On the Shoulder's of Giants- Part 2

2. Heroes cheer us on–When we are in the thick of a spiritual struggle or painful circumstance it is easy to lose sight of our end goal. God, in His mercy, doesn’t intend for us to walk through these valleys alone. He has surrounded us with grandstands of witnesses to cheer us on the way and remind us of His greater perspective. They too struggled with loneliness, grieved over sin, and cried from a broken heart. Yet in the end they bear this witness: He is worthy, He is faithful, He is Sovereign.

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus… Hebrews 12:1,2a”

William Borden is one of those witnesses in my life. As heir to the multi-million dollar Borden Dairy company, he shocked the world by leaving fame and fortune behind that he might share Jesus with Muslims in China. During his years of ministry preparation at Yale and Princeton, his zeal for the lost and his fervent prayer ministry transformed both college campuses. Just months after his ordination in 1912 and well-publicized departure to China, 26 year old Borden contracted spinal meningitis and died. At the back of his Bible was written this statement: “No retreats, no reserves, no regrets.”

Though seen as "a waste" in the world's terms, both his life and his death continue to challenge me to hand over all those temporal toys and amusements that hinder total consecration. His role model shows me the beautiful, eternal fruit of dying to self that I might live unto Christ.