Prominent TV personality and adventurer Bear Grylls says his faith in Jesus changed him "from the inside out" and encourages people to give Christ a chance as he did.
Grylls wrote a column published by The Times on Saturday titled "To be fully understood, the Christian faith must be tried." Grylls, known for hosting the reality TV show "Man vs. Wild," said his exploration of Christianity dates back to when he was a teenager.
"When I was a young teenager, I heard a visiting vicar at my school say: 'Jesus Christ came to kill religion and bring life,'" he recalled. "On one hand, religion always seemed the source of war, division and conflict. On the other, whenever I came across stories about Jesus, he seemed to be about peace, kindness, sacrifice, freedom and affirmation."
The celebrity adventurer said he "read up about this Jesus person," discovering that "whoever [Christ] met — rich, poor, sick, healthy, preacher or prostitute, powerful leader or simple fisherman — no one ever seemed to walk away unchanged." Grylls put himself into this category, reflecting on how his relationship with Jesus would "truly change" him "from the inside out."
Grylls said that explaining the Christian faith is like describing "ice cream or swimming," insisting that "it has to be tried to be felt."
"[M]y Christian faith has strengthened me in so many battles I've faced in life," Grylls, 50, said.
"In years gone by, I have ignored my faith and tried to do life without it," Grylls admitted. "I have tried to be strong only in myself. But I have found that my heart is restless until I open the door to Christ again. I have discovered that we lose our power when we try to live on our own strength alone. I really need His helping hand, His peace within and that quiet assurance."
Grylls repeatedly drew a parallel between his Christian faith and his chosen career path, suggesting they work in tandem.
"My Christian faith helps me to live more adventurously, be bold and take risks, but also to care and encourage, to love and support those closest to me and hopefully beyond as well. It's easy to be cynical about faith and to push difficult issues and questions aside. But to explore is good. To question is wise. To seek truth is courageous."
"To choose to have a faith takes courage," Grylls added. "All too often it is the tougher path, but life and the wild have taught me that the tougher path often ends up being the most fulfilling one."
Grylls urged readers to "be brave" as well as "bend the knee, close your eyes and ask for help." According to Grylls, "It's a beautiful, humble, powerful thing to do. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain."
Saturday's op-ed is not the first time Grylls has used his public platform to discuss his Christian faith.
In 2019, Grylls released a 365-day devotional called Soul Fuel. A description of the book highlights how it contains "the backstories behind many of his most daring expeditions and how his faith gave him the purpose and power to carry on" and "explores themes of hope, courage, risk, heaven, and more."
In an interview with The Christian Post last year, Grylls said, "Christ has been a light to a dark path and strength to a failing body."
"Through many valleys and summits, jungles and deserts, He's always there," Grylls said. "For me, it's not a Sunday thing. I really need Him every day. That's how I kind of approach life."
Grylls has developed a friendship with actor Russell Brand and assisted in Brand's baptism in the River Thames last year.
