The Wall Street Journal asked half a dozen celebrities to answer a fundamental life question: What is fulfillment?

The first celebrity said he feels most fulfilled “when there are no restrictions on my ideas or inspirations.” The second observed “sometimes we do things that we’re dreading doing, and they turn out to be—pardon the expression —fulfilling.” A third said, “You want to live up to expectation. Fulfillment, for me, is feeling that I’ve accomplished that.” Another said, “I’m most fulfilled whenever I’m able to have space to think and don’t feel rushed to make my work.” Yet another said, “The tricky thing about fulfillment is that it’s difficult to recognize in your life.”

So, how would you answer the fundamental life question: What is fulfillment? I sincerely hope that you would quote our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In John 10:10 He said: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Only Jesus offers life fulfillment here and now—and for all eternity. May you and I experience that fulfillment and share the life of Jesus with still others. After all, that’s what it means to reach your world.

This is Luis Palau.

uIn a penetrating article, TIME magazine talked at length about,  "...the uselessness of envy. As with many behaviors that were once considered vices—greed, sloth, lust—envy reflects a miscalculation in the relative worth of things." 

Take our culture’s obsession with celebrities. TIME noted, “Sometimes, we can barely get through the day. They [celebrities] are happier and more fulfilled… Their lives look better than ours, and therefore they must be better people than we are, [but]… Many lives are not as they appear.” As examples, TIME talked about two celebrities who had recently ended it all and lamented that such people’s lives, "...aren’t as amazingly blissful as they appear."

It’s not just beauty that’s skin deep. It’s also fame and riches. Glamour and glitz, and power and popularity, aren’t enough. They’ve never been enough. They’re this world’s terrible miscalculations of worth.

Jesus spoke profound truth in John 10:10 where He says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Whatever the devil offers, the devil laughs and takes away. Only Jesus offers life to the full here and now—and for all eternity. Share this with your friends.   

This is Luis Palau.

In recent months, we’ve seen an increasing number of celebrities end their lives. A former glamour model and Playboy Playmate jumped from a 25th floor window. A United States Navy admiral used a weapon. Four other prominent celebrities used a rope. They included an actor, a figure skater, a fashion designer, and a larger-than-life chef, author, and television personality.

After two well-known personalities passed within days of each other, TIME magazine said it was: “...a one-two punch to our belief that there are some people who are living the perfect life… What more could a person want?"  

What’s more, TIME said, “What do we do with the information that those whose lives we admire cannot bear to live? How do we process the reality that all that they’d had and done were not bulwark enough against darkness? What hope,” TIME asked, “is there for the rest of us?”

Thank God the answer is “new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” [1 Peter 1:3] That is what many of us have. Do you have that living hope? If so, share it and help rescue someone you know who feels life is not worth living. 

This is Luis Palau.

I love what Jesus says in John 10:28. In that verse, Jesus offers a triple promise to all who follow Him. He goes on record saying:  “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hands." Let’s look more closely at this triple promise.

First, Jesus says, “I give them eternal life.” What a gift from the Lord. In fact, eternal life is Jesus Christ Himself. First John 5:11-12 says, “God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has eternal life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Second, Jesus promises, “they shall never perish.” We never need to fear losing the life that God gives us. Why? Because Jesus Christ laid down His life on the cross. What did He die for? “Christ died for us” [Romans 5:8] and “Christ died for our sins” [1 Corinthians 15:3]. The result? “The blood of Jesus, His (God’s) Son, purifies us from all sin” [1 John 1:7]. Therefore, for the Christian there is no fear of eternity, though the process of dying can be disagreeable.

Third, Jesus promises that “no one can snatch them out of My hand.” Satan opposes us, and may plant seeds of doubt, but Jesus gives us the triply sure promise that if we belong to Him, we are His forever.  

This is Andrew Palau.

I’m so thankful for the untold numbers of cards and letters that I’ve received from all over the world. Here is a list that someone shared with me. It says: “The most destructive habit is…worry. The greatest joy is…giving. The most satisfying work is…helping others. The greatest shot in the arm is…encouragement. The greatest problem to overcome is…fear. The most effective sleeping pill is…peace of mind. The most powerful force in life is…love. The worst thing to be without is…hope. The greatest asset is…faith. The most worthless emotion is self-pity. The most beautiful attire is…a smile. The most prized possession is…integrity. The most contagious spirit is… enthusiasm."

We may smile, but this savvy list offers us both insights and wisdom. For one, I thank the Lord so much for giving me the gifts of faith, hope, and love. First Corinthians 13:13 [NLT] says, “Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

As well, I thank the Lord so much for giving me the gifts of integrity, enthusiasm, and peace of mind. They’re important all life-long. And now I pray that you too receive and enjoy each of these wonderful gifts of God.

