Gratitude is a doorway to joy. I first heard the Lord speak this to me as I peered through the window of a dark basement during the 2020 COVID pandemic. As someone who isn’t naturally a homebody, I started feeling confined and gloomy. As I internally complained about being stuck in a “dungeon,” I suddenly heard the Lord speak that phrase, which continues to shape my life today.

Months after that subtle life-changing moment, I found out that the phrase the Lord spoke to me is actually biblical. It’s in the Bible! Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.” What happens when you enter through the gates? You enter His presence, right? Well, Psalm 16:11 states that there is fullness of joy in the presence of the Lord. Therefore, we can conclude that gratitude is a doorway to the Lord’s presence, where there is fullness of joy and also strength—because the joy of the Lord is our strength based on Nehemiah 8:10.

Now here I am, five years later with three small children, and the weapon of gratitude is ever important to me. When I feel frazzled by the reality of having a 3-year-old boy who is wired to be a leader, a 2-year-old girl who taste tests everything (soap and sofa crumbs included), and a 3-month-old baby girl who doesn’t quite sleep through the night, gratitude is crucial. When I practice gratitude, I suddenly start to feel my emotions shift. I go from feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated to being able to breath and even laugh.

I believe gratitude is an underestimated weapon that has the potential to shift your perspective, your emotions, and the trajectory of your life and health.