Made for More

An heir to a wealthy family, William Whiting Borden was a 19th-century millionaire at an early age.

As a graduation present, Borden’s parents give him a trip around the world. His travels through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe deeply moved him, and he felt a burden growing in his heart for people who didn’t know Christ. As a result, he believed God was calling him to go to the mission field.

So after graduating from both Yale and Princeton Theological Seminary, Borden began preparing to become a missionary to the Uyghur Muslims in China. First, he went to study Arabic and Islam in Cairo. And while he was living there, he developed cerebral meningitis and died.

At the age of 25, William Whiting Borden was dead.

Some might conclude this was a waste.

No, it wasn’t. In his heart, Borden wanted to do what God wanted him to do. Was he ever able to do it? I guess he wasn’t. But his heart was in the right place.

As believers, we should all be able to look back on our lives without regret. Sure, we make mistakes here and there. We do things we shouldn’t do. But in the big picture, we should feel confident that we’ve made the right decisions for Christ.

We never waste our lives when we’re investing them in bringing people to Jesus. We never waste our lives when we’re living them for the glory of God.

Of course, it’s fine to enjoy the things this world offers—if they’re not sinful things, that is. But God made us to know Him. That’s why none of the things in this world really will satisfy us. They might bring temporary pleasure and some fun, but it’s short-lived. That’s because we were made for another world. We were made for more.