Grounded in the Wrong Thing: Why Touching the Earth Ain’t Where the Power Is
I had some students at my school mention grounding to me, and they wanted to hear my opinion about it. I told them that it was not something that they wanted to be engaged with, and it has ties to the occult. What is grounding? How does it work? They say if you take your shoes off and put your bare feet in the grass, you’ll feel better. You will feel “happy”. Not just mentally, but spiritually. It’s called "grounding", as if the earth has some kind of healing energy flowing through it. At first glance, it doesn’t seem too bad. It’s peaceful. It’s natural. You’re outside and not glued to a screen. All good things, right?
But here’s the thing: not every “natural” thing is spiritually neutral. Grounding, when you pull back the curtain, ain’t just about soaking up sunlight, happiness, or vitamin D. It’s rooted in New Age beliefs that say the earth itself is divine, that energy flows from the ground into your body and aligns your soul. That’s not Christian, that’s pantheism with a barefoot twist.
You may be asking yourself at this point in time. “What is New Spirituality?” & “What is Pantheism?”
New Spirituality: A worldview that encompasses various spiritual beliefs and practices, often involving a blend of Eastern mysticism, Western esotericism, and personal development techniques, with an emphasis on inner experiences and personal transformation.
Pantheism- the belief that all living beings and material objects are divine. God is the sum of all things.
Now, I know some folks will say, "What is the big deal about standing in the grass? I ain’t worshiping trees!" And to be fair, walking outside and feeling the breeze is a blessing. God made this world good (Genesis 1:31). But Romans 1:25 warns us: when people stop worshiping the Creator and start trusting the creation, even just a little bit, they lose the truth and grab hold of a lie. That’s the danger, subtle, soft, smooth lies.
And sometimes lies wear flip-flops.
We live in a time where folks are desperate for peace. The adversary, the Devil, has convinced us that what we need from God is help instead of salvation. He has influenced the world in a major way. Anxiety’s high, relationships are messy, and our culture is grabbing for anything that feels like control. So the idea that the earth can “reset your nervous system” or “reconnect your energy” feels like hope. But that’s false hope. The only reset we really need is spiritual, a new heart, not just a barefoot habit (Ezekiel 36:26).
Let me bring Polycarp into this. I heard another man of God who was speaking in our Senior program today. He spoke about not compromising your faith in a world that is hostile against Christianity, even if it is just a little.
Polycarp was an old man, bishop of Smyrna, disciple of the Apostle John himself. When the Roman authorities told him all he had to do to save his life was just burn a little incense, just a pinch, to Caesar as lord, he refused. They told him, "Come on now, it’s not that serious." Why not just burn the incense? It would have saved his life and many others! But Polycarp knew better. He said, "Eighty and six years have I served Christ, and he never did me any wrong. How then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?"
And they burned him alive.
That man would not compromise, not even a little. Not with incense. Not with pressure. Not with cultural trends. Now, grounding ain’t incense, but the mindset behind it is the same: "Just do a little thing. My mind is not the same as others who do it for a bigger reason. No need to make a fuss." But faithfulness is forged in those exact moments when everybody else says “lighten up,” the believer stays lit with the fire of conviction.
So let me be plain: if we tell folks they can find healing in the earth’s energy instead of the cross of Christ, we’re giving them a counterfeit. A soft idolatry. A silent drift away from the gospel. That’s why this matters, not because the grass is evil, but because the lie that healing is found in creation instead of the Creator is deadly. In addition to that, those who see grounding in its full pantheistic glory may look at you as a Christ believer and say within themselves, “See, I don’t need Christ at all!”
Let your grounding be in Christ. He don’t just stabilize your body, He saves your soul. You want peace? Don’t stand barefoot in the backyard hoping the dirt heals you. Stand on the Rock. Jesus Christ—the only foundation that don’t shift when the storm hits.
Feet in the grass is fine. Just make sure your heart ain't in the dirt.
