Be wise in the way you act toward those who are outside the Christian faith. Make the most of your opportunities. Everything you say should be kind and well thought out so that you know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:5–6
Wisdom is required when dealing with those “outside the Christian faith.” You can’t act the same with them as you do with believers. They don’t understand your faith, they don’t love God, and so they have to be treated differently.
Take friendship for example. Best friends share their deepest thoughts and emotions with each other. They look to one another for advice and guidance, and they help each other make their way through life. But nonbelievers can’t understand things of the Spirit, their advice isn’t godly advice, and their thoughts aren’t godly thoughts. And so the God Girl has to get smart about her non–believing friends. They’ll never be best friends, because she can’t share with them the way she shares with sisters in the faith. Because her actions are based on her faith in God, she can’t always expect to get good advice from someone who rejects her God. She can’t dump her emotions or concerns on them; like it or not, she has to be the stronger one, the one they can turn to for guidance and hope. She represents God in their lives, so she has to represent well.
“Be wise in the way you act toward those who are outside the Christian faith” (Col. 4:5), because how you act may either lead them to salvation or lead them to believe that your God is too weak to care for your emotional, spiritual, and even relational needs. You, God Girl, may be the only Bible your friends ever read, so be wise in your relationship with them. Be strong, guide them, comfort them, and give them hope, but save your needs for believers who are stronger than you and can lift you up in truth.