The Poison Ivy Tree
The top photograph is a tree in our yard that was infested with poison ivy. The tangled brown mass and most of the branches you see are dead poison ivy after I sprayed several times and went to the doctors’ to treat poison ivy rash eruptions all over my body.
The tree was planted with care by people who came long before us. The poison ivy would have sprouted all by itself at the base of the tree soon after. And it was neglected and allowed to grow and infest and take over the tree—so much that half the trunk’s diameter was poison ivy. It sucked the life out of the tree and poisoned anyone who touched it. A young man confidently told me it was his job to get rid of the poison ivy. I see.
You might have something, or someone, in your life like that—something that creeps into an otherwise orderly life, relationship, or family; or into a church, school, business, politics, society, or planet. It could be human carnality, abuse, addiction, demonic activity, crime, toxic ideology, or environmental destruction. And it will always be related to sin, always. And like the young man, people will think or pretend that they’re taking care of the problem, while it only gets worse.
For a while I didn’t want to touch the poison ivy. But I knew if I didn’t, it would only get worse. I cut down the main trunk of the tree, which had completely died. As in the lower photograph, only the offshoots that had grown in later years survived. One only has leaves on the top. The other has no leaves at all but is producing a few tiny sprouts.
To confront and eradicate infesting evil like this requires decisiveness and determined effort despite all resistance to your effort or suffering because of it. And both resistance and suffering will occur in abundance.
Like cutting most of the tree down, much will be sacrificed in the process. And with what’s left in the end, you may even question if the whole effort was worth it.
Whatever is left standing—free from poisonous destruction and free to grow—is indeed worth it.
For us this tree represents the church we came to and what we had to do to change it. For others this tree may represent dealing with addiction, abuse, demonic deception, corruption, greed, or criminality.
Choose your battle. Be decisive. Do what it takes. Trust God.
You yourself will grow in the process.
