If the work a person has built withstands the test, he will be rewarded (1Corinthians 3:14)
I have a passion for reading and also like buying books. However, I don't like it when the publisher sees me as a "consumer." The word consume can mean "completely eliminated" or "wasted". This definition reminds us of wildfires that devour acres of crops, then leave scorched remains of trees and houses. When we read a book, we don't consume books in that sense, because the book will not run out after we read it. What happened was the very opposite. Books become a part of us and change us.
This is especially true of the Bible. When the words of the Scriptures abide in us, they will keep us from destroying sin (Psalm 119: 11). Jesus said that when His word remains in us, we will bear much fruit (John 15: 5-8). In other words, we will be makers, not consumers; giver, not receiver.
The Apostle Paul referred to Christians as "God's fellow workers" (1 Corinthians 3: 9), that is, people who will build buildings that cannot be "consumed" when they pass through the fire of God's judgment (verses 13-15). Next, he encourages readers to use the various gifts that can build up the church (14:12).
As Christians, may we be known, not because of the things we consume, but because of the good fruits we produce --JAL
A SELFISH LIFE
WILL PRODUCE A PERMANENT HARVEST
*) Take from Daily Reflections