Read:
"I just want what's best for them."
"Things would go so much smoother if they'd listen to me."
"Someone has to be the responsible one."
Control usually disguises itself as love. You tell yourself you just want what's best—for your kids, your spouse, your friend. But somewhere along the way, "I care about you" became "I care about you doing things my way." And the people you're trying to love end up feeling micromanaged.
When the Bible describes love, it includes this: love does not demand its own way (1 Corinthians 13:5, NLT). Real love makes room for another person to be different from you—to make their own choices, even ones you wouldn't make. Control tries to script the other person. Love trusts God enough to release the grip.
Here's what's usually underneath control: fear. Fear that if you let go, things will fall apart. But grasping tighter won't bring someone closer. If anything, it will push them away. What relationships really need is trust. What would it look like to trade control for trust this week?
Pray: God, I can be controlling to the people I love. Help me loosen my grip to the fear underneath it and trust you with the outcomes I can't manage. Teach me to love people freely, the way you love me. Amen.