Bear Grylls, the British adventurer and television host, is encouraging others to learn more about faith in Jesus Christ.
In a column published by The Times titled, “To be fully understood, the Christian faith must be tried,” Grylls detailed his own experiences with Christianity, which he says has changed him “from the inside out.”
Grylls said he was first introduced to religion as a teenager. He approached religion with skepticism at first, but felt fascinated by stories about the ministry of Jesus Christ.
He started studying the life of Christ, and while he was still unsure about faith-related rules, Grylls was impressed by the impact Christ had on people — “no one ever seemed to walk away unchanged” by an interaction with Christ, Grylls noted.
While still a teenager, Grylls said a “quiet prayer” in his backyard garden, asking for confirmation that Jesus Christ was real and if so, to stay close to him and help him. To Grylls, this prayer represented an acorn of faith, which eventually grew into an oak tree, he said.
“For me, having a Christian faith can be difficult to articulate. It’s like describing ice cream or swimming — it has to be tried to be felt. In a nutshell, my Christian faith has strengthened me in so many battles I’ve faced in life," Grylls wrote.
He continued, “At heart, my Christian faith tells me I will never walk alone, and that I have the light of the Almighty within me. The most beautiful part is that this gift is given to any of us freely when we simply ask. And I’ve witnessed it change so many lives over the years.”
Grylls is known for hosting extreme adventure shows which flex his survival skills such as “Man vs. Wild,” “Running Wild with Bear Grylls” and “The Island with Bear Grylls.”
He said his faith has helped him, “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.”
Soon, he will host “The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls,” a spinoff featuring cast members from the biblical drama “The Chosen.”
In a 2024 interview with The Christian Post, Grylls said he hopes the upcoming series will help audiences, “to know the real people” behind the characters in “The Chosen” and “show their real journey.”
Grylls concluded his Times column encouraging readers to pray and give Christianity a chance.
“To choose to have a faith takes courage,” he wrote. “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.”
“So be brave. Bend the knee, close your eyes and ask for help. It’s a beautiful, humble, powerful thing to do. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”