What is a Higher Power?

The notion of a "Higher Power" plays an essential role in 12-Step Recovery: "The alcoholic, at times," declares the AA Big Book, "has no effective mental defense against the first drink. Except in a few rare cases, neither he nor any other human being can provide such a defense. His defense must come from a Higher Power" (page 43).

In some ways, "Higher Power" is a potentially misleading expression. If all this means is that there is some "power" that's "stronger than me," it's easy to name a "Higher Power." For instance, the force of gravity is a power stronger than me. But will this stronger power fit the therapeutic, spiritual role which a "Higher Power" is supposed to play in 12-Step recovery? Of course not--plenty of physicists are alcoholics, despite their acknowledgement that gravity (or electricity or the Higgs boson) is a power "greater [stronger] than themselves."

So, what did the founders of AA mean by a "Higher Power"? Well, the founders of AA were also focused Bible-readers. And, lo and behold, we find the phrase "higher power" in the New Testament book of Romans (13:1-2, KJV):

13 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

The context makes the idea of a "Higher Power" clear: When we choose a Higher Power, this isn't just admitting that there are impersonal forces stronger than us. Rather, we're choosing an authority whose directions we will willingly obey.

Seen this way, belief in a Higher Power (Step 2) and "turning our will and lives over to" that Higher Power (Step 3) become specific--and serious. A "Higher Power" is, simply, a being we acknowledge as having the right to command our obedience.

This word, "right," deserves a bit of attention. There are plenty of times when people command our obedience merely out of might (force).  We obey an armed mugger, for instance, not because he has a right to our money--but only because he has the might to cause us harm if we don't obey.

So, in sum, a "Higher Power" isn't just a stronger, or larger, power. It's a higher authority to which we concede the right to command our obedience. As I understand it, this is what it means to "surrender our will" to a Higher Power.