This is Luis Palau.

With the doctor’s latest diagnosis, I’ve had to accept the reality that the Lord might take me home to heaven soon. I can’t tell you how much it has meant to hear from relatives and friends around the world.

My sister Martha sent a beautiful card to me. In it, she offered two wishes. Her first wish for me is peace when I worry. Her second wish is comfort when I hurt. I have to tell you, both of Martha’s wishes for me have come true.  First, when I’m tempted to worry, I remember Philippians 4:6-7 [NLT], which says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." The simple act of praying, with thanksgiving, replaces worry with God’s marvelous peace.

Second, when I hurt, I remember 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 [NIV], which says that, “the God of all comfort…comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." May these words also bring comfort to you today, my friend, wherever you are.

This is Luis Palau.

I’m so thankful for the hundreds of cards and letters that I’ve received from all over the world. Here is a prayer that someone shared with me. It says: “Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow: the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day. Either he will shield you from suffering or he will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings."

That prayer is aptly titled “Be at Peace” and reminds me of the wonderful words of our Lord Jesus Christ during the Last Supper. He told His disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many mansions; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” Those words of Jesus are found in the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 1-3. [NIV]

What about you? Is your heart at peace with God? Hearing my oncologist say I may not have long to live was sobering, but not frightening. I can honestly say I fully trust the promises of Jesus and can’t wait to see Him soon.

This is Luis Palau.

With the doctor’s latest diagnosis that my stage 4 lung cancer tumors are growing again, I’ve had to accept the reality that the Lord might take me home soon.

I’m so thankful for the untold numbers of cards and letters that I’ve received from all over the world. Here is an anonymous prayer that someone shared with me. It says: “I asked for health that I might do great things: I was given infirmity that I might do better things. / I asked for riches that I might be happy: I was given poverty that I might be wise. / I asked for power that I might have the praise of men: I was given weakness that I might feel the need for God. / I asked for all things that I might enjoy life: I was given life that I might enjoy all things. / I got nothing that I asked for but everything that I hoped for almost despite myself: my unspoken prayers were answered. / I am among all people most richly blessed."

What a great prayer. It reminds me of one of my favorite Bible verses, Romans 8:39. I memorized it as a boy. It says nothing “in all creation, will [ever] be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” [NIV]

No matter what, God’s love will hold you and me tightly, forever. That’s very good news, indeed.

This is Luis Palau.

For the first 27 years of my life, as a boy and then a young man, I completely turned my back on God. Like so many, I was consuming alcohol and partying in an attempt to fill the emptiness I felt inside.  I hardened my heart to Christianity. But even then, I could not deny that there was something different about my friends and family who were walking with Jesus, compared to what I saw all around in my life of partying. But recognizing those differences alone wasn’t enough to change me. Thankfully, my mother and father and others who knew me, didn’t give up talking to me about the greatness of Jesus whenever they had the chance. They lovingly counseled me time and time again, until I was finally able to clearly see God’s love. In Romans 15:18 Paul says, “I don’t speak about anything except what Christ has done through me to bring about the obedience of the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done.”

The point is clear - to direct people to Jesus by our actions, in combination with our words. We must actually talk about the Good News in order for people to really hear and respond! If nobody had ever talked to me about God’s love and redemption, then how could I have ever responded to Him and had my life turned around? Mark 16:15 says, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” So let’s do just that! Let’s share the life-changing Good News of Jesus with someone today.             

This is Andrew Palau.

A couple of churches set up tents in a downtown square with signs encouraging people to come in if they needed prayer. A young disheveled man came to one of the tents and began to complain about how terrible he was. He told about all the bad things in life he’d done. How he wasn’t forgivable. No matter what the followers of Christ shared with him he wouldn’t believe it. 

This young man was objecting to the good news because he didn’t believe he could be forgiven. When I encounter these kinds of people, I like to share the stories of King David and the apostle Paul. David had a man killed because of a woman and yet God still forgave him when he repented, which he did. Paul was a militant and murderous opponent of the early church until Christ appeared to him. Paul went on to be one of the most fruitful missionaries of all time.

The man in the square had seeds of faith planted in his heart that day. He sat with people who wanted to love and encourage him. As we reach out to people like this man share the redemptive stories of the Bible like Paul and David. It helps to counter the misconceptions that their sins aren’t forgivable.  And share your own story also – how Jesus came to earth to set us all free, and how He set you free when you believed in Him.

This is Luis Palau.