A Message from Troy
July 2026
The Mirage That Always Disappoints
Dear Friend,
There it is again.
Like a mirage in the desert as I seek to quench my overwhelming thirst, the temptation to believe that this time I can do better reappears. With more knowledge, deeper determination, and sincere effort, I can bring about my own safety and sanctification.
It never works, though.
Just as addiction promises relief but delivers bondage, self-reliant striving promises transformation but delivers exhaustion. Both are counterfeit saviors, yet neither can satisfy. They leave me empty, still thirsty, and longing for hope.
Zechariah 4:6 declares, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord Almighty. God’s words reveal how easily I drift back into believing the opposite. My default setting is, “I can do it if I just try harder.”
Why is this temptation so persistent? I believe there are five contributing factors.
- I don’t fully believe God is as present, good, and for me as He says He is. Intellectually, I know He loves me. But when life becomes uncertain, painful, or overwhelming, my functional theology changes. I begin acting as though everything depends on me. If I don’t make it happen, it won’t happen.
- Control feels safer than dependence. Letting go means embracing uncertainty, and uncertainty heightens my fear and exposes my vulnerability. Trying harder gives me the illusion of control, even when it isn’t actually changing anything. It feels safer to grip the steering wheel than to trust the One who has never let me down.
- I keep believing the false promise that more effort will produce the life only God can give. I’ve spent much of my life believing that if I just learn more, work harder, or become more disciplined, I’ll finally arrive. Yet that path has never produced the lasting freedom I long to experience. At best, it offers temporary victories that feel like progress but eventually leave me disappointed and reaching for more effort. It is a mirage that promises transformation but never delivers.
- Pain makes relief feel more urgent than trust. Whether it’s addiction, busyness, perfectionism, or relentless striving, I often look for something that will help me escape discomfort rather than remain with God in it. My heart naturally seeks immediate relief instead of patient dependence. In the face of pain, I abandon trust and make soothing that pain my only goal.
- Dependence begins with admitting the very thing my pride resists: I cannot change myself. My recovery journey has taught me this lesson repeatedly. Knowledge alone is not enough. External pressure is not enough. Even sincere effort cannot accomplish what only God can do. Lasting freedom begins when I become honest about my need and allow God and others to walk alongside me. The Christian life isn’t harder than I imagined; it’s impossible apart from Christ.
Perhaps that’s because Jesus never calls us to become more self-sufficient. He calls us to abide in Him, rest in His presence, and trust that His strength is enough.
The invitation has never been to know more so we can try harder and do better. Rather, we are called to seek His presence, trust His timing, and obey what He has already revealed. Transformation is not manufactured by our determination; it is cultivated through our dependence.
If you find yourself chasing the same mirage, pause and ask yourself: What am I trusting to satisfy me that only God can provide? Then, one small step at a time, loosen your grip on control and place your confidence where it belongs. The water you have been searching for has always been found in Christ.
Grateful…
Troy Haas
Chief Executive Officer
The HopeQuest Ministry Group