On her wedding day, Gloria couldn’t stop wondering if her husband would one day break his vows.
When Juan became a father for the first time, he felt the tension between a deep love and the fear of becoming attached to someone he could lose.
Carina received a job promotion on the same day she found out that an art gallery wanted to feature her favorite hobby’s work. That night, as she lay in bed, the only thought running through her mind was: “This seems too good. Something bad has to be coming.”
What Gloria, Juan, and Carina have in common is that something within them prevents them from being fully present and enjoying the good that God is giving them. Some personalities seem naturally inclined to expect the worst from situations and people. Even in pleasant circumstances or with trustworthy people, there’s an inner alarm that warns them to be cautious of good things—because bad ones must surely follow.
Others have lived through painful breakups or traumatic experiences, learning to constantly analyze, anticipate, and guard against risk to avoid pain. Whether rooted in personality or past experiences, this habit leads to a tendency to distrust the good and anticipate the bad. It’s not easy to turn off—and for Christians, this mindset can quietly sabotage the journey of walking in freedom and joy.
When fear becomes a habit
Many times, difficult experiences in childhood when a person lacks the maturity to interpret events objectively cause a deep imprint. The lack of emotional resources during that stage can make someone grow up with a “sixth sense” for detecting threats, living in hyper-vigilance, and even suspecting danger during life’s best moments.
Have you ever felt genuine joy while a small, hidden voice whispered warnings?
Do you believe that every good thing must be followed by something bad?
Have you thought that “good” can’t really be that good—because trouble must be next?
A spiritual issue at its core
While personality and life experience play a role, the inability to enjoy the present is profoundly a spiritual problem. It’s impossible to be a true disciple of Christ and live a life dominated by this seemingly “protective” fear.
Jesus is the compass that guides us to God’s perfect design. He modeled the ability to enjoy beautiful moments even when His darkest hour was just around the corner. We could say that Jesus lived the best experiences a person could have—fully aware that the worst suffering imaginable was approaching. But His knowledge of the future did not turn into anxiety or hyper-vigilance.
He was able to remain present—enjoying His friends’ company—even knowing they would abandon Him in His most painful moment.
Learning from Jesus’ peace
Following Jesus doesn’t shield us from pain; we will still face trials and suffering. Yet the gentle rhythm He offers us as disciples invites us to be fully present in moments of joy, to receive life’s beauty with open and grateful hands.
The truth is that suffering will come. No matter how much we try to prepare, we must still walk through the valley to reach the other side. Constant mental preparation only robs us of the chance to experience the peace of God that floods our emotions.
Maybe Jesus’ way of preparing for hardship was indirect. He faced pain not by overthinking it, but by cultivating a life of communion with God, love for others, rest, and fellowship with believers.
If you think you can prepare for hard times by imagining every possible scenario, ask yourself: Is that actually working?
Have you seen any benefit in constantly worrying about what might happen?
It seems that God’s way of preparing us is through relationship—by growing in intimacy with Him.
Choosing peace over control
Practically speaking, every time you receive a blessing, remember that it comes from the only One who can give good gifts. Each time you’re in a peaceful season, accept it with gratitude, knowing that the same Provider will sustain you when waves of pain and confusion come.
Instead of thinking more to “get ready,” you can follow Jesus’ rhythm of rest and trust.
There’s another way to live—completely opposite to the world’s way. God offers us the ability to enjoy what He gives, one day at a time. You can experience all the good in this life by releasing the illusion of control.
Today is a good day to enjoy what you have—as an expression of gratitude to the Giver of every blessing.