Be a Tree: Fruitful not Busy

Ryan Sanchez
Nov 1, 2025
3 min read

We live in a generation that glorifies being busy. We wear exhaustion like a badge of honor and convince ourselves that constant motion equals purpose. We feel the need to do, do, do as if we’re going to get a trophy or admiration from our peers.

Think about it: have you ever seen a tree running around frantically, trying to prove itself?

That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?

But take a moment to think about it.

What does a tree actually do?

It stands there. Day after day. Rooted. Steady. And in its stillness, it produces fruit. It provides shade, shelter, and nourishment to everything around it. not by striving, but simply by being what it was designed to be.

The Conversation That Stopped Me

Not long ago, I was talking to my buddy Briton. I told him how hard I was grinding. how I was pushing, building, doing. He looked at me dead in my face and said,

“Ryan, I’m really sick of that word: grinding. What does that even mean? Spending all your time on what you think you need to build, and missing everything else in your life?”

That stopped me in my tracks. Because he was right.

We’ve bought into this idea that to matter, we have to move faster, climb higher, and do more. But trees don’t grind. They grow. They trust the process that God built into them. And they produce fruit in season. Not all at once, and not on demand.

My Brother was hurting….

This week, I was in the middle of one of those nonstop, “hustle and grind” days.

I dropped by the church to run an errand and my mom said my brother wasn’t doing well.

Did I have the time to stop what I was doing? No.

But did I have the calling to stop? Absolutely.

I took time to stop and talk to him. He told me he felt off. That he’d been making mistakes all week at work and just wanted to stay home and sleep. He didn’t want to get yelled at again, and his solution was to stop doing everything. In that moment, he didn’t need advice or fixing; he needed love. He needed someone to simply be there.

And God whispered to my heart:

“This is what trees do.”

They don’t rush or force fruit. They stand firm and provide what others need. Shade, shelter, and Nourishment. Just by being what they are.

That night, the way I envisioned it, didn’t go according to plan. I was discombobulated.

But I lived out my real purpose, to love my brother well.

And it was a blessing to be a tree in that moment.

The Truth About “Being Busy”

I once heard a speaker share an acronym that hit me hard:

B.U.S.Y. = Being Under Satan’s Yoke.

Let that sink in.

When we fill every second of our lives chasing success, validation, and appreciation, we can unintentionally place ourselves under a weight we were never meant to carry.

Jesus said He came so that we “may have life, and have it abundantly.”

He didn’t call us to grind ourselves into the ground chasing a fake trophy of busyness. He called us to abide in Him and to stay connected to the Vine, so that our fruit comes naturally from His presence, not our pressure.

Know What You’re Called to Do

You are God’s masterpiece, created in His image. You already have value. You don’t need to earn it through your schedule.

A mentor of mine told me to take time to reflect on your core values. The very things that glorify God through your life. Your methods may change with the seasons, but your CORE VALUES, the way you’re designed doesn’t. The more you align your actions with your God-given values, the less busy you’ll be AND the more fruitful you’ll become.

If you don’t know what that looks like, ask someone who knows you well. A mentor, a close friend, a family member. Ask what they see in you. Sometimes, others can spot the fruit we’re too rushed to notice.

Be the Tree

Remember, Trees don’t hustle. They don’t compare. They don’t chase.

They simply do what they were designed to do. They stand tall, stay rooted, and bear fruit in their season.