“Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
Step Two in Alcoholics Anonymous threw me a lifeline I wasn’t expecting. Thanks to my incredibly spiritual mom, I had a strong foundation in Christianity. But the God I grew up with felt distant, a judgemental figure on a throne. Going to that first meeting, I braced myself for another round of “thou shalt nots” and fire and brimstone.
Then, the magic words: “A Higher Power of your understanding.” My clenched fist of resistance popped open. This wasn’t about fitting into someone else’s box of belief. This was about finding my own truth, a God that fit me, not the other way around. Suddenly, Step Two wasn’t a hurdle, it was a wide-open door. I embarked on a personal exploration, peeking into different religions and philosophies. It wasn’t about finding the “one right answer,” but about discovering the essence that resonated with my soul. And guess what? I found it – not in a single place, but woven throughout the tapestry of human belief. My Higher Power became a beautiful collage, a reflection of the universe’s vastness and the power of love, connection and goodness that flows through all people and things.
The Set Aside Prayer
God, today help me set aside everything I think I know about You,
everything I think I know about myself,
everything I think I know about others,
and everything I think I know about my own recovery,
so I may have an open mind and a new experience with all these things.
Please help me see the truth.
From the AA Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions
The Wide Hoop: A Story for Step Two
When Tom walked into his first proper A.A. meeting, he was already feeling raw. The truth had finally sunk in: he was an alcoholic, and his life was unmanageable. He had come to accept Step One—but Step Two? That was something else entirely.
As he flipped through the Big Book, reading the words “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity,” he felt a surge of resistance rise up in him.
“You’ve convinced me I’m powerless,” he muttered to his sponsor, Mike, “and now you’re telling me only God can save me? What if I don’t believe in God? What if I can’t?”
Mike chuckled, not unkindly.
“You know, that’s exactly what I said when I first came around. You’re not alone. A.A. isn’t here to convert you. We’re just here to show you what worked for us.”
Tom was surprised. He’d expected judgment, maybe pressure to believe something he didn’t. Instead, Mike told him a story—not about religion, but about experience.
You Don’t Have to Believe—Just Be Willing
Mike had been a self-proclaimed atheist when he came into A.A.
“I used to think man was the pinnacle of evolution, the only god worth worshipping. I thought all this ‘Higher Power’ stuff was nonsense.”
But over time, as he watched others recover, he began to see something different—something that worked, even if he couldn’t explain it.
“I started with one simple thing,” Mike said.
“I kept an open mind.”
The Only Requirement is an Open Mind
That idea stuck with Tom. Maybe he didn’t need to believe right now.
Maybe he just needed to stop arguing. Maybe all he had to do was be willing to believe that something—anything—might help him.
“I made A.A. my Higher Power at first,” Mike explained.
“I couldn’t deny that the group had more power over alcohol than I did. That was enough to get me started.”
Faith Doesn’t Have to Look Religious
Tom listened to stories from others in the room—stories of people who once had faith and lost it, who felt let down by religion, or who thought they were too smart to believe in anything unseen.
“We were full of pride,” someone shared.
“We hid behind intellect or resentment. But deep down, we were just scared.”
Tom realised these weren’t churchgoers trying to convert him. These were alcoholics, like him, who had found something that kept them sober. And that something wasn’t a demand—it was a gift, given freely once they let go of the fight.
We All Come From Somewhere Different—But We Meet Here
There was the man who once scoffed at faith, the woman angry at God for a child she lost, and the one who thought he was devout, but couldn’t stop drinking.
Each one had a turning point—not when they “got religion,” but when they became willing to be humble, to ask for help, and to stop insisting they had all the answers.
“We weren’t being asked to believe in the impossible,” said one old-timer.
“We were being asked to admit that maybe we didn’t know everything—and that maybe, just maybe, something greater than us could help.”
Real Faith Comes Through Action
As Tom kept coming back, he began to see what real faith looked like.
It wasn’t flashy or loud. It was in the way people made amends. The way they supported newcomers. The way they stayed sober through heartbreak, loss, and life’s chaos.
They had something he wanted. And they had found it by walking through the Steps—starting with Step Two.
Step Two Is a New Beginning
Tom didn’t have a lightning-bolt moment. No voice from the sky.
But he stopped fighting. He listened. He remained open. And little by little, he began to believe—not because someone told him to, but because he saw it work.
“I don’t know exactly when it happened,” he later shared.
