Leaders and Commitment
William Borden came from a family whose success in the dairy business was well known. As a high school graduation gift, William’s parents sent him and a chaperone on an around the world trip to help prepare him for college at Yale. They gave him a Bible to read on the journey and somewhere in Asia he was struck by the enormity of the task of reaching the world for Christ and how he must give his all to helping to reach those without Christ. He penned two words in the first page of his Bible, “No Reserves.”
After entering Yale to study business, he became friends with a mission’s zealot named Samuel Zwemmer whose passion for reaching Muslims soon infected William. He sensed God’s calling him personally to help bring the gospel to the Muslim peoples of western China. After explaining to his parents that he would not take over the family dairy business after graduation, he wrote two more words in the front of his Bible, “No Retreats.”
Having finished some Biblical studies, he sailed for Egypt to study Arabic before moving on to China. After only six months of language study, William contracted cerebral meningitis and died. His mother sailed from New York to Cairo to collect his personal belongings, among which was his Bible. After opening it, she read two more words that William had added to the front page, “No Regrets.”
“No Reserves!” “No Retreats!” “No Regrets!” That total commitment to Christ drove Borden of Yale to give his life for world evangelism.
The highest good in the Christian life is not becoming a missionary or a vocational Christian worker. Rather, it is discovering God’s will for your life and doing it with this type of total commitment. The days demand it. The King deserves it. Why not make that commitment today!
Developing Kingdom Leaders - Tom Yeakley 