October 2025
Issue 235

Building Christlike character: God's great desire for you

Build Christlike character.

At first glance, it seems impossible. But the secret is that the Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting. We could never do it on our own.

Think about it. What are you doing in your life that compares to becoming like Jesus? Your job is not as important. Neither is developing whatever talent you have. Accumulating piles of money or possessions is a mockery of what you are capable of, with the Spirit's help.

This is a goal that will bring you the deepest satisfaction and at the same time the greatest humility. It is your gift to God and His gift to you.

Let's take a look at the finest thing you can do with your life in building Christlike character.

Call of the ages

It might last a moment
or go on for years.
It stops you dead cold
every time it appears.

Words can't describe it,
but the calling is strong.
Your heart heeds the warning
that something is wrong.

You live unconnected.
You travel alone.
This unspeaking voice
is inviting you home.

It's the call of the ages,
from within and above.
It's the hope of belonging
and the promise of love.

It's the call to surrender,
to give up your strife,
to walk with your Savior,
to share in His life.

~ Jack Zavada, www.inspiration-for-singles.com, 2025 ~

How do we get off onto the wrong road?

No one is keeping tabs on us most of the time—except God, that is. He's not a mean judge with a hammer, yet he will let us get into as much trouble as we want. He does not force us to obey him.

Sin is easy. It's our default setting. We forget that every action has consequences. When the pain starts, we ignore it at first, then as it gets worse and worse, we slap our forehead and say, "What the #$% was I thinking?"

I collected some warning signs that you may be getting on the wrong road. I've veered off onto that self-destructive detour myself a time or two, but mostly I've watched other people crash and burn.

Save yourself the heartache. See how you might be taking the wrong road…

How to get ready for marriage

Wait. What if you started working on your problems now, before you get married?

Hope for Hurting Singles. can help you do just that. You'll find proven principles for tackling loneliness, shyness, rejection, depression, fear, low self-esteem, and bitterness In fact, you can read the entire first chapter about loneliness f/ree, right here as a sample.

Hope for Hurting Singles. is down to earth, written in a conversational style you'll enjoy. Not only will you learn what works, you'll learn what methods don't work, based on the author's 45+ years in the single life.

Let's face it: Marriage is going to be a major challenge for you. Don't take your current problems into it. Start solving them now, with Hope for Hurting Singles.. You'll be glad you did.

For $10.99 in paperback or $3.99 for the Kindle version, you can become a calmer, more caring partner for that new spouse you deserve!

October QOTM: Packer scores again

You and I have a sinful nature, a bent toward disobeying God. Even though we are born again Christians, this tendency never leaves us. The Bible calls it "the flesh."

Thank God Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit to dwell within each of us as a guide, comforter, and teacher. When we submit to His influence, we can do the right thing. Under his loving touch, we can be molded into the likeness of Christ.

This lifelong process, called sanctification, scrapes away our bad habits, replacing them with the godly qualities of Jesus: love, forgiveness, compassion, self-control, integrity, patience, peace, and joy.

Don't look for external spectacles from the Holy Spirit. Instead, concentrate on the internal miracle of becoming more like Jesus every day.

Would you rather be like you—or Jesus?

God was eager to make me more like Jesus.

I did not grow a beard and buy a robe and sandals. That would have been me trying to be more like Jesus, and it would have been purely superficial. No, God was going to work on the inside of me, strengthening my good qualities (I already had a few) and reducing my bad qualities (I had many).

This project is still going on, and I'm happy to report we're making some progress. I'm glad there's no deadline, or I would be discouraged. My part is to stop being selfish, and that's a lifelong battle for a single person.

This ties in with our October lead article. Find out how you too can become more like Jesus.

New! Send your prayer requests

Jesus said:

"Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:19, ESV)

To protect your identity (God knows who you are and he knows your need), I ask you to submit your prayer request using your first name only, state (if you live in the U.S.), country (if you live outside the U.S.) and your need (limit of 5 words). Here's an example:

Caitlyn — New Jersey — healing

Minh — Viet Nam — a godly spouse

To send in your prayer request, use our secure Contact Form.

I'll publish prayer requests in Inspire-O-Gram. Each month when you receive the newsletter, read over the list carefully and say a short, sincere prayer for each person. Let's see what God does!

Living in two worlds at once

It's going at breakneck speed. Every day something disgraceful happens. The future looks grim. A recent survey by Lifeway Research showed 41 percent of Americans are afraid. And yet, God has a viselike grip on you and me and he will never let go. No matter what happens here, our final destination is heaven, single friend. That truth is hard to wrap your mind around.

Eternal life starts now. You and I are living in two worlds: the physical, here; and the spiritual. The last chapter in our story has already been written, thanks to Jesus' sacrifice on the cross.

That's reassuring news—the good news of the gospel. So we can breathe easier. No matter how crazy this world gets, we're on our way to a loving, kind, peaceful one, where we'll live with God forever.

Whew!

That is the October Inspire-O-Gram, and I enjoyed putting it together for you. Thank you for allowing me to visit you each month.

We're heading toward November, when we celebrate Thanksgiving in the USA. No matter where you live, it's always a good time to be grateful to God.

PS: Not a Christian yet? Find out how to become a Christian.