Using Life Experiences to Touch Others

Steve Douglass, the President of Campus Crusade, shared the story below with the staff yesterday. It was very encouraging to me; I hope it is to you as well!

Steve Douglass, President
Campus Crusade for Christ

On a recent trip, a friend and I were speaking by phone when he asked my advice concerning his future because he was thinking of a job change.

I was in the boarding area waiting for my flight back to Orlando.  As the conversation continued, I boarded the plane while still talking to my friend. Even as I took my seat in the plane, I was still talking to him about how he could discern God’s will for his life.  When the plane was ready to pull back from the terminal building, I had to hang up.

Apparently the woman in the seat next to me overheard my phone conversation. She was a Christian and also wanted to know God’s will for her life.  To be honest with you, I had planned to sleep on the flight because I had slept only a few hours the night before.  But I certainly didn’t want to pass on such an obvious divine appointment.

For the next hour and a half I had the privilege of leading her through a personal planning process that I have used and taught for 40 years.  She took careful notes, asked questions and wanted to see how this applied to certain current opportunities she had.  By the end of our time she had some specific action points.

Afterwards, it occurred to me that God used my specific experience to minister to her.  How many other people on that plane had an extensive background in teaching personal planning – especially from a Christian perspective?  It is interesting that God placed the two of us together and had me talking about the subject within her hearing.

I believe that God gives us concepts and experiences, in part, so that we can use them to minister to other people.  For example, in the area of comfort and encouragement, Paul says in II Corinthians 1:3-6:  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.  If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer.

Think of what God gives us which can be useful in ministering to others: education and training, our life experiences, life experiences of friends (which we experience alongside them), and knowledge of the Bible from many years of daily personal devotional times.  We practically possess an arsenal of ministry capability waiting for deployment in the spiritual battle.

We shouldn’t be surprised when God causes our paths to cross with people who need what we have to offer.  In fact, we should expect that to happen.  As we meet and interact with people, we should look for “match ups” of their need with our experience and ability to minister.

As we see God orchestrate that week after week, each day becomes an adventure.  I believe we can pray, “Lord, lead me to people today whose lives I can touch with what You have given to me.”

**Read this and other posts from Steve Douglass here.