The second step in AA's program of recovery is...
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
In taking this step we first have to understand that when it comes to our drinking we are insane. We keep drinking even though we know it causes huge problems in our life and in fact is putting our life at risk. Each time we tell ourselves that this time it will be different. That is the insanity we are talking about in this step.
Once we are convinced we are insane in this way we then must admit that there is some power in the universe greater than we are, and then we must come to believe that this power could possibly restore us to sanity.
This step is not asking us to believe in God, nor is it telling us we must believe that this power will restore us to sanity - just that some power greater than us has the potential to restore us to sanity.
In other words, this step is where we dare to open up the door of doubt just a little bit and dare to believe that there just might be hope for us.
