If the work that a person has built stands up to the test, he will be rewarded (1 Corinthians 3:14)
I have a passion for reading and also like to buy books. However, I don't like it when publishers think of me as a "consumer". The word consume can mean "completely eliminating" or "wasting away". This definition reminds us of forest fires that devour hectares of plants, then leave the remains of trees and houses charred. 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 actually quite the opposite. Books become part of us and change us.
This is especially true of the Bible. If the words of the Scriptures abide within us, they will keep us from devouring sin (Psalm 119:11). Jesus said that if His word abides 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 refers to Christians as "God's fellow workers" (1 Corinthians 3:9), namely people who will build buildings that cannot be "consumed" when they pass through the fire of God's judgment (verses 13-15). Furthermore, he encourages readers to use the various gifts that can build up the church (14:12).
As Christians, may we be known, not for the things we consume, but for the good fruits we produce -- JAL
A LIFE THAT IS NOT SELFISH
WILL PRODUCE AN ETERNAL HARVEST
*) Take from Renungan Harian