"Self-Consumed"

"Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble." (Psalms 78:33) Have you ever had one of those days when you think you passed up some appointments to be used of God? I know it might sound strange, but it's pretty much impossible to overlook when there are like two or three encounters in a row, and you look back and say, 'What was I thinking? There was a missed moment to share God's love to someone who might need to hear about it.' Like, I know things can get crazy, especially in my line of work, going from appointment to appointment all day long, sometimes with no time to make it on time; but does it consume me so much that I loose sight of the most important things in life? Obviously it does, or the Lord would not have put it upon my heart. If you think about what vanity represents, it's more than just thinking life is all about you, it's forgetting your purpose for living. Okay, so maybe it's not that big of a deal to most people. We pretty much save doing things for the Lord for Sunday, as if going to church is the biggest act we perform, and it's good enough. Church is not where we minister, it's where we get ministered to! It's where we charge up our batteries to get out there and make a difference for Jesus! I want you to think about what this verse is saying, because it's pretty scary and hits pretty close to home for the majority of us that call ourselves Christians. How often do you hear someone say, "It seems like the days are just flying by; the older I get, the quicker they go by." What life are we keeping track of? What life are we consumed by? Lord, help me to pay attention and be available...
"Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" they asked. So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever."" (John 6:52-58) NLT