The Second Step in the Program of Recovery

2.
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity

Coming to believe that a power greater than ourselves can restore us to
sanity is much easier than it sounds once we fully grasp that Step Two
isn’t asking us to understand or define that power. All it is asking
us to understand is that alone we cannot restore ourselves to sanity.
We desperately need a power greater than us if we hope to have any sanity
in our lives.

Step One should have shown us that each time we tried to make something
sane and rational out of our lives, we failed. A good sponsor will help
us see the insanity behind our ideas and decisions. And without a power
greater than us, we will continue to fail at building a sane life. Whether
we are trying to make a living, mend a relationship, or just stop using
and drinking — without this power, there’s no hope any of
it will ever look like anything close to sanity. Without this power it
will continue to look like drama, failure, and “their fault.”

So what stops us from accepting God? Our insane prejudice. We think we
know what God is, what God should and will do for us, and what He won’t.
The sooner we come to realize we have a lot of ideas about God and that
they are probably all wrong, the better.

The Big Book promises us that “the consciousness of my belief will come to me”
as we work through the steps. This means God will reveal his power to
us as we work these steps. We will come to understand God slowly as we
write inventory, make amends, learn to meditate, etc.

If this step is difficult, use the Set Aside Prayer: “God, please
set aside everything I think I know about You, the steps, and my own sanity.
Help me see the truth so that I may have an open mind and a new experience.”

And remember, we don’t get the promise of being restored to sanity
until Step Ten. Keep going!

– Anonymous