--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A tree gives glory to God by being a…" description: "\"A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying [God]. It “consents,” so to speak, to [God's] creative lo..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/thomas-merton-231_consent_a-tree-gives-glory-to-god-by-being-a-tre_2294763.jpg" --- # A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being… ![“A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying [God]. It “consents,” so to speak, to [God's] creative love. It is expressing an idea which is in God and which is not distinct from the essence of God, and therefore a tree imitates God by being a tree” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/thomas-merton-231_consent_a-tree-gives-glory-to-god-by-being-a-tre_2294763.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/thomas-merton-231_consent_a-tree-gives-glory-to-god-by-being-a-tre_2294763.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5f/thomas-merton-231_consent_a-tree-gives-glory-to-god-by-being-a-tre_2294763.jpg) > “A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying \[God\]. It “consents,” so to speak, to \[God's\] creative love. It is expressing an idea which is in God and which is not distinct from the essence of God, and therefore a tree imitates God by being a tree” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote suggests that a tree reflects God's nature by simply existing, embodying divine creative love and consent. **In simple terms:** A tree mirrors God by being itself, expressing divine love. Key Takeaway Embrace your natural role to reflect higher purpose. Themes spirituality nature theology Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical theological When to use this quote - environmental stewardship - spiritual practice - education on ecology Key Concepts divine imitation creative love Questions to Reflect On - What does “imitating God” mean to you? - How can nature inspire spiritual growth? A Different Perspective Human interpretation may oversimplify divine concepts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consent/) [Creative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative/) [Creative love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creative-love/) [Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Glory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory/) [Glory of god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glory-of-god/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Obeying god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obeying-god/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“A TREE gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying Him. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/a-tree-gives-glory-to-god-by-being-a-tree-for-in-being-what-god-means-3/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying Him… The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/a-tree-gives-glory-to-god-by-being-a-tree-for-in-being-what-god-means/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“The requirements of a work to be done can be understood as the will of God. If I am supposed to hoe a garden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-requirements-of-a-work-to-be-done-can-be-understood-as-the-will/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Do you purchase the first tree you see? Of course not. You search for the right one. You walk the rows. You lift several…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/do-you-purchase-the-first-tree-you-see-of-course-not-you-search-for/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [The tree that God plants, no winde hurts it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-tree-that-god-plants-no-winde-hurts-it/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [What you do for a tree, God does for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/what-you-do-for-a-tree-god-does-for-you/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [“The human race is one great tree of God, spreading and growing over the whole earth, and covering the whole earth with its branches.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-john-of-kronstadt/the-human-race-is-one-great-tree-of-god-spreading-and-growing-over/) [St. John of Kronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-john-of-kronstadt/) > [“ Tree I dreamt you invisible majesty hovering above the face of all things. Rooted in the pain of ash, mere man, I bore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salvador-espriu/tree-i-dreamt-you-invisible-majesty-hovering-above-the-face-of-all/) Salvador Espriu > [We could not become like God, so God became like us. God showed us how to heal instead of kill, how to mend instead…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/we-could-not-become-like-god-so-god-became-like-us-god-showed-us-how/) [Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/) > [Through a tree we were made debtors to God; so through a tree we have our debt canceled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irenaeus-of-lyons/through-a-tree-we-were-made-debtors-to-god-so-through-a-tree-we-have/) [Irenaeus of Lyons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irenaeus-of-lyons/) > [We come from God. As the tree from the root and the stream from the spring; that's why we should always be in contact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/we-come-from-god-as-the-tree-from-the-root-and-the-stream-from-the/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [This sounds cheesy but when I would get in discussions with people about religion or spirituality, a lot of people would say, "I believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-maines/this-sounds-cheesy-but-when-i-would-get-in-discussions-with-people/) [Natalie Maines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-maines/) > [All about us, in earth and air, wherever the eye or ear can reach, there is a power ever breathing itself forth in signs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/all-about-us-in-earth-and-air-wherever-the-eye-or-ear-can-reach-there/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Drool has sprouted an erection. Let’s ask him what he’s thinking about. Had his way with a knotted oak on the way here. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-moore/drool-has-sprouted-an-erection-let-s-ask-him-what-he-s-thinking-about/) [Christopher Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-moore/) > [“It is not always more work that we want so much as a better motive. Many of us do a good deal of work,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/it-is-not-always-more-work-that-we-want-so-much-as-a-better-motive/) [Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/) ## More by Thomas Merton > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. 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Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-e-wilson/) > [Fate does not seek our consent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/fate-does-not-seek-our-consent/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [That is a list of the Territories that yielded to Ebon Askavi. They now stand within the shadow of the Keep. They are mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bishop/that-is-a-list-of-the-territories-that-yielded-to-ebon-askavi-they/) [Anne Bishop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bishop/) [Browse all 676 Consent quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consent/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A tree gives glory to God by being a tree. For in being what God means it to be it is obeying [God]. It “consents,” so to speak, to [God's] creative love. 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