God is Not Trying to Control You!

by Donovan Sabog on February 12, 2026

SCRIPTURE:

18 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. I am the Lord your God. 3 So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life. 4 You must obey all my regulations and be careful to obey my decrees, for I am the Lord your God. 5 If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them. I am the Lord.

Leviticus 18:1-5

 

OBSERVATION:

Humans use rules to control; God uses rules to set you free…

Of the 66 books of the Bible, Leviticus is probably not your favorite. It’s an entire book of rules, laws, and regulations––far from “light” reading. And as you read these rules, it can seem a bit oppressive, as if God is trying to control your life. “Don’t do this…do that, but only on this day…this is only acceptable if you x, y, z.” But that’s far from the case. The heart of these rules is not restriction; it is freedom.

As God says in Leviticus 18:5: “If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them.” God gave these rules to the Israelites as a roadmap to freedom. In the same way that Google Maps tells you the fastest way to your destination, these rules provide guardrails that guide you to life at its best. God doesn’t tell you to follow these rules to control you. If He wanted to control you, He would have just done it––He’s God! Nothing’s stopping Him. If He wanted control, He could have just made you into a robot. But He didn’t.  

God made you human. And on top of that, He gave you free will––the power to choose whatever you want to, even if it means you choose against His will. Why? Because God loves you, and He wants you to love Him. And if you didn’t have choice, you wouldn’t be able to love Him, for true love is impossible without a choice. These rules are not about oppression, control, or restriction––they are God’s directions to life at its best. And He doesn’t force you to follow them; He gives you a choice. Why? Because God is not trying to control you; He’s trying to lead you to choose His love, His freedom, and His best.

APPLICATION:

Just because you can choose anything doesn’t mean you should do everything––for not all roads lead to life. Use the free will that God has given you to choose life. To follow His directions to your Promised Land. And how do you do that?

  1. Let go of popularity.

Life is not a popularity contest, so stop trying to be like everyone else! As God says in Leviticus 18:3, “So do not act like the people in Egypt, where you used to live, or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.” What God is saying is don’t be like the people in your past, and don’t be controlled by the expectations of those you’ll meet in the future. Don’t let yourself be controlled by people and validated by popularity. Instead, seek to live in the approval of God. Choose to follow Him, who will never fail you, rather than people who will.

  1. Let God be your guide.

It’s not a podcast, self-help book, or leadership guru that’s going to give you “the secret to life.” There is no secret to life, because the answer is already is made known. It’s not a secret––it’s Jesus! As the song goes, “Jesus is the Answer for the world today. Above Him, there's no other, Jesus is the Way.” Let God be your guide. Live a Spirit-led life. Don’t let others, or even yourself, lead you––for you will always be led to destruction. It’s only when you let God lead you that you’re guaranteed to always find life at its best. Stop wasting your time being led astray; make the most of your life by letting God be your guide. 

  1. Let “Life” be your destination.

The destination you set for your future determines your direction for life in the present. If you let anything else but life be your destination––money, fame, fortune, popularity, validation that stems from brokenness or past wounds––then by definition, right now, you’re heading toward death or destruction. Let “life” be your destination, because Jesus is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). As God says in Leviticus 18:5, “If you obey my decrees and my regulations, you will find life through them.” God’s not guiding you to be controlled by Him; He’s leading you to be free with Him. 

Through His rules, God is not trying to control you; He’s trying to help you find Him––for He IS life. Let God’s rules guide you directly to Him, for when you do you, you will always find life.

PRAYER:

Jesus, 

You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We repent for thinking your rules, laws, and direction are about oppression. They are not; they’re about life. Today, we choose to follow You. We surrender our ways and trade them for Yours because when we do, we find You. You are all we want; have Your way in us. We love You, Lord. Thank you for loving us.

In Your name we pray,

Amen

About the Author

Donovan Sabog

Pastor Donovan Sabog joined our staff in 2020 and was appointed as our Executive Pastor in 2025. He loves God, loves people, and is passionate about helping people discover their God-given potential, release their dreams, and become all God created them to be.

Donovan grew up at New Hope Oahu and has been a part of this church with his family since 2004. Starting from a young age, he served on our Worship, Youth Performing Arts Center, NHO Music, and Children’s Ark teams, and he led our Lighting Team through its transition from Farrington High School to our Ministry Center when he was a high school student at Punahou School. 

These experiences led him to Yale University, where he received B.A. degrees with distinction in Economics and History, and worked as Head Recruitment Coordinator and Senior Presenter for Yale Undergraduate Admissions. While at Yale, he performed in the Yale Spizzwinks and Yale Whiffenpoofs a cappella groups, traveling with these groups to 25 states and 35 countries across all six inhabited continents. Donovan also received his M.A. in Formational Leadership from Lancaster Bible College and Capital Seminary.

Prior to New Hope, Donovan was a management consultant in New York City and has held various internships in finance, investment, education, government, and strategic policy at various firms in Hawaii. 

When he's not at church, you’ll probably find him eating a plate lunch (Garlic Chicken or Tonkatsu…with white rice and mac salad, of course), on a plane headed to serve the global Church on mission, or loving on people God places in his path.

Donovan is grateful to serve God, serve you, and do church as a team here at NHO. And if there’s one thing Donovan hopes that you always remember, it’s that “YOU ARE LOVED!”

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” - Ephesians 3:20-21 NIV

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