The Cost of Control: Why We Crave It, the Anxiety It Gives Us, and the Real Power God Promises Paperback - 2022

From the rear cover

God didn't give us control. He gave us something better.

We all wish we had more control. When our relationships are strained, when our bodies refuse to cooperate, when the future is uncertain, control promises security and peace. If only I were in charge, we dream. And this illusion seems more attainable than ever. Technology, science, and medicine all promise us ever-increasing mastery over our world.

The problem is, the more we seek the illusion of control, the more it betrays us. In place of certainty, it gives us anxiety. In place of predictability, it creates complexity. And in place of unity, it divides. It's not just that we cannot control things, it's that we break them even more when we try.

Thankfully the answer to our craving is not simply to "let go and let God." Instead, God has given us a better tool. In this eye-opening book, Sharon Hodde Miller helps us discover the real power God has given us in Christ--to exercise influence over ourselves and our lives.


"If you are like me, and you find yourself grasping for all kinds of control, this book is a breath of fresh air. Sharon takes the time to remind us of all the ways we are grasping for that control and how it's hurting us, but more importantly, she reminds us of the power we have through the Holy Spirit. This book is for every single one of us."--Jamie Ivey, bestselling author of You Be You and host of The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey podcast

"With sharp theological and psychological understanding, Sharon opens a world of insight that we desperately need to loosen the grip--or rather be freed from the grip--of the illusion of control. This book is a gift."--Rich Villodas, pastor of New Life Fellowship and author of The Deeply Formed Life