From Skeptic to Believer: My Journey Through the 12 Steps and Why 12 Steps Offer a Surprising Path of Transformation with Ian Cron
Nearly two decades ago, as I pursued my psychology degree with a focus on marriage therapy, one of the prerequisites for completing the program and starting my internship was attending a 12-step recovery meeting. I remember thinking, Why would I need to do this? My prideful, self-assured heart didn’t see the need. To me, those meetings were for “other people”—people with problems far removed from my own.
It wasn’t until years later, during a wilderness season in my life, that I came to realize just how wrong I had been. About eight years ago, I hit rock bottom—a place where everything I thought I knew about myself, my life, and even my faith felt like it was slipping through my fingers. That’s when I knew I needed help, but not just any help. I needed community, accountability, and a path toward healing.
I decided to pursue healing through Re:Generation, a Christ-centered 12-step recovery program based out of Watermark Church. Walking into that room for the first time, I had no idea what to expect. I found not judgment or condemnation, but brokenness and beauty—real people, sharing real struggles, and finding real hope. Their vulnerability shattered my illusions of self-sufficiency. Their restoration stories reminded me that God is always faithful, even in the darkest valleys.
For a season, I immersed myself in the 12-step process. Each step helped me untangle layers of pride, pain, and pretense. I began to see the light of God’s provision, even in the deep uncertainty. That season taught me that recovery isn’t just for “those people”—it’s for all of us. Every one of us is recovering from something: pride, control, fear, addiction, or the wounds life inevitably brings.
Recently, I had the privilege of sitting down with Ian Cron on the Whole Hearted Leadership podcast to discuss the transformative power of 12-step programs. We explored his discovery of how everyone can benefit from this process regardless of their story. The core of our conversation was simple yet profound: healing happens in the community. Restoration, renewal, strength, and vitality are born in relationships that point us back to God’s love and grace.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, broken, or overwhelmed, I encourage you to find a group like Re:Generation or a similar program. You may not see the light at the end of the tunnel today, but I promise, it’s there. The process might feel slow and messy, but it’s in those steps—one after another—that God meets you, restores you, and strengthens you.
I hope you’ll listen to today’s podcast episode with Ian Cron, where we dive deeper into this topic and his new book The Fix: How the Twelve Steps Offer Surprising Path of Transformation for the Well-Adjusted, the Down-and-Out, and Everyone in Between. And no matter where you are in life, remember this: true healing and transformation happen in the context of meaningful, life-giving relationships.
God’s presence and provision have already gone before you.
