Step 2 Questions: Writing Your Way to Belief
These Step 2 questions help you sort out what you actually believe about God now, what got in the way, and whether you’re willing to believe he can restore you. There are no right answers you’re supposed to give. The only goal is an honest one. Jimmy and Sarah ask these same seven, one at a time, in the app.
How to approach them
Answer in writing. Short is fine. If a question makes you angry or uneasy, write that down too. It is part of the answer.
You’ll need your own copy of the Big Book for question 6. Pages are from the 4th edition. If you haven’t yet, read We Agnostics (pp. 44–57) before you start. It’s written for people who aren’t sure.
The seven questions
1. What did you believe about God growing up?
Describe it plainly. Strict, distant, kind, absent, angry? Was God someone you prayed to, or someone you were warned about? Where did you get the picture?
2. What happened to that belief?
For some people it faded. For others something broke it: a loss, a church that hurt them, prayers that seemed to go unanswered. Name it if you can. You don’t need to fix it here.
3. Have you seen someone at a meeting get well who you thought was hopeless? Tell about them.
This is often the strongest evidence a person has in Step 2. Describe what they were like before and what they’re like now. What do they say made the difference?
4. What does “sanity” mean for you? What has your insane thinking looked like?
Think about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Write down one or two examples from your drinking where the reasoning seemed solid at the time and makes no sense now.
5. Are you willing to believe there’s a Power that can do for you what you can’t do yourself?
Notice the question isn’t “do you believe.” It’s “are you willing.” Yes, no and “I want to be” are all honest answers. If it’s “I want to be,” you are closer than you think.
6. Read p. 53. Which side are you standing on?
Read the page in your own copy. The book frames a simple choice there. Write which way you lean today and why. You can change your answer later.
7. What would you have to give up to believe God could help you?
Sometimes the obstacle isn’t doubt. It’s pride, or control, or an old grudge, or not wanting to owe anyone. Be specific.
The check before Step 3
The app asks one question before marking Step 2 complete: do you believe, or are you willing to believe, that a Power greater than yourself can restore you to sanity? If the answer is yes, even a shaky yes, you’re ready for Step 3.
“And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
That verse doesn’t ask for great faith. It asks you to come to him and believe he responds to people who look for him.
After you’ve written
Read your answers to someone who has been sober a while, or a pastor you trust. Ask them question 7 back. Then pray, even briefly. If you’d like words to start with, the Step 2 prayer has several.
For the full explanation, go to the Step 2 page. When you’re ready, the Step 3 questions move from belief to decision.
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