What is the Biblical way to view our secular work?
The Bible teaches us that we should work for the Lord in all that we do, including our secular jobs. Whatever job we are in, we are to keep in mind that Jesus Christ is our Lord, and God is our Supreme Boss.
Colossians 3:22-25 tells us,
"Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality."
How to treat our secular jobs
With Colossians 3:22-25 in mind, here are some ways we should treat our secular jobs.
1) Serve God by giving your best service to your boss or superiors
When we are at work, we should give it all our best even if our superiors or bosses do not see us, simply because God sees us. Even if we are not under our colleagues' or supervisor's radar, we are still clearly visible in God's eyes. In fact, He sees our sincerity of heart, or the lack of it.
That said, let us choose to give our best, sincere service to whom it is due. Let us work with excellence, knowing that it's God we are pleasing.
2) Prioritize God's pleasure, not our bosses'
We should always remember that since God is our Boss, we are to prioritize pleasing Him even if it means displeasing our earthly bosses.
That said, if our job requires us to compromise our faith, let us take a stand and follow God even if our superiors won't be happy. Let's try to talk to them with love, emphasizing that we will go against our Godly convictions if we obey them.
Don't fear doing this. Jesus said, "do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)
He also said, "whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38)
3) Look to God for your reward
Oftentimes we seek approval and applause for our hard work, especially in the workplace. When others are promoted even though they don't work well, we tend to compare our labor with them and say "I worked harder than that guy, why did I not get promoted or get a pay raise?" I understand that, but friends, let's just look to God for our reward.
Instead of resenting our jobs and the pay we receive, let us thank God for the ability to produce wealth and take care of ourselves and our families. Let's treat our coworkers well and be happy for their promotion and raise.
And if ever we are treated unjustly, let us look to God and follow Him. He is our righteous Boss who will reward us according to our actions, and give us so much more than what we expect.