Jackie Pullinger (born 1944)
READ: Matthew 10
Jackie Pullinger felt God call
her to be a missionary at the age of 5. Though she wasn’t quite sure what that
meant, nor was she thrilled with the idea, she accepted that it would be her
lot in life. As a young adult she recommitted herself to the Lord and
immediately felt a burden for the lost. She
was convinced that she had
eternal life, but what about all those poor, lost souls who didn’t know Jesus?
And so she set off to share Jesus wherever she could.
Jackie heard God saying “go”, but
was rejected by the missionary society for being too young. She was given the
advice from a minister to buy a boat ticket and set sail until God told her to
get off. And so, like Abraham, she responded to God’s urging and set off
without a destination in mind, trusting that God would direct her feet. She
understood that her role was to obey, not to force a calling, and so she
embraced her adventure and decided that if she was to sail around the world
only to talk to one sailor about Jesus, it would be worth it.
But God wouldn’t let her get
around the world. He stopped her in Hong Kong and brought her to the walled
city of Kowloon. She didn’t know when she entered it, but the walled city was a
lawless place, a city abandoned by police and not subject to any jurisdiction. Run
by Chinese gangs, it was one of the world’s largest opium production centres
full of gangs, drugs and prostitution. Jackie was overwhelmed with love for the
people of the city and began teaching children, eventually starting a youth
club where God used her powerfully to minister to those caught in the
destructive lifestyle of gangs and drug addiction.
When ministry was difficult and
seemed unfruitful, Jackie immersed herself in God’s Word and prayer. During one
prayer time, God gave her the gift of tongues. She felt uncomfortable and so
she left it alone for an entire year until someone told her “The Scripture says
if you pray in tongues you will be built up spiritually. It doesn't say you
will feel built up.” Jackie started exercising her gift and saw an immediate
change in her ministry. God was leading her to people who were ready to hear
the gospel and lives began to change. Jackie learned the wonderful benefit of
the gift of tongues: “The problem is, most of us have got an agenda, and we
say, ‘This is what I want to do, dear Lord, please bless me.’ ... But when you
pray in tongues it's the opposite way round. It's, ‘Dear Lord, You've got an
agenda, and I'd like to play the part You want me to play in it.’”
To Jackie, being a Christian is
very simple: follow what God says and share Jesus wherever you can.
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. Where do you feel weak in your faith?
2. Ask God how He wants to grow your faith this summer. What does He want to do in your heart?
3. Thank God for what He has shown you, and pray that it would become a reality in your life.
