Interpreting the Purpose of Earthly Work

Scripture: When he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature call out, “Come!” I looked, and there was a black horse! Its rider held a pair of scales in his hand, and I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a day’s pay, and three quarts of barley for a day’s pay, but do not damage the olive oil and the wine!” Revelation 6:5-6

Observation: As the seven seals of the scroll are opened, each reveals a new action. The first four involve horses with riders. They involve violence, war, and death itself. However, amongst them is this third horse, which appears to represent ... commerce. It wields market scales, and the voice of heaven declares prices for food. This is about the need to work for the day to earn enough to by one's own daily bread, and barely that as perhaps it is not enough to also buy the oil to make the bread, and wine to drink.

If the "four horsemen" represent a level of despair, hardship, and violence against mankind, then this hardship includes modern economics. As part of the earthly hardship, humans have to trade daily work for what it takes to survive. Working every day becomes a requirement to live, and therefore living itself involves working every day. If the end-time interpretation of the four horsemen is about hardship and death, then that death begins when we align ourselves to the model for work, and rely upon that earthly work to provide for our earthly lives.

Application: The alternative for me is that I must rely upon the Lord for my provision in life. Yes, I still need to work, as on earth we have a way to manage exchanges in goods and services. However, my work must never become the purpose of my life, as that is - by God's definition - death.

I dwell too often on the value of my work, and that value also only has earthly meaning and thus should be ignored. My work should be judged only in how it contributes to the Lord. Am I a witness of Jesus Christ in the workplace? Do I give my tithe to God? Does my work align to the will of God, based on how I see him acting around me? Do I do my job well enough so as to avoid anyone from bringing charges against me and thus tarnishing their understanding of Christ?

I am in good standing on these elements, though I know I could do better at the actual quality of my work. This is something I must return to as a focus of my work. The money, the outcomes, the large-context 'meaning' of it ... these only matter in the way that they point to Jesus as the savior of all mankind.

Prayer: Lord, may I improve my focus at work, and may my work reflect your love toward others and your character. Help me to release all pride I have about my earthly value within the worldly economy, for such cares are just another form of death. Amen.