Is Freedom Found in Control… or in Yielding?

Real freedom didn’t come when I tightened my grip—it came when I opened my hands and let Him lead.

A Conversation About Letting Go, Trusting Christ, and Living Free

“Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” – 2 Corinthians 3:17
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free… walk by the Spirit.” – Galatians 5:1, 16

A Conversation After a Long Day of “Keeping It Together”

Alex:
Sometimes I think the more I try to control my thoughts, my emotions, my habits—the more tangled up I feel. It’s like I’m constantly managing myself so I don’t fall apart. But that doesn’t feel like freedom—it feels like a full-time job.

Me:
That used to be my everyday life. I thought spiritual maturity meant keeping everything in line—controlling my mind, filtering every word, staying “on top” of sin. But the more I tried to tighten my grip, the more frustrated I became. Eventually, I realized I was trying to be free by relying on the very thing I was supposed to surrender: myself.

Alex’s View: Freedom Comes From Managing Myself Well

Alex sighs. “But don’t we have to take control of our lives? I mean, Proverbs 25:28 says, ‘Like a city without walls is a man without self-control.’ And Galatians 5 lists self-control as a fruit of the Spirit. Isn’t discipline a big part of walking in freedom?”

He flips through a few verses:

• 1 Corinthians 9:27 – “I discipline my body and keep it under control…”

• Titus 2:12 – “Live self-controlled, upright and godly lives…”

• Colossians 3:5 – “Put to death what is earthly in you…”

“To me,” Alex says, “freedom feels like being in control. Otherwise, it’s chaos.”

My Response: Real Freedom Isn’t Me Controlling Me—It’s Christ Leading Me

“You’re right that self-control is a fruit,” I say, “but the key is—it’s a fruit of the Spirit, not the flesh. It doesn’t come from me trying to control myself. It comes from yielding to Christ within me.”

I turn to Galatians 5:16 – “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
And 2 Corinthians 3:17 – “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

“Freedom isn’t found in perfect control—it’s found in perfect dependence. You weren’t designed to be the master of your own soul. You were designed to be a vessel, a branch, a dwelling place. When you let go of control and yield to the Spirit, He produces the life you could never control your way into.”

Control vs. Yielding: One Binds, One Frees

Alex leans on the table. “But letting go feels… scary. Like I’m giving up responsibility.”

“It’s actually the most responsible thing you can do,” I say. “Because you’re not letting go into nothing—you’re yielding to Someone. The Spirit of Christ in you. He doesn’t lead you into passivity—He leads you into rest and power.”

“Romans 8:14 says, ‘Those who are led by the Spirit are the sons of God.’ That means your job isn’t to tighten your grip—it’s to listen, trust, and respond. That’s how fruit is born. That’s how freedom flows.”

A Grace-Oriented Appeal

If your version of freedom feels like constant management—constant control—it might not be freedom at all.

Jesus didn’t save you so you could master yourself. He saved you so He could live in you and express His life through you.

The Spirit doesn’t offer freedom by handing you a better set of rules. He offers it by becoming your Source—moment by moment, thought by thought.

So today, instead of asking, “How can I stay in control?”
Ask, “Lord, I yield to You. Live freely through me.”

Because the truest freedom isn’t found in holding tight—it’s found in letting go.

Photo Credit: Image sourced from Unsplash.com