6 words

More than 100 years ago, when William Borden graduated from high school, his parents gave him three gifts—money to take a trip around the world, a servant to go with him, and a new Bible. At 16 years old, he set out to “find himself,” traveling throughout Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. But instead of finding himself, he found hurting people, suffering, and poverty. And, through studying the words on the crisp pages of his new Bible, he found God. Just a young man and heir to a fortune, he committed himself to preparing for missions, to bring the news of the God he knew to the people who needed Him.

He came home and enrolled in Yale where his commitment to missions work was questioned. One friend told him he was “throwing himself away as a missionary.” He responded with two words on the back cover of that leather Bible he was given: “No reserve.” When Yale president spoke to the students about the need to have “a fixed purpose” without sharing what the ultimate purpose should be and how we can persevere towards it, William took on missions work right where he was. He started a Bible study with one other student that became 150 students by the end of the year and 1,300 students 3 years later. He got his shoes muddy, serving the homeless, orphans, widows, and poor on the streets of New Haven. Although he was a millionaire, he stayed in cheap hotels and ate in cheap restaurants where the people he sought to reach were.

When he graduated, he could have had any job he wanted with Wall Street firms courting him and the opportunity to take over the multimillion dollar family business. It must have been tempting. And, it must have hurt when his father told him he’d never let him work in the company again because of his choice. But, he chose a different way, writing two more words on the back cover of his well used Bible: “No retreat.”

He heard God’s call to China, a call that no doubt must have seemed radical to all those around him. China? He studied at Princeton Seminary to prepare with a single-minded purpose of bringing Christ to the unreached Muslim minority groups in China. He set sail to China, stopping in Egypt to learn the language of the people he would serve. While he was there, he became ill and died soon after. When his father who had collected the few treasures that belonged to William, he found that tattered Bible he had given him with two more words written on that back cover: “No regrets.”

No reserve. No retreat. No regrets.

Here we are, standing at the crossroads of a new purpose. We aren’t turning down offers from Wall Street or offers to run the family business. But, we taking a step of faith and leaving the path we know and taking on our Father’s business in a way that seems pretty radical. It means change; change is hard. It’s unknown; fear can creep in. It’s overwhelming; questions abound. But, we’re moving forward, having a fixed purpose, because that’s what He’s called us to do.

No reserve. No retreat. No regrets.