Consume To Produce

I’ve always been an early riser, for years waking around 3 AM. After devotions, I’d kill time—reading, playing games, scrolling—waiting for the gym to open.
Then I made a profile on Fiverr and started selling writing services. Those hours transformed from consumption to production. I made only $2 an hour at first, but as Jesus teaches, “whoever is faithful with little will be given much”.
 
Over time, a writing career emerged by the magic of compound interest. Fiverr ranked me up, customers wrote reviews, and workload demanded I raise prices until I was making more in a couple of hours in the morning than all day in my full-time job. Eventually, I chose to go bi-vocational and give up the full-time pastor salary.
I’ve never forgotten this lesson, and I am trying to apply it to every area of my life.
For the first 23 years of my life, I focused almost exclusively on what I could consume and created very little. Creation felt like work, and work was something to be avoided whenever possible. My mindset was centered on entertainment, comfort, and the path of least resistance. I measured life by what I could get, not what I could give.
What does it mean to truly live?
Genesis tells us we were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). If God is a creator, then we are meant to create.
Most people get confused about their purpose. This leads them to simply follow their appetites. Paul describes such people inPhilippians 3:19: “Their god is their belly…”
But I’ve found two simple rules for my life:
1. Produce, rather than consume.
2. And when you do consume, do it to fuel production.
The Divine Pattern of Production
Look at the opening of the Bible. God creates. He produces. He makes something from nothing.
Our fallen nature, however, gravitates toward consumption. We’re bombarded with messages suggesting happiness comes from what we acquire or consume.
The modern economy thrives on making us feel incomplete. Social media keeps us scrolling rather than creating.
Consumption vs. Production
Consumption isn’t wrong. We need to eat, rest, and learn from others. The problem is when consumption becomes our default mode.
Consider how many hours the average person spends scrolling, binge-watching, or shopping for things they don’t need.
Now compare that to how many hours they spend creating, writing, serving others, or building relationships.
This imbalance is the root of much modern emptiness.
Creation as Worship
When we produce—whether writing, cooking, building, or teaching—we participate in the divine nature. We fulfill our purpose as image-bearers.
Production is harder than consumption. It requires discipline and means facing potential failure. This is why many choose passive consumption—it’s easier.
But the rewards are profound: satisfaction, connection, growth, and legacy.
Those early morning hours I spent writing for $2 seemed insignificant. But they were seeds that grew into something unexpected. Had I continued with consumption, I would have missed the abundant life waiting on the other side.
Your Challenge
If I may be so bold, allow me to challenge you: This week, audit your consumption-to-production ratio:
1. How many hours do you spend consuming?
2. How many hours do you spend creating?
3. What one small thing could you produce this week instead?
 
Start small. Write a letter instead of scrolling.Cook from scratch instead of ordering takeout. Begin that project you’ve been postponing.
We were made for more than consumption. We were created to add value to the world through our own creations.
What will you create today?
(For a bonus: Consider your attitude towards food. Is it consumption to fuel your creation? Or is it consumption to fill a void in your heart?)