Should Christians Embrace Herbalism?
Should Christians embrace herbalism? This is a subject which I believe time has come to approach. Let me begin by sharing that I am a passionate follower of Christ. I accepted Christ as my Savior as a small child of 8. My husband and I have been in ministry for 36 years, so I’m not a Christian newbie. I was introduced to herbal medicine in my early 20’s. I found a small book in a bookstore called Herbally Yours, by Penny C. Royal, and I’ve been intrugued every since.
Herbally Yours (Health Education)
My fascination with natural health actually began when I was in my late teens. I worked with a women who was a vegetarian, and she created the most yummy chocolate chip cookies which tasted better than anything I’d ever tasted. She shared her love for eating healthy and to be honest, she looked great. I didn’t embrace her eating lifestyle (althoughI may have avoided many health pitfalls experienced), but I think of her often and secretly thank her for the introduction.
I dabbled in my knowledge by collecting books on natural health during the years. I experienmented with my family as I created things like buckwheat pancakes (major fail), and dinner herb pancakes (another major fail). What I was learning wasn’t in the “mainstream” of childrearing or cooking during those days. It seemed like I was always going against the tide of popular opinion. There didn’t seem to be a group “like me” where I could pass information back and forth and share ideas with. The age of the internet was in the future, so information and connection was secluded and remote.
During those years, I did frequent “health food stores”, but those stores were always full of prefilled encapsulated herbs and vitamins. These stores didn’t house very much healthy food at all. Something didn’t sit right with me about this. It appeared that most health food stores were just a vitamized version of pharmacies. This wasn’t what I was searching for.
I became a registered nurse by the time I was 31. My hearts dream was to be a nurse since the age of 14, and after having birthed 3 children, I realized that dream. Even after all the scientific, evidenced based medical knowledge, I was still interested in natural health and healing. Something resonated deep within my spirit there was more to healing than modern science taught me. This realization has continued to push my study and research on this topic every since.
Christianity and Herbs
I’ve recently realized that not all Christians feel comfortable around the study of herbalism. I really didn’t understand why. This way of life was actually God-created, so to brush it aside as a Christian really needs to be researched. As I delved deeper into understanding why Christians would shy away from embracing herbalism, I began to realize many who were experts in herbalism also held deeply rooted pagan beliefs. Just because some in a pagan culture embrace herbalism, does this mean Christians should shun it? I certainly do not believe herbalism should be shunned at all!
I want to explore OUR heritage as believers in herbalism or the plant world. The very first chapter of our Holy Bible shares creation of the plant world. God GREATED this! For us! Genesis 1:11-13. KJV
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
God saw that it was GOOD! So lets just start there. God created the herb yielding seed. God created the plants, and the grass, and the herbs, and the trees. For US. The human race.
Many other scripture references related to plants and herbs.
Ezekial 47:12…And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. KJV
Psalms 104:14…He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth KJV
Genesis 9:3…Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. KJV
Genesis 1:29-31…And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. KJV
I’m wanting to establish that GOD gave us these gifts. Gifts for our enjoyment. Gifts for our nourishment. Gifts for our healing. In sharing with you my belief in learning more about these precious gifts, I’m not telling you to walk away from scientific medicine. As a nurse, I will not tell you to turn your back on modern medicine. Medicine has it’s place.
At this current time of writing, I am healing from pneumonia. Yes, I am taking antibiotics, steriods, and other prescriptions medications to assist in my healing. At the same time, I’m nourishing my body with the many gifts from God. I’ve created mullein leave infusions, (for respiratory support), elderberry syrup (for immune support), and a homemade cough syrup. (and now an update AFTER my pneumonia experience, I’m now healing from the effects of being on prescriptions meds by taking probiotics and others healing nuturing herbs)
What I am proposing is that we as Christian believers take back our healing ground; our right as believers to walk in our full inheritance of healthy victorious living and abundance.
Genesis 1:28…And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. KJV
Are we not blessed to have dominion in the earth? Dominion is the power to rule. Somewhere along the way, we as believers have given up our power to rule over these areas which directly impact us.
I was disheartened recently as I shared in a group my idea to teach a plant/herbal class related to creationism in our children’s church. There were people in the group who felt like I needed to get special permission, and even shared the possibility I might offend people or upset parents. What I found very offensive about this is we as a Christian people have falling so far away from our roots, we fear offending people in the church by teaching what God gave us? I was totally caught off guard by this. Have we honestly fallen so far away that teaching God’s provision could bring offense? I say it’s TIME to take back our healing territory. It’s time as believers to head back to the Garden…to our Roots.
This is only an introduction to my thoughts on taking back our health. I’ll be sharing how to incorporate simple herbal infusions and how to create simple stand by recipes to use in your everyday living. Learning to create nettle and oatstraw infusions to drink is as easy as making a pot of green tea. Creating tinctures and salves to have on hand in your cabinet doesn’t take long at all.
Yes. I believe Christians should embrace the healing that God has given us through His many gifts…
Be Well,
Joycelynn