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

I dont know about you, but for the last few years, I have been doing war with my longing for control. And honestly Ive been losing. One huge part of the problem is that were not having conversations about how the gospel is the balm for our desire to keep it all together. No one is talking about how Gods Word is the lamp our feet so desperately need because were fumbling and falling over our own self-sufficiency. Instead, were praised when playing with the idol of control. Enter Sharon. She is our wise pal, our gentle and knowledgeable pastor friend. With care, curiosity, and boldness shes leading us to lay down control in a kingdom way. I am so grateful. Please read this book.

Jess Connolly , author of Breaking Free from Body Shame and You Are the Girl for the Job

In The Cost of Control Sharon is at her best. Her theologically rich words are wise, helpful, and transformative. Discover the freedom you were created for.

Dr. Derwin L . Gray , cofounder of Transformation Church and author of How to Heal Our Racial Divide

We live in an anxious culture, and at the core of it is our need to be in control. Even more, society disciples us into an anxiety-ridden life, forming us to believe that more control is the solution. With sharp theological and psychological understanding, Sharon shows us how faulty this thinking is and opens a world of insight that we desperately need to loosen the gripor rather be freed from the gripof the illusion of control. This book is a gift.

Rich Villodas , pastor of New Life Fellowship and author of The Deeply Formed Life

Sharon Hodde Miller is a voice every leader needs to be listening to. Sharons mix of confession, theological insight, and observations about the human condition in The Cost of Control are convicting, helpful, and liberating.

Carey Nieuwhof , speaker, podcaster, and bestselling author of At Your Best

I am more and more convinced that self-awareness is a good start on the road to freedom, but what we really need is a trusted guide offering us a path. In The Cost of Control Sharon Hodde Miller skillfully takes a deep dive into controlwhy we want it, how we wield it, and how it gets hold of us. With plenty of study, keen observation, and confession, Sharon offers us a way to explore our own control dynamics so we can be freed from their grip. I appreciate how Sharon first shows us what control offers us (which is why we want it) before showing us the cost of it and ultimately how we can yield it to God. The Cost of Control is timely and essential for thriving nowadays.

Steve Cuss , pastor and author of Managing Leadership Anxiety

You might not think of yourself as a person who struggles with control. Think again. In this illuminating book, Sharon Hodde Miller offers a thoughtful, well-researched guide on the oldest sin of humankind and how that sin infects all of us. Her clarion call to name our control issuesand then to unravel ourselves from themcouldnt come at a better time for our culture. Sharon is a respected truthteller, and the kind of truth she deals in here will surely set you free.

Jennifer Dukes Lee , author of Its All Under Control and Growing Slow

In The Cost of Control Sharon Hodde Miller explains that our need to control everything around us comes with a cost to our spiritual, physical, and emotional health. At a time when so many of us feel out of control, this book will help bring a necessary release. Sharon doesnt just give her advice, she gives you her pastoral presence. What if where you are right now is exactly where God can most lead you?

Heather Thompson Day , author of Its Not Your Turn