Message Minute (The Illusion of Control)

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." - Proverbs 3:5

Modern life offers unprecedented control—thermostats adjusted from phones, curated playlists, same-day deliveries. Yet anxiety levels have never been higher. The cruel irony? The more control people think they have, the more anxious they become about what they can't control.

Research shows that people with high control needs check their phones 50% more often and experience significantly more anxiety and depression. Their brains constantly scan for threats, flooding their systems with stress hormones. They're living in perpetual fight-or-flight mode, exhausting themselves trying to manage circumstances completely outside their control.

The truth is simple but profound: control is an illusion that creates anxiety. That struggling marriage, wayward teenager, uncertain career, or health scare—the desperate grip on these situations isn't creating security. It's creating exhaustion. The very things held tightest are often what's slowly destroying inner peace.

Reflection Question: What are you desperately trying to control right now? How is that attempt at control affecting your peace of mind?

Prayer: Father, I confess that I've been living like I'm in control. I've been exhausting myself trying to manage outcomes that belong to You. Help me recognize the illusion of control in my life and begin the journey toward trust. Amen.