“Man is a product of his thoughts, what he believes, he becomes”
– Mahatma Gandhi.
In our experience most people who do a herb course like this have an underlying belief in the effectiveness of herbalism as a healing modality. And that, as Mahatma Gandhi hints, is critical to what you’ll get from this course.
Few people however have a clearly defined idea of where exactly herbalism, or any other healing modality for that matter, fits into a Biblical worldview. And with that comes the very real and grave danger that you might be here because you have unreasonably high expectations of herbalism. Or you might be here because you have a misguided view of your role in the healing process.
In the Advanced Herbal Medicine Making Course this voluntary module attempts to explain:
“How/where herbology fits into a Biblical worldview wherein God is the Ultimate Healer.”
Now before you roll your eyes, and shout “Get out of here! You are totally out of your line, not to say out of your league! This is a herbal medicine making course.” Or even worse, before you trash this course, allow us to stress that the first two lessons are not required study material. As in the Advanced Course, it is voluntary.
So, if exploring the Christian view of your role as Family Herbalist / Health Coach, and the role of herbalism in healing makes you uncomfortable, you can safely mark this unit and the next one as done.
Faith and Healing
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as:
“More than simply the absence of illness. It is the active state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being.”
At first glance, most people will agree with this definition. But if you look at it carefully you’ll note that something is amiss. Either by oversight or by deliberation. That which sets man apart from the rest of God’s creation is not part of health as defined by the WHO.
And with that, the role of faith in bringing about this state is also being discounted. The ‘stuff that miracles are made of’ is swept under the carpet.
Not that there can be any doubt that contemporary medical drugs and treatments provide us with miracles of treatment. Much suffering has been relieved and countless lives saved. This cannot be denied and we would not want to belittle the value within high tech medicine.
But what is the nature of healing? What does it take to heal?
“In my view, there are four essential qualities of a healer: trust, faith, love, and humility,” wrote Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, M.D., in her essay “The Four Pillars of Healing.” These qualities she says, affect the patient in a positive way, causing his or her own faith and trust to rise.
Why is your faith so important to healing?
Why is this intangible element so vital to the healing process?
“After all,” says Tom Monte, editor of Natural Health magazine, “if we take a strictly materialistic view of life and healing, drugs alone should be sufficient to bring about the desired results. But this is not the case as we all know. In order for anyone to be healed, he or she must have faith and trust that healing is possible and that the medicine being offered will bring about such healing.”
This hints at something mysterious and powerful in each of us that plays a pivotal role in determining our state of health and even our longevity. Monte (1997)
One of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine, Hippocrates (ca. 460 BC – ca. 370 BC), who is also considered the “father of medicine”, acknowledged the existence of this “spiritual dimension” when he said:
“God cures, but the doctor sends the bill.”
“So how do you bridge spirituality within a helping/healing modality so that you’re fulfilled and making a positive difference to your health?” asks Rahima Schmall, Ph.D., R.N.
How DO you become what is sometimes called a “healer”?
Simple—you study and you give yourself the same care that you intend giving others.
Simple? Yes!
Easy? Not so much.
Why? Because it takes time and effort to focus on our own spiritual dimension and for many of us, that’s not what we are here to do.
Dig Deeper
Answer the following questions in your notebook. You are taking notes, aren’t you?
1. What are the four essential qualities of a healer?
2. What is your opinion? Why is faith so important to healing?
veleskatruter says
June 14, 2019 at 3:32 pm(2) It is God who heals, not me. I am merely the vessel which he uses to bring miracles into peoples lives. I hope through healing others I can introduce them to the God I serve and make them curious enough to want to meet Him.
Philemon Ramaphakela says
June 11, 2019 at 8:41 pm1)Trust, faith, love and humility.
2) Faith is so important to healing because it is one gear that engages one’s attitude to a mode of possibilities. Faith is like a hand that reaches out to one’s healing.
Kylle Kolk says
April 29, 2019 at 3:46 pmI can accept that healing needs some sense of spirituality, but I do not believe that it requires some semblance of Christianity to it.
swartbooi.rashida05 says
April 9, 2019 at 10:44 amLove, trust, faith & humility.
“I know the plans I have for you”, says the Lord…. Jeremiah 29:11.
This right there is why Faith is important to me and it brings healing in your life. “Body, mind and soul”
catherine.g.2013 says
April 3, 2019 at 5:22 amTrust/Love/Faith/Humility
Faith that these are His plants put on this earth to heal. His plants, His intent for use of the plants, the faith that we can use the plants as medicine as He intended.
Pretty Maluka says
March 21, 2019 at 3:15 pmThe four qualities of a healer are as follows:
Trust – trust God within to give instructions on how to heal a certain condition.
Faith- have faith in your self/your God and follow the instructions provided.
Love- Love your self/ your God to attract the love healing energy.
Humility- show humility and passion towards yourself and the condition that is supposed to be healed.
Faith is important in healing because it attracts Love, which is the true creator of everything.
uncledeli2 says
March 14, 2019 at 1:21 pm1. trust, faith, love and humility.
2. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Difficult sometimes but very very important.
nfventer says
March 14, 2019 at 11:56 am4 Qualities of a healer are faith, love, trust and humility.
If you put your faith into healing it means that you believe in something bigger than yourself to heal. If you don’t believe a treatment will cure, why continue with the treatment…
Joanne Madgwick says
March 7, 2019 at 10:36 amLove, faith, trust, humility
Because if you don’t believe mentally that this will benefit you your body won’t respond to it and you’ll prob not follow through with the treatment if you don’t believe it will work.
annawilliams says
March 2, 2019 at 6:48 pm1. The 4 qualities of a Healer: Trust, Faith, Love & Humility
2. Faith provides you with the foundation for healing, as you realise that it is the Holy Spirit that truly guides you as a healer. Also the spiritual (faith aspect) has been acknowledged over the ages for well balanced mental and physical health
Hester Whitehouse says
February 16, 2019 at 1:03 pmThe 4 Qualities are: Faith, Trust, Love, Humanity.
You need to believe and trust that healing is possible. Most of all you need to trust in God.
ndyokobongi says
February 15, 2019 at 1:26 pmQualities of a healer are Trust, Faith, Love and Humility.
It is important to have Faith as faith provides you with the belief that you are capable.
elmarier says
February 14, 2019 at 1:30 pmAlta you said it perfectly well. Could not do better.
ronel-collins says
February 2, 2019 at 10:57 amI respect the peoples answers above and ask the same respect, but my interpretations are different the way the course is written but I have walked a long difficult terrain and I am comfortable in calling God, Goddess, source energy, the universe
trust in yourself that you are a good kind person
love yourself first and harm no-one
faith that you and everything around you is connected in some way
humility to know that you are not better than any human, animal or plant
Nico Roux says
January 16, 2019 at 1:16 pmtrust,fath ,love,humility
Geloof is hoop , hoop is God
Momley Amushendje says
January 14, 2019 at 3:48 pmIndeed, like Alta clearly puts it.
The four qualities of a healer are : trust, faith, love and humility
Secondly, its impossible for anything to happen in one’s life without faith. Also, it clearly shows that one does not believe in higher power either because no man on this earth can make anything possible except for The Almighty God. Its important to walk by faith and not sight.
Alta Pretorius says
December 31, 2018 at 12:10 pm1. Love – love God first, love one another as God loves us
Faith – have faith in God and all His promises
Trust – Trust God with your whole heart and soul. He never disappoints
Humility – Do not boast about anything except God, and what He has done for you.
2. If you don’t have faith, you don’t have anything. Faith makes everything possible.
That which is impossible for man, is possible for God. Have faith