes shapes the light we carry. When our focus rests on Him, our hearts stay full, our perspective clear, and joy grows within us. Gratitude does not deny difficulty it helps us see through the light of his faithfulness. When our eyes stay fixed on Him.

A Prayer for Perspective

“Lord, help me see the world through grateful eyes.

When my thoughts drift toward what is missing, draw me back to Your goodness.

Fill my heart with light so that I can reflect Your joy to others. Amen.”

Joy Spark

✨ List three moments today where you saw God’s light, even in the smallest details. Notice how your perspective shifts when you give thanks.