It's not exacting control onto us but control onto Himself. God could very easily take control of our actions whenever he wants to, but He loves us. It is His belief in us shown in everything that we do. In truth, He could wave a hand to have us all believe in him, but that is not belief in a person.

Believing in someone because you are forced to believe in them, because you are given a command to believe in them is not belief. That is not love. That is nothing but hatred for another person.