CLAY CENTER – “Tom, do you believe in God?” I asked. “Yes and no,” he responded. “I believe there is a God, but I choose to believe in my Higher Power.” Most Americans still believe in God, but the numbers have been on a steady decline for decades. A Gallup poll reported in 1944, that 96% of American’s believed in God, but 78 years later in 2022 it dropped to a record low of 81%. Interestingly, when pollsters in another survey added a question about belief in a Higher Power, the numbers jumped to 88%.
Billy Wilson, founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, included God in the 12 steps he wrote in 1938. Step 5, he penned “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” Before publication others advised him to describe “God” as a “Higher Power” that it might be more inclusive of those who are atheists, agnostics and nonreligious, so step 2 was written as “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”
Alcoholics Anonymous Cleveland writes about this problem with God, “The word God means something different to just about everyone that is having difficulty with it.” The consensus of a Higher Power being something greater than yourself covers a lot of area. It can be the god of your choosing like Allah, Buddhism, Hinduism or the God of the Bible. It can also be any type of force, universal energy, some inherent goodness, nature or a variety of other spiritual higher powers.
Many find comfort believing in a Higher Power because it gives them an alternative to how they were raised, brings flexibility to their beliefs and allows them to live how they choose. It is also not as offensive. Yet, in many cases their spiritual power has no clear description of who it is, nor what it does or does not do.
God bluntly speaks to this kind of belief: “They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.” (Psalm 115:4-8)
What is God’s alternative then? He says in verse 9, “…trust in the Lord!” He explains this more, “There is…one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6)
These are not my words, but God’s, who is the Supreme Being of the universe. He holds it all together. He is the Higher Power, for there is no one higher nor more powerful than Him. Yes, for many it is offensive, because God’s words are exclusionary. That makes many want to resist, push back and argue against it. However, is it true? Test it. Place your Higher Power up against the Lord God and see what you come away with.
No matter if you are struggling with an ongoing addiction, the aftermath of a tragedy or overwhelmed by a crisis – God is your only true hope. He alone has what you need to overcome and persevere. The Bible says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord…He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
How can we know this truth for sure? Because He sent His unique Son from heaven to earth to reveal Himself to all the world. Jesus is described as “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) Jesus is what you and many others are searching for. Let Him be your Higher Power.
A prayer for you – Lord God, I pray people would recognize you as the One True God. Help them with their questions and doubts. Reveal to them who you are. Show them your only Son. Bring them to believe in you with all their heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Clint Decker is president of Great Awakenings. Share comments at cdecker@greatawakenings.org and follow his blog at clintdecker.blogspot.com.