“But I came to believe. I really did. And once I stopped trying to control it, everything started to change.”
What Tom Learned About Step Two
- You don’t need full belief—just willingness and honesty.
- Let go of pride, resentment, and the need to have all the answers.
- Lean on the group, and borrow their faith until you have your own.
- Start cleaning house—real faith grows through action, not words.
- Everyone’s path to belief is different, but all are welcome.
And so it was, the beginning of the end of Tom’s old life… and the beginning of something entirely new. 🙏
Excerpts From Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book
In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, there isn’t a single dedicated chapter for Step Two. However, the concepts of Step Two are woven throughout the book, particularly in the chapters that discuss the nature of alcoholism and the powerlessness experienced by alcoholics. Here are some key sections to focus on for Step Two:
- Chapter 2 – “There Is a Solution” (Page 23)
- Paragraph 1: This paragraph introduces the concept of a “Power greater than ourselves” and the idea that it can restore us to sanity.
- Chapter 3 – “More About Alcoholism” (Pages 30-39)
- This entire chapter explores the nature of alcoholism, emphasizing its powerlessness and the unmanageability it creates in our lives.
- Specifically, consider:
- Page 34, Paragraph 4: Discusses the “insanity of our alcoholic thinking and acting.”
- Page 35, Paragraph 3: Talks about how our best efforts fail against alcoholism.
- Chapter 4 – “Spiritual Experience” (Pages 40-44)
- This chapter introduces the concept of a “Higher Power” and how some members found a solution through spiritual connection.
- Consider Page 44, Paragraph 4: Shares an example of finding a Higher Power.
Remember:
- These are just a few key references. Reading the entire Chapters 2, 3, and 4 is recommended for a deeper understanding.
- The Big Book also emphasizes the importance of sharing experiences at meetings. Hearing how others found their Higher Power can be a valuable part of Step Two.
The Open Door
I stood at the edge of myself,
braced for thunder,
for laws carved in stone,
and skies split by wrath.
I had known a God of distance,
robed in glory,
crowned in fire,
watching from a throne I could never reach.
But the circle was quiet.
No altars,
no sermons,
only a voice,
gentle as water:
“A Higher Power of your understanding.”
The earth shifted.
The chains in my chest loosened.
My fist,
once curled around anger,
opened to the sky.
This was not surrender to a stranger’s god,
not the old hunger for approval,
not the cracked mirror of guilt.
This was freedom,
to seek,
to question,
to find the sacred
not in answers,
but in wonder.
I wandered,
through chants and candles,
through silence and song,
through temples and tear-stained prayers,
that rose like incense from all corners of the soul.
I saw God,
not as a judge,
but as the stillness between heartbeats,
the laughter of children,
the kindness of strangers,
the voice that said,
you are enough.
Step Two was not a step.
It was a turning,
a falling inward
toward the infinite.
Not a throne,
but a river.
Not a law,
but a light.
I did not find God.
I recognised the Presence,
that had been waiting,
patient as the dawn,
in every act of love.
And so,
I walk,
not toward perfection,
but toward wholeness,
guided not by fear,
but by faith
that flows,
formless,
through everything.
The Home Work Bit
Exploration:
- Reflection:
- Write your current beliefs or lack thereof regarding a Higher Power.
- Questions to consider:
- “Have you ever felt there might be a power greater than yourself?”
- “What are some of the things you value or find awe-inspiring in life?”
- “Have you ever had an experience that made you feel a sense of connection to something bigger than yourself?”
- Inventory:
- Consider times in your life when you felt powerless over alcohol or other situations.
- Think about how you tried to manage on your own and the results of those attempts.
Exposure:
- Readings:
- Read or listen to the relevant sections of the Big Book on Step Two (Chapter 2, Pages 23 & 30-39, Chapter 4, Pages 40-44).
- Read other spiritual or philosophical texts that might resonate with you.
- Meetings:
- Attend meetings where members share their experiences of finding a Higher Power. This can provide a variety of perspectives and inspiration, Step 11 sunrise meetings are good.
Open-mindedness:
- Let Go of Fixed Ideas:
- Be open to the possibility of a Higher Power existing in a way they may not have considered before.
- Two is about coming to believe, not necessarily having all the answers.
Remember:
Step Two is a process, not a destination. The goal is for you to develop a sense of faith or reliance on something greater than yourself that can help you in your recovery.
Further listening:
AA Speaker – Chris S. – All about Step Two
