“No Reserves. No Retreats. No Regrets”
“… the lion which is mighty among all animals, and does not retreat before any.”- Proverbs 30:30
Do you ever feel like quitting? Most of us do at some time or another. Quitting doesn’t produce character. Endurance does. When you’re facing the test of “throwing the towel in,” remember Jesus, who endured everything. He was beaten, his beard was plucked out, he was forsaken by his friends, he endured the torment of the cross to purchase our salvation. He has promised that He won’t quit on us.
Whatever you’re going through, remember the words of scripture. His promise is … “I will never leave you, nor forsake you.” – Heb. 13:5, and that “God…rewards those who earnestly (persistently) seek Him.”- Hebrews 11:6 – God will strengthen you to continue.
The Testimony of the Life of William Borden (1888-1913)
As heir to the Borden Dairy estate, William Borden was destined to inherit a fortune, and as a young man, he was already a millionaire wit
h a bright future in business and the dairy industry. For his high school graduation present, his parents gave 16-year-old Borden a trip around the world. As he traveled through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, he felt a growing burden for the spiritually lost people of the world. William wrote home to say, “I’m going to give my life to prepare for the mission field.” At the same time, he dated and wrote two words in the back of his Bible: “No Reserves.”
In preparation for missionary ministry, William Borden enrolled in Yale University in 1905, then a significant Christian university. He was the greatest and most committed Christian of his entire freshman class. Borden started a prayer meeting before breakfast on campus that transformed the lives of many men, and by the end of his freshman year, 150 students attended. At the end of his senior year, 1,300 were attending such groups. Borden was known to go for the hardest men to reach for Christ, and his ministry reached into the community of New Haven, Connecticut, where he served widows and orphans, and rescued drunks from the streets. His faith and commitment had a staggering impact on all who met him. An entry in his journal recorded his personal devotion to Christ – “Say ‘no’ to self and ‘yes’ to Jesus every time.”
A Burden for the Kansu People of China
While seeking the Lord about his missionary burden, William Borden felt a clear call to the Muslim Kansu people of China. Upon his graduation from Yale, Borden was offered high paying and prestigious positions in the business world. His firm resolve was still for the lost of China, and a dated entry appeared in his bible, “No Retreats.”
He continued studies in theology and missions at Princeton Seminary in New Jersey, and at the conclusion of his course work, he immediately set sail aboard a steamship for China. His plan was to have a short season in Egypt in order to study Arabic, because of his burden to reach the Muslim people of China. Within days after arriving in Egypt, William Borden became seriously ill, and was diagnosed with a form of brain meningitis. His frail body passed away within one month at the age of 25 years. He never reached China.
The news of his death was cabled back to the United States, and the story was carried by every major American newspaper. Some articles read, “Borden not only gave away his wealth, but himself in a way so joyous and natural, that it seemed a privilege rather than a sacrifice.”
His body was returned to the United States, and upon sorting through his personal belongings, his family looked through his Bible, discovering the dated words in the back of his Bible, together with a brief journal entry, written by young William. “No Reserves. No Retreats,” along with a final entry written a few days before his death. “No Regrets.”
His Bible was laid on his chest, and was buried with him, and his “No Reserves. No Retreats. No Regrets,” credo was spoken of at his funeral. These words have been the subject of many sermons, and the story of his brief life has impassioned believers to this day to go to the mission field for Christ, and to live a life worth living for God.
I pray that you’re stirred by the faith and dedication of this man. God won’t let you go, and He’ll never give up on you. He will assuredly cause you to fulfill the purpose and destiny for which you were created.
No Reserves … No Retreats … No Regrets …
