Let me start by stating that I’m not in any way trying to brag or boast about myself.  I am truly thankful to God that I have been blessed so greatly in life.  And make no mistake about it; I live a modest life in most respects.  I don’t have a mansion or belong to a yacht club.  However, I firmly believe that a person can benefit from the values/skills they learn as a Christian in the secular realm.  Also, I am not a CEO or even a seasoned manager.  I’m not trying to give you business advice or show you how you can turn your career around overnight.  But please read on and consider the points that are made, they may very well be worth your while.
 
Peace with All Men
You may remember the scripture, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”  (Romans 12:18 NASB).  One thing I have learned in business is that it is easier to sit down eye to eye with someone and discuss conflicting points of view than yelling back and forth and one another.  If you can work things out, you can make an ally instead of an enemy.  I can’t tell you how many times I have seen someone be forced out of a job because of their antagonistic ways of dealing with conflict.  It is never a good situation and it rarely benefits anyone in the end.

Consider the Ant
There is no mistake that hard work can pay great dividends.  No wonder the Bible states…

Go to the ant, O sluggard, Observe her ways and be wise, Which, having no chief, Officer or ruler, Prepares her food in the summer And gathers her provision in the harvest.
(Proverbs 6:6-8 NASB)

In most cases, good things will come to those who take initiative and work hard toward the goal.  Those who procrastinate or constantly refocus don’t get very far in life.  Have you ever noticed that the “one talent man” found in Matthew 25:14-30 is called “Lazy” or “Slothful”?  Now, the challenge becomes not allowing the effort you put into your job to overcome the effort you put into being a Christian.  That’s an entirely different topic.

Let Your “Yes” be “Yes” and Your “No” be “No”
Honesty and integrity are of utmost importance in the business world today.  With the many scandals we have seen in the business world, there is no room in companies for dishonesty.  As well, people who practice decisiveness earn the respect of many and are often given additional challenges and responsibilities.  These two values are at the core of the Christian’s being.  Jesus commanded, "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil.”  (Matthew 5:37 NASB).  I believe you can take two things from this passage.  The first is to mean and do what you say.  The second is that we aren’t to be wishy-washy in our lives.  Keep these values in your life and you can’t go wrong.

Recognize How to Be a Profitable Employee
How do we know we are profitable to our employer?  Jesus taught an important lesson about this in Luke 17.  Consider the following statement:

"So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'"  (Luke 17:10 NASB)

Keep in mind that Christ is stating this in reference to our relationship with God.  However, in your work, how many people do you run across who have this humble attitude?  When review time comes how many people say, “You know I’ve only been doing what has been expected of me.”  In fact, many people believe if they do 80% of what is expected they deserve a pay increase.  I believe that to make a difference, a person needs to sometimes go beyond the expectations that are set.

Tools of the Trade
Regarding our abilities, many of the skills that we can gain as a Christian fit well into the work place.  For instance, our ability to study and think critically can help us understand our business and see changes that need to be made.  Our ability to talk to others about Christ can also help us feel comfortable discussing difficult business related topics.  For those who have the opportunity to teach, preach, lead song service or lead public prayer, these talents can help tremendously in the work place.  I’ve been preaching since I was a young teenager and I know that because I’m used to standing in front of people and speaking, I have no problem when I’m asked to give last minute presentations at work.

Conclusion
One thing should be made clear.  God must come first in our lives and we must never lose sight of this ("But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”. - Matthew 6:33 NASB).  That being said, we can see there are many practical ways to apply Christian living in the work environment.  In a way, it is ironic that notions which seem so foreign to many can actually help us to prosper in our jobs.  This is important because it shows us that we don’t need to be conformed to the world in order to be successful in our work lives.