A Rotten or Healthy Core

There are several reasons why a healthy-looking tree would fall: an act of nature, someone cutting it down, or the tree wasn’t as stable as it looked. We heard and watched as the largest and one of our most beautiful trees on the property fell. It was the backdrop that held fond memories of family pictures and the one that provided shade we enjoyed. We cut one tree down from the driveway side of the house because it was dangerously leaning. Although both trees looked beautiful outside, they showed signs of a disease once cut down; their core was rotten from top to bottom.

“A sound heart is the life of the flesh, but envy the rottenness of the bones” (Proverbs 14:30). A healthy heart needs blood flowing into and from it—it must be disease-free and have obstruction-free blood circulating through the body. Anything hindering blood flow puts the body’s health at risk for diseases. Envy, resenting the success of, or wanting what others have that we think we deserve, can “eat away” at the fiber of one’s physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Diseased and brittle bones, hearts, and minds can ruin health and cause one to fall prey to the enemy.

“Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Pride or haughtiness, thinking more highly of oneself than one should and lowly of others, has the same result as envy: a sick mind and body. As pride goes forward, destruction will follow. Spiritual, emotional, and sometimes physical ruin comes to those whose hearts aren’t right with God and others. Although people look good outside, God knows the core condition of their hearts and minds. The Bible says prideful people will fall; ruin will come. But unlike a fallen tree that stays down, people can rise from their fallen state and walk in righteousness again by admitting their sins and repenting, turning back to God (1 John 1:9